Bob Hyland is a Portland-based horticultural consultant and garden designer. He owns Hyland Garden Design and Contained Exuberance, a garden pottery shop and design studio. During his 40-year career, Bob has managed horticulture, operations, and education programs at leading public gardens on both coasts – Longwood Gardens, San Francisco Botanical Garden & Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Before moving to Portland in 2011, he built, co-owned, and operated a connoisseur plant nursery in New York’s Hudson Valley. Rooted firmly in the Pacific Northwest for 8 years, Bob has served on the boards of several public gardens and horticultural organizations.

Carol Wilson has worked for more than 40 years teaching and doing research as a Botanical Researcher. She joined the board of LBG to work with others to realize the potential of Leach Botanical Garden, ensure the future of this botanical resource and public garden within Portland, and educate the public about science, the natural landscape, and plants of the Pacific Northwest.

CiCi Polson is a self-described science nerd.  She has a bachelor’s degrees in neuroscience and nursing and a master’s degree in nursing.  She is a retired nurse-midwife.  In 2010, she became an OSU Master Gardener and is a garden tour guide and work crew member at Pittock Mansion.  She has designed and created school gardens and taught many children and adults about science and botany.  Her special interests include native plants, herbal medicine and the healing properties of gardening and nature.

Originally from Philadelphia, Francheska Snyder is the current owner/operator of Niwa Method LLC, a landscape contracting business specializing in Japanese gardens in the Portland area. She has previously worked in public non-profit gardens at Portland Japanese Garden, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, and Wyck Historic House and Garden. She is a member of various garden and horticulture societies, and a recognized Chanticleer Scholar. Francheska earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2009. She holds a certificate in Garden Design from Cornell Cooperative Extension, a certificate in Ornamental Horticulture from Longwood Gardens, and a 4th Term Master Level certificate from the Ohara School of Ikebana. She also uses her time and talent to volunteer with Friends of Trees and the Oregon Garden.

Retired from Portland Parks & Recreation and a career in community relations, public involvement, and volunteer coordination. Was involved with the Garden in that capacity in the early 1980s and is pleased to be back now as a volunteer.

A business owner who has recruited attorneys for law firms and corporations in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years, Jim is a lifelong and avid gardener. He previously served 15 years on the board of The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, including seven as president.

Kate Bodin served as the founding Executive Director of Portland Botanical Gardens, among other leadership roles. She brought to her role a passion for building programs, years of leadership and management experience and a joy for working with people and plants. She spent eleven years as the academic leader at two art colleges and later became a registered horticultural therapist. She currently teaches horticulture part-time at Portland Community College.

Kate developed several horticultural therapy programs around the Portland metro area.

She has studied horticulture, horticultural therapy and holds an MEd in Creative Arts and Learning, as well as an undergraduate degree in visual art. Kate grew up on the coast of Massachusetts and fell in love with Portland’s temperate climate when she moved to Portland in 2005.

Kate is an avid and experienced gardener, photographer and outdoorswoman and she loves to travel anywhere there are plants to be studied.

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Lewis has more than 20 years of experience providing legal, data protection, risk management, and compliance leadership at growing technology companies.  Currently, he's General Counsel at Conversica, Inc., a leading provider of AI-powered digital assistant solutions. Before going in-house, Lewis worked as a litigator in California state and federal courts and as a staff attorney with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He also taught English as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gabon.  Lewis enjoys the beauty and tranquility of forests and gardens and views Leach Garden as a bit of both as well as great natural, educational, and community resource.

Michael Crosbie is an Oregon Licensed Realtor with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing from Humboldt State University. He volunteers weekly helping the gardeners to keep the garden looking great. When asked why he was interested in serving on the board he answered, "We
have such a hidden treasure that most folks are unaware of and I’d love to help bring more attention
to the Garden and help them experience it."

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A practicing dentist and real estate developer, Mike is active in the Gresham community and in 1996 was honored as Gresham Area Citizen of the Year. He has served as a member of the Gresham School Board, is past-president of the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on a number of boards including ODS and Portland State University Foundation.

Richard Hartlage is the founding partner of Land Morphology, a landscape architectural design working in eight states. His award-winning, innovative designs are renowned as emotive, immersive spaces that incorporate sophisticated horticulture, artful detailing, and historical knowledge that heighten the human experience of the natural world.

Richard’s diverse span of work includes planting design for the Seattle Waterfront, the master plan and first phase of development of Leach Botanical Garden, renovations to Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Kentucky, the design of the Herb and Vegetable Garden at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and the design of Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle.

Formerly an associate at Hennebery Eddy Architects Sam now works in private practice. Sam has developed design and construction documents for complex rehabilitation projects for the National Parks Service, including carefully incorporating new materials and systems to improve the life-span and performance of several historic buildings. She has worked on multiple projects where prioritizing the landscape was integral to successfully rehabilitating significant historical, archaeological, and cultural resources. Her recent notable projects include renovation work at the historic Wawona Hotel in Yosemite National Park, multiple historic renovation and preservation projects at Yellowstone National Park, work at the Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, and the design/build expansion and renovation of the Oregon Youth Challenge facility in Bend, Oregon.

Co-owner and President of Kohler Meyers O’Halloran, Inc., a real estate company, Sue worked with the City of Portland acquiring properties in the Johnson Creek Watershed for restoration. Involvement in Leach Botanical Garden continues this important work of connecting nature and quality of life. Sue was Gresham Citizen of the year in 1995 and Outstanding Volunteer in 2006 and 2008. She is President of Gresham’s Center for the Arts Foundation, past president of East Metro Economic Alliance,  and Mt. Hood Community College Foundation board member.

Tom Bland, Certified Public Accountant, was chief operating officer of several start-up companies and non-profit organizations. He has extensive knowledge of business operations, and assists companies in building and establishing financial operations, governance, human resources, risk management and facilities operation. He owns Sequoia Financial Consulting, a tax and financial management company. He sits on the boards of a number of environmental organizations and was past president of the local North American Rock Garden society chapter. He has a BS and MS in Genetics.