Elizabeth Newman Wilds Executive Director

Elizabeth Newman Wilds Executive Director
Cornell Botanic Gardens
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)

Ithaca, New York

Who We Are

Cornell Botanic Gardens is an organization whose mission is inspiring people - through cultivation, conservation, and education - to understand, appreciate, and nurture plants and the cultures they sustain. Advancing this mission helps us realize our vision: a world in which the interdependence of biological and cultural diversity is respected, sustained, and celebrated. As a living museum, our cultivated gardens, arboretum, and natural areas serve as outdoor classrooms for instruction across Cornell University's colleges and host research that seeks to address some of our world's most pressing problems. The botanic gardens employs 40-45 staff members (including seasonal and student staff), has 180 active volunteers and has an annual operating budget of $4.1 million.

Cornell Botanic Gardens was established 100 years ago by Cornell University's Board of Trustees in their vision for an arboretum and two gorge areas. In the years since, the gardens have expanded to 3,800 acres of specialty gardens, diverse collections and natural areas on and adjacent to central campus and throughout Tompkins County. The gardens welcomes over 100,000 visitors a year, serves close to 15,000 participants in its education programs, and is a valuable asset to Cornell University and the local and regional communities.

In 2014, the gardens embarked on a thoughtful examination of our organization and our resolve to make a positive impact on people and the planet. After engaging stakeholder groups and embracing a new mission and vision, our name was changed to Cornell Botanic Gardens from Cornell Plantations. This new name better reflects our commitment to core pillars cultivation, conservation, and education.

Always aspiring to advance our organization, the gardens has adopted a strategic plan for 2025-2030 to advance our mission and vision. The goals and strategies adopted are:

Conserve biological and cultural diversity

Conserve plants to stem the loss of biological and human cultural diversity

Build authentic relationships with diverse communities for co-created efforts to expand biocultural diversity in our plant collections, education programs, and natural areas. Prioritize conserving rare and endangered plants in our horticultural collections and natural areas.

Lead in climate resilience and sustainability

Create and curate climate forward gardens and natural areas to safeguard plants and ecosystems

Integrate innovative practices and replicable models of climate action to safeguard plants and ecosystems and cultivate gardens and collections that exemplify climate resilience to achieve climate goals Use the exceptional experiences our gardens, natural areas, and educational programs afford to drive climate and sustainability action.

Foster the interconnectedness of plants, ecosystems, and human health

Cultivate a nature-rich environment to improve the health and well-being of people and planet

In collaboration with campus partners, create a welcoming and inclusive culture where students, faculty, and staff can reap the health benefits of time in nature. Improve our practices, programs and access to physical spaces to be more welcoming to all. Advocate for practices and partnerships that advance interconnected health across Cornell's campuses and in communities.

Elevate our role as an asset to Cornell University

Provide learning and research opportunities that are valued by the university

Use our gardens, natural areas, and programs to provide students with engaged, experiential, and entrepreneurial learning. Contribute to research through collaborations with researchers and that we conduct for Cornell Botanic Gardens

Our College

Cornell Botanic Gardens is a unit within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University's second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world's complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.

What You Will Do

The Elizabeth Newman Wilds Executive Director of Cornell Botanic Gardens serves as the chief officer for planning, operations, fundraising, and public relations. The Executive Director maintains the highest standards of excellence and provides strategic initiatives for long-range planning and leadership to promote and facilitate growth in key areas of operations: horticulture, natural areas conservation and management, education and public engagement. The Executive Director ensures that the mission and vision are supported through implementation of the botanic gardens' 2025-2030 Strategic Plan; provides an inspired and creative vision for major new programmatic or capital initiatives; manages an engaged and supportive Advisory Council, actively cultivates and solicits donors, pursues grant and funding opportunities; communicates collaboratively and effectively with all stakeholders such as faculty, students, University administration, donors, visitors, and the general public; and maintains effective liaisons with a broad array of constituencies. The Executive Director develops and implements long-range financial and business plans and oversees fiscal operations. The Executive Director establishes and sets direction for fundraising and alumni relations in collaboration with the Director of Development (appointed through CALS and member of the CALS Office of Alumni Affairs and Development); travels to meet with donors and solicits gifts, as coordinated with the Cornell Botanic Gardens Director of Development and CALS AA&D. The Executive Director is responsible for leadership of operational activities and overall supervision of Cornell Botanic Gardens' work force, including staff development, setting a positive and inclusive workplace culture, and communicating effectively with staff.

The Executive Director is responsible for advancing the overall vision for Cornell Botanic Gardens and implements a strategic plan to realize this vision by working collaboratively with senior leaders, college leadership, and other key constituents, and serves as the primary public spokesperson for Cornell Botanic Gardens.

The Executive Director collaborates with faculty and academic unit leaders across the university to fully integrate Cornell Botanic Gardens into the education, research, and outreach programs of Cornell's academic departments. Contributes to the academic program of the University as an adjunct faculty in an appropriate department.

The Executive Director represents Cornell Botanic Gardens in the national and international public garden conservation sectors such as the American Public Gardens Association, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and the International Association of Botanic Gardens and is engaged in meaningful international partnerships in support of Cornell University and CALS programs and initiatives. Ensures that Cornell Botanic Gardens operations are consistent with the standards and expectations of the public garden and museum communities globally.

The Executive Director will lead and manage an organization of highly engaged and professional staff and volunteers. This includes mentoring and fostering a high-quality team of senior leaders: Director of Education and Academic Initiatives, Director of Natural Areas, the Elizabeth Weaver Director of Horticulture, Director of Communications and Marketing and the Administrative Manager. Will be both outwardly and inwardly focused to advance mission. Inwardly this includes investing in opportunities to engage with staff to understand their skills, knowledge and work; being accessible to staff, and nurturing an environment that empowers and supports staff to advance strategic goals and mission, to develop professionally; and by investing in staff to foster engagement, creativity, and workplace excellence. Works with senior leaders to develop annual plans and monitor progress on completion of action items. The Executive Director oversees staff management including performance management, professional development, compensation, annual salary program implementation, and staffing levels/classifications in consultation with Cornell CALS Human Resources. In conjunction with the Administrative Manager, ensures administration of all University policy and procedures.

What We Need

• Ph.D. in plant science, horticulture, landscape architecture, education, conservation biology, or a related field.
• 5+ years of successful management experience serving in a senior leadership role at a public garden, museum, non-profit cultural organization, environmental conservation organization, or closely allied field.
• Professional qualifications appropriate for adjunct academic appointment in an appropriate Cornell University department or School
• Excitement for the vision and mission of Cornell Botanic Gardens, its 2025-2030 strategic goals, and vision for innovative opportunities that advance those goals
• An outstanding cultural and aesthetic guide who is passionate about public gardens, natural areas stewardship, environmental education and engagement and plant conservation, who can inspire others to support and take action to advance the mission and vision of the organization
• Possession and demonstration of strong ethics and integrity.
• Demonstrated skill in understanding cultural differences.
• Significant record of accomplishment that combines strategic vision setting and implementation, organizational leadership, administrative or managerial experience including that of a diverse workforce.
• Incumbent should be an energetic, creative, and strategic thinker, and a prudent risk-taker.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the demonstrated ability to forge positive and effective collaborative relationships with colleagues and staff at all levels.
• Demonstrated track record of effective leadership, management, and advocacy in a complex organization, with an understanding and appreciation of the tasks and needs of all staff, including the manual labor workforce.
• Demonstrated ability to listen effectively, appreciate diverse viewpoints, and empower staff and advisors to advance the botanic gardens' mission and vision.
• In-depth knowledge of public gardens, plant and natural areas conservation, and/or museum directorship experience.
• Excellent public speaking and writing skills, with demonstrated ability to serve as an effective and knowledgeable spokesperson and ambassador for a university public garden.
• Ability to build and nurture relationships with a diverse range of individuals; proven success in fundraising from a variety of sources, including successful experience soliciting gifts from individual donors.
• Proven success in obtaining grants and/or contracts from a variety of funding agencies and serving effectively as Principal Investigator.
• Continued pursuit of scholarly activities, including publishing, teaching, mentoring students, and active engagement in professional organizations and associations.
• Ability to build a positive work environment where all staff are valued, respected and trusted.
• High creativity and the ability to be strategic, resourceful and visionary; the experience and ability to be a proactive leader, a quick study, and an inspired and adaptable guide.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent customer service skills and demonstrated ability to communicate with a broad range of people is essential.
• Attention to detail and organizational skills are critical. Demonstrated success in organizational efficiency and support of senior leaders and staff in achieving efficiencies.
• Ability to work quickly and effectively under pressure; use judgment in accomplishing tasks that are urgent or of a sensitive or confidential nature; balance conflicting priorities and make decisions from a range of choices.

If you possess these experiences and skills, this may be the role for you. There are a few other qualifications that we would view as helpful in this role, including:

• Experience working in a leadership role at a university, or with 10+ years of experience leading and managing a public garden, museum, non-profit cultural organization, or an environmental conservation organization, or equivalent combination.
• Proven experience developing successful university relationships.

Starting date is anticipated between November 1, 2025 and January 2, 2026.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

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Candidate materials will remain confidential within the search committee.

Search committee review will begin on August 15, 2025.

Cornell is an equal opportunity employer. For more information, visit hr.cornell.edu/eeo.

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