INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – McKee Botanical Garden recently recognized Executive Director Christine Hobart for 20 years of dedicated service. The Board of Directors presented Hobart with a pair of handcrafted metal owls from its current exhibition, It’s A Jungle Out There! which is on display now through April 29.
Hobart joined McKee Botanical Garden in April of 1998, as the Manager of Membership and Visitor Services. She then took over as interim Executive Director in April 2006. After a national search, the Board decided that the best person for the Executive Director position was in their own backyard.
She immediately added more special events and an annual exhibit to the McKee calendar and more than tripled garden attendance to over 60,000 visitors this past year. The Garden has become a resource for the entire community and beyond, thanks to Hobart’s leadership and direction.
The Garden is about to embark on a new journey as they break ground on Nov. 8 for the future Children’s Garden at McKee, scheduled to open in January 2019. The Children’s Garden at McKee will complement the Garden’s existing offerings and will provide a resource much needed in the community. The new Garden will provide not only an engaging place for families, but will allow for expanded educational opportunities and programs to encourage young visitors to fall in love with nature as its future stewards.
“This next step in the Garden’s journey will pave the way for the future and there is no one better to lead the Garden through this exciting adventure and steering us on a path to continued growth and opportunity than Christine Hobart. She is extremely dedicated and committed to the Garden and its future,” said Board Member, Susan Schuyler Smith.
