NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Chicago Horticultural Society
A message from the Chairman of the Board and the President & CEO
Board of Directors Officers and Executive Staff as of 12/31/2020
Robert F. Finke, Chair Jean M. Franczyk, President and Chief Executive Officer Fred Spicer, Executive Vice President and Director Paul Rafac, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Schwarz Ballard, Ph.D., Vice President, Learning and Engagement
Aida Z. Giglio, Vice President, Human Resources
“Clearly, nature calls to something very deep in us...the love of
Our mission, and people’s hunger for the respite we offer, will carry
nature and living things is an essential part of the human
us forward through this pandemic and beyond. Yes, we lost a
Gregory M. Mueller, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Negaunee Vice President of Science
condition.”—Dr. Oliver Sacks, neurologist
significant amount of revenue from the extended closure and
Harriet Resnick, Vice President, Visitor Experience and Business Development
The late February chill had just lifted. At the Chicago Botanic
Gwen VanderBurg, Vice President, Marketing and Communications
a bit of scent near the water’s edge...and then 2020 took a
Dana Anderson
Anne Leventry
Garden, hints of a plum-colored iris had emerged, along with
and foremost, we wanted to express our gratitude for your
Neville F. Bryan
ignited a new civil rights movement and caused our organization
commitment to our mission. We are truly touched by your loyalty.
to reflect on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Because of you, the Garden remains a place of beauty and healing
J. Melfort Campbell
Carol A. Barnett
Laura M. Linger
Barbara Whitney Carr
Russell F. Bartmes
Anne S. Loucks
David R. Casper
Through the upheaval, we looked to nature to sustain us, to provide
Allegra E. Biery
Michael J. McMurray
Gary P. Coughlan
a rhythm to our lives, especially as the days seemed to blend
Martha D. Boudos
Christopher Merrill
Peter R. Crane
together. As always, that purple Iris histrioides ‘George’ ended up
Terrence R. Brady
Gregory A. Moerschel
Suzanne S. Dixon
blooming in the Sensory Garden and fragrant giant snowdrops,
Jennifer K. Brown, ex offico
Lois L. Morrison
Thomas A. Donahoe
John H. Buehler
Henry Munez
Peter B. Foreman
Galanthus elwesii, kept opening up in the Lakeside Garden.
Suzanne M. Burns
Jennifer J. Neighbours, ex officio
Ralph F. Fujimoto
The grace notes of spring reminded us that, even without visitors,
Craig Niemann
James J. Glasser Caryn L. Harris
the Garden’s teams go above and beyond to maintain and cultivate
Robin Colburn Jill M. Delaney Amy DeVore, ex officio James W. DeYoung Timothy A. Dugan Peter M. Ellis Jean M. Franczyk, ex officio Steven J. Gavin Arthur J. Gibson Nancy Gidwitz Christopher E. Girgenti Ellis M. Goodman Charles V. Greener Joseph P. Gromacki Gillian Growdon William J. Hagenah Kathleen Hagerty Jonathan S. Holloway Jane Irwin Gregory K. Jones Peter Keehn R. Henry Kleeman Judith H. Konen, ex officio Thomas E. Lanctot M. James Leider Benjamin F. Lenhardt, Jr.
Jane S. Park Katie Parks, ex officio George A. Peinado Toni Preckwinkle, ex officio Bob Probst Arnold Randall, ex officio Mary B. Richardson-Lowry John C. Robak James Robinson Ryan S. Ruskin Richard Sciortino Robert E. Shaw Andrew Sinclair Thomas E. Skilling Maria Smithburg Sharvani Srivastava, ex officio Pam F. Szokol Catherine M. Waddell Andrew J. Warzecha, Sr. Susan A. Willetts Melvin F. Williams, Jr.
other relief measures, which you’ll see in our financial statement.
Garden temporarily closed. The powerful call for racial justice
Diane vS. Levy
Heidi B. Capozzi
John L. Howard Pamela K. Hull Posy L. Krehbiel
COVID-19 protocols so people could safely watch tropical butterflies
William H. Kurtis
land on pollen-rich vines. On self-guided interpretive walks in the fall,
Donna La Pietra
visitors took in the gold and scarlet hues of native oaks and maples
Josephine P. Louis Mary L. McCormack
chicagobotanic.org/annual_report
Jean M. Franczyk, President & CEO
We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you …
Garden was able to keep its gates open, while it curated and maintained its living landscapes. Butterflies & Blooms opened with
To view our Annual Report and video online, please visit
that is moving forward toward a brighter, more inclusive future.
our living collection. Thanks to your support, for most of the year, the
Thomas B. Hunter III
Daniel I. H. Linzer
PERMIT NO. 1568
mission helped us pull through, along with a federal loan and
You’ll read more details about the year in this Annual Report, but first
Matt Banholzer
Michael J. Busch
NORTHBROOK, IL
limited reopening. Your response to the Garden’s needs and
devastating turn. A global pandemic upended lives, and the 2020 Life Directors
chicagobotanic.org
US POSTAGE PAID
One of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County
James F. Boudreau, Chief Development Officer
2020 Board of Directors
1000 lake cook road glencoe, illinois 60022
Robert F. Finke, Chairman of the Board
… to the 900 additional donors to the Annual Fund, and the many others who continued to give or increased their giving levels in 2020. … to our loyal members, 53,000 strong.
in McDonald Woods. Windy City Harvest farmers planted and harvested kale, lettuce, and tomatoes, and helped local families hit
Jeanine McNally
hardest by the pandemic. The year drove home the importance of
William E. Moeller
our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and
William A. Osborn
enrich life.
Homi B. Patel Susan L. Regenstein
… to our partners, including the Forest Preserves of Cook County. … to our staff, who worked through myriad challenges to take care of our living collection and to offer the beauty and respite that nature provides.
Anne O. Scott
… to our volunteers. We can’t wait to have our loyal crew back at full strength when COVID-19 mitigations allow.
David Byron Smith Susan K. Stone Richard L. Thomas Howard J. Trienens Ernest P. Waud III Arthur M. Wood, Jr.
The Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden was featured on a now-discontinued 2020 U.S. postage stamp, along with nine other gardens.
Nicole S. Williams Ernest C. Wong
Annual Report | 2020
Michael R. Zimmerman
We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life.