New ED at BECBG

We've been waiting for this announcement. (Straight-up press release to follow.)

Submitted by The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society, Inc.

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society, Inc. welcomes David S. Daehnke as executive director. Professionally educated as well as skilled and experienced in overseeing a successful nonprofit public gardens and arboretums, Daehnke brings a wealth of horticulture and business knowledge to the position.

As a new Western New Yorker, Daehnke sees this position as an opportunity to live in a tremendous regional city and lead an extraordinary botanical gardens with rich history. Focusing on the mission and future of The Botanical Gardens, Daehnke isdedicated to creating, sustaining and interpreting a museum of living plants while upholding its purpose to promote an enduring harmony between people and the natural world.

Most recently, Daehnke held the position of executive director of The Montclair Foundation and Van Vleck House and Gardens inMontclair, New Jersey. He directed successful restoration efforts, fund-raising campaigns and educational programs. In his tenure, he made the Van Vleck House and Gardens a central destination that encouraged community and unity. Daehnke is widely known from his weekly radio show "The Gardening Guru" on WGHT 1500 AM, broadcasting from Wayne, New Jersey that has been broadcasting for over 15 years, on Martha Stewarts' Sirius Radio Show "Morning Living". He is also horticultural consultant onwww.thegardeningguru.com and a staff writer for The Gardener News, New Jersey's only monthly gardening newspaper.

Daehnke's previous experience includes holding the executive director position at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, New Jersey. He executed successful capital campaigns and directed, coordinated and supervised all operations of the Arboretum. Prior to the Arboretum, Daehnke was landscape supervisor at the Bergen County Department of Parks James A. McFaul Environmental Center. He managed a ½ acre nursery, supervised an 81 acre county park, was the chief grant writer for horticultural projects and created the largest public collection of ornamental grasses in New Jersey. David was also general manager of Ramapo Landscape Supply and owned his own successful landscape design, maintenance and build firm for over 10 years. In 1984, he received his Bachelor of Science in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Sumbitted by The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society, Inc.