1 minute read
CEO News
CEO News
Eamonn Flanagan
I am stepping down in June from my role as BGANZ CEO. When I began in 2012, I was a little unsure of what the role was and/or might become. I had no idea of the people and plants I was about to meet.
It’s been a great journey. The organisation has changed and grown, on the back of the enthusiasm and professionalism of so many members. It’s been a wonderful organisation to be part of and I leave with great memories of so many people from across our network, in Australia, New Zealand and across the globe.
There have been many changes; here are just a few:
Revenues. We’ve increased revenue sources. Initially our only source of revenue was from members. Over the last ten years we have received funds from partners, grants and joint projects with CHABG, BGCI and others.
Member networks. COVID saw gardens closing across our two nations. BGANZ members embraced online technology. Julia Watson dived right in with little time to plan for the first online event, and we’ve never looked back. Online webinars, meetings and learning have changed the organisation.
Botanic Gardens Day. BGANZ members have embraced the notion of celebrating our botanic gardens together. There is more work to do in this space, but for now our webinars, professional development offerings and Botanic Gardens Day itself are well entrenched. Costa Georgiadis and the Botanic Gardens Day Working Group have consistently delivered outstanding content, as we aim to celebrate and educate about the great and important work our gardens do.
Member Services
BGANZ Victoria led the Botanical Software Database Project, in response to member needs. BGANZ, through the Hortis app, now offers a state-of-the-art record keeping system for any member.
Professional and Regional Groups are more active than at any stage in the life of BGANZ. Group leadership has changed, and we’ve seen other members stepping in to gain valuable skills and experience.
In the BGANZ office, we’ve embraced technologies in accounting, taxation, marketing, Microsoft Teams, and board and committee software. It’s been a time of great change and without these adoptions BGANZ would not have had the time to progress in other areas (hope this encourages you or someone you know to apply for the any future roles :)).
Modernising BGANZ. The BGANZ Board now reflects the modern, diverse organisation it wants to become. We’ve worked hard to improve in this area. There is of course more work to be done. And BGANZ Ltd…perhaps our biggest change. I worked closely with Chris Russell, and BGANZ Council, over the last four years to move the organisation to its new governance status, which, once Direct Gift Recipient (DGR) status is approved – expected around the end of the year – will see BGANZ able to seek a wider range of financial resources.
None of the above was achieved alone – even though for many years there was just me, 10 hours a week! But the spirit and desire of presidents, BGANZ Council, Regional and Professional Groups and the many, many individual members who have wanted to improve this great network of botanic gardens, meant I was never alone. This desire from so many has enabled us to move things along and it’s been a great experience for me.
I’ve worked with five BGANZ presidents; Anne Duncan, Dale Arvidsson, John Sandham, Paul Tracey and Chris Russell. And most recently, BGANZ Board Chair Hayley Allen. I’d like to thank them all for their support and friendship as we worked our way, slowly, sometimes very slowly, to where we are now.
I’ve travelled to Hobart, Maroochydore, Bendigo, Wollongong, Dunedin, Adelaide, Wellington, Melbourne, Eurobodalla and Townsville for various conferences, and of course to wonder at the beauty of the botanic gardens in those places. I always pushed for an AGM in Cairns or Cooktown –but you can’t have everything it seems.
In 2016, I was in Miami for the American Public Gardens Conference − or as Anne Duncan describes − BGANZ on steroids. And as I stood with Sharon Willoughby (who at the time was at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria) on the morning of the first day of the Conference, surrounded by around 800 attendees, I realised, Anne was not wrong. I learned much from that visit.
BGANZ has such a great role in bringing our member gardens and individuals together. We’ve aimed to provide information and opportunities for individual members to progress their learning, and I’m delighted to see many members using the organisation to progress their knowledge, networks and for an increasing number, their careers.
I’ve been based at the Australian National Botanic Garden in Canberra – at least when COVID wasn’t a thing – and had outstanding support from all the staff. What a wonderful office. Plants and People.
BGANZ is always about plants – but for me it has always been about the people. The support, expertise and commitment members have shared on top of their normal day jobs – thank you.
I’ll mention a few: staff members, Sam Moon and Rebecca Harcourt; BGANZ Members, Julia Watson, Emma Simpkins, Tex Moon, John Arnott, Michael Elgey, Brad Crème, Peter Symes, Damian Wrigley, Peter Byron, Helen McHugh, Lucy Sutherland, Sabrina Sonntag, Tim Uebergang, Alison Morgan, David Sole, Wolfgang Bopp, Greg Bourke, Janelle Hatherly, Helen Vaughan and Botanic Gardens Day Ambassador Costa Georgiadis, are just a few who have encouraged, motivated, and supported myself and the desire to improve botanic gardens and BGANZ for the members. Apologies if I missed you.
It’s a great time to move on – a time for new energy and ideas to take BGANZ to the next level. With the Board in place, I’m looking forward to seeing the next evolution of BGANZ over the next few years.
Thanks to all I’ve worked with – it has been a wonderful place to land.
Slainte
Eamonn
