NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Chicago Horticultural Society
A message from the Chair of the Board and the President & CEO
Board of Directors Officers and Executive Staff as of 12/31/2021
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 C. Bell, Chief Development Officer
Gregory M. Mueller, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Negaunee Vice President of Science
Nature is in demand, and we are ready to meet the moment. People come to us as a place to unwind, to walk in the shade of a sturdy oak, to catch the fragrant double bloom of a peony. In 2021,
Harriet Resnick, Vice President, Visitor Experience and Business Development
as COVID-19 continued to affect our daily lives, the Chicago
Gwen VanderBurg, Vice President, Marketing and Communications
dance in our history.
Botanic Garden hosted 1.1 million visits—the second highest atten-
The Garden continues to grow, and we need the financial foundation 2021 Life Directors
2021 Board of Directors
and infrastructure to meet growing public demands and expecta-
Dana Anderson
Anne Leventry
Neville F. Bryan
Matt Banholzer
Diane vS. Levy
J. Melfort Campbell
Carol A. Barnett
Laura M. Linger
Barbara Whitney Carr
Russell F. Bartmes
Anne S. Loucks
David R. Casper
project that will create a much-improved visitor experience. In front
Allegra E. Biery
Michael J. McMurray
Gary P. Coughlan
of the Visitor Center, you’ll see that a new Welcome Plaza is taking
Martha D. Boudos
Christopher Merrill
Peter R. Crane
shape. By the end of 2022, we’ll have a visitor friendly and traf-
Terrence R. Brady
Gregory A. Moerschel
Suzanne S. Dixon
fic-free entry plaza, a new lakeside Stone Family Picnic Glade, and
John H. Buehler
Lois L. Morrison
Thomas A. Donahoe
Suzanne M. Burns
Henry J.Munez
Peter B. Foreman
new electric trams.
Sandy Campbell, ex officio
Jennifer J. Neighbours, ex officio
Ralph F. Fujimoto
We continue to build on the momentum of 2021, which launched us
Craig Niemann
James J. Glasser Caryn L. Harris
back on the road to recovery from the ongoing global pandemic.
Robin Colburn Jill M. Delaney Amy DeVore, ex officio James W. DeYoung Timothy A. Dugan Diana S. Ferguson Jean M. Franczyk, ex officio Steven J. Gavin Nancy Gidwitz Christopher E. Girgenti Ellis M. Goodman Charles V. Greener Joseph P. Gromacki William J. Hagenah Kathleen Hagerty Jane Irwin Samuel S. Jacobs Gregory K. Jones Peter Keehn Lydia R. B. Kelley Barbara Malott Kizziah R. Henry Kleeman
Jane S. Park George A. Peinado Toni Preckwinkle, ex officio Bob Probst Arnold Randall, ex officio Mary B. Richardson-Lowry John C. Robak Ryan S. Ruskin Richard J. Sciortino Robert E. Shaw Andrew F. Sinclair AnnaClare Smith, ex officio Maria Smithburg Pam F. Szokol Catherine M. Waddell Susan A. Willetts Melvin F. Williams, Jr. Nicole S. Williams Ernest C. Wong Michael R. Zimmerman
John L. Howard Pamela K. Hull*
raising event, was a great success. Windy City Harvest, our urban agriculture program, distributed more than 16,000 VeggieRx boxes
Susan L. Regenstein
Obama Foundation announced its partnership with the Garden to
Anne O. Scott
work on the design and operation of its fruit and vegetable garden,
Elena Kraus
Ernest P. Waud III
Thomas E. Lanctot
Arthur M. Wood, Jr.
You’re invited
as well as the overall design of the Obama Presidential Center landscape in Jackson Park.
On December 31, our longtime Garden champion Robert F. (Bob) Finke finished nearly a decade of service as chair of the Board of Directors. We are forever grateful for his extraordinary leadership and vision and are thrilled that he remains a member of the Board. At the same time, we’re excited that Michael R. Zimmerman—a Board member since 2018—was elected as Board chair. We look forward to the Garden’s next chapter together.
*denotes deceased
We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. DE 22055 CBG Annual 2021 FINAL.indd 1
chicagobotanic.org/annual_report
and our planet, can thrive. With our partner, the Forest Preserves of and community engagement programs. And on Earth Day, the
Howard J. Trienens*
To view our Annual Report and video online, please visit
We continue to protect natural areas and green space so people,
Homi B. Patel
Richard L. Thomas
President & CEO
food insecure—more than double the impact of the previous year.
Cook County, we worked on conservation and restoration projects
Susan K. Stone
Jean M. Franczyk
of free fruits and vegetables to more than 2,000 families who are
William A. Osborn
David Byron Smith
life, full of possibilities.
totaled $14.9 million in unrestricted donations, memberships, trib-
Benjamin F. Lenhardt, Jr.
William E. Moeller
growth. Because of you, the Garden has never seemed more full of
Thanks to the remarkable efforts of our team, raised revenue in 2021
holiday event Lightscape, along with the Lightscape Preview fund-
Jeanine McNally
Annual Report | 2021
to show our gratitude to you for five decades of extraordinary
Chair of the Board
William H. Kurtis
Mary L. McCormack
PERMIT NO. 1568
thought-provoking and joyous. Most of all, the celebration allows us
fee for nonmembers. At the same time, we broke ground on a new
Posy L. Krehbiel
Josephine P. Louis
NORTHBROOK, IL
50th anniversary celebration. Flourish: The Garden at 50 will be
Michael R. Zimmerman
utes, and fundraising events, a 30 percent increase over 2020. Our
Daniel I. H. Linzer
US POSTAGE PAID
This year, we have much to look forward to, including the Garden’s
tions. In February 2022, we began charging a per-person admission
Thomas B. Hunter III
Donna La Pietra
chicagobotanic.org One of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County
Jennifer Schwarz, Ph.D., Vice President, Learning and Engagement Aida Z. Giglio, Vice President, Human Resources
1000 lake cook road glencoe, illinois 60022
May 13 – September 25 Nature-inspired art | Interactive stories | Pop-up events Celebrating 50 years of connecting people to the natural world
5/13/22 12:33 PM