Chicago Botanic Garden Annual Report 2020

Page 1

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.


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