The Pacific Horticulture Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Beck as its new Executive Director. She will start her new position with the half-century old horticulture organization on Feb. 1.
“Pacific Horticulture is thrilled to welcome Sarah as our new Executive Director,” says Richard Hayden, Incoming Board Chair, Pacific Horticulture Society. “Through her entire career, she has demonstrated a passion that aligns with our vision of a resilient world dependent on the thoughtful cultivation of plants. With Sarah’s rich experience creating engaging programs and her commitment to diversity and inclusion, I’m confident that she will guide and grow our organization toward a brighter, more sustainable future.”
Beck leaves her current role as Director, Programs & Education at the American Public Gardens Association, the leading professional organization for the field of public horticulture. During her more than seven years with the Association, Beck launched the Climate and Sustainability Alliance, led the pivot of the Association’s annual conference to a virtual format in 2020, guided federal grants programs and partnerships, and led a fully remote team. In 2016, she received a Chanticleer Scholarship in Professional Development to complete a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University’s Office of Continuing Studies.
Beck came to the Association from the New York Botanical Garden, where she delivered plant science education to tens of thousands of children and families a year as Manager of the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. She also worked for the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Berea College in Kentucky and was for many years the founder and operator of a 50-acre certified organic farm and community supported agriculture.
Beck has long been enchanted by the wild and cultivated landscapes of the West Coast and has lived in Santa Cruz, California since 2018.
“I am excited to work with Pacific Horticulture’s engaged members and bring horticultural expertise and inspiration to a broader audience,” Beck says. “At this critical time, sharing the power of plants to heal is needed more than ever.”
Pacific Horticulture Society has advocated for the garden and its power to enrich lives and heal the environment since 1968. The organization is expanding on the legacy of its long-running journal, Pacific Horticulture, by embracing new media to deliver free, authoritative information on sustainable horticulture to a wider audience.
