New president named for Pa. Horticultural Society
Drew Becher, executive director of the New York Restoration Project in New York City, was named president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society today, succeeding Jane Pepper, 64, who retires June 1 after 25 years in the top job.
Drew Becher, executive director of the New York Restoration Project in New York City, was named president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society today, succeeding Jane Pepper, 64, who retires June 1 after 25 years in the top job.
Becher, 40, has spent his career promoting community gardens, tree-planting and environmental education in cities. Besides New York, he's worked in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, where he was heavily involved in Mayor Richard M. Daley's ambitious "green" agenda.
"He's high-energy, smart, articulate and enthusiastic . . . a direct fit," said John K. Ball, the society's board chairman.
The search for Pepper's successor began more than a year ago. Becky Klein of Phillips Oppenheim, an executive search firm in New York, said an initial field of 220 candidates from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom was winnowed first to 30, then to seven, and eventually to Becher, who has an apartment in New York City and a home in Chestnut Hill.
The horticultural society declined to release his salary, noting only that it was "in line with the standards for nonprofit leaders in this region."
Pepper made $200,000 until taking a voluntary 10 percent pay cut last year, as an economy move. In his current job, Becher makes $197,500, according to the restoration project's latest federal tax documents.
Since 2006, when he was recruited from the Washington, D.C., planning office to head the New York Restoration Project, Becher has raised $6 million to revitalize community gardens on 140 acres of vacant land. He's also negotiated partnerships with Target, Home Depot, and other large companies.
In 2007, Becher helped found the 10-year MillionTreesNYC initiative, which the restoration project leads. So far, 310,000 trees have been planted in the city's five boroughs.
Becher is a native of Dayton and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, where he majored in urban design and planning. He also studied public administration at DePaul University in Chicago.