Pam Wasson has been named the first Executive Director of the Lord & Schryver Conservancy. Wasson will be responsible for communicating and advancing the Conservancy’s mission to preserve, interpret and steward the legacy of pioneering landscape architects Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver for public enrichment. Wasson comes to the Conservancy with over 25 years of experience in marketing, branding, communications and fundraising, most recently as Development Director at the Oregon Symphony in Salem. Prior to moving to Salem, she spent 18 years as Vice President of Marketing at Monrovia Growers in California where she enjoyed working with a diverse and highly-skilled team of Horticulture Craftsmen. In Salem, Wasson leads community outreach for a new Healing Garden being built inside the Oregon State Penitentiary. She has a BA degree from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA.
“I am thrilled with the opportunity to guide this already successful organization to its next level. In addition to the historic gardens at the Deepwood Museum & Gardens and their home garden at Gaiety Hollow, the rich legacy of these women provides exciting opportunities to engage the public around multiple themes. I look forward to making their story come alive and to connecting it to our lives today,” said Wasson.
“The Lord & Schryver Conservancy Board welcomes Pam Wasson as a partner in advancing our mission for the benefit of the community. Her marketing and development experience will add capacity to our organization, and her creativity and leadership skills will inspire our volunteers and supporters. This is an exciting landmark for the Conservancy,” said Bobbie Dolp, Board Chair.
The Lord & Schryver Conservancy was established in 2005 as a nonprofit organization to celebrate the work and legacy of landscape architects Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver who designed over 250 gardens throughout the Northwest. A cornerstone of this effort was the 2015 acquisition of Gaiety Hollow, their 1932 home, garden, and studio on Mission Street in the heart of Salem, Oregon and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
With a professional executive director in place, the Lord & Schryver Conservancy and its headquarters at Gaiety Hollow will become a robust educational/cultural center for the community. Public programs, deriving from their legacy, of design, horticulture, civic engagement, visual arts, and entrepreneurship, will be developed.
The Lord & Schryver Conservancy is a Preservation Project with the Garden Conservancy and a Partner with the Oregon Cultural Trust. This position was made possible through the generosity of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
