GARDEN LEADERSHIP
Grace Elton, CEO
Grace Elton (she/her/hers) is CEO of New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, a nearly 200-acre garden in Boylston, MA. Since 2017, she has increased the Garden’s annual budget by 59%, annual visitation by 55%, and membership by 27%. She led the largest comprehensive capital campaign in the Garden’s history, raising over $31M to build a children’s garden, increasing infrastructure and ADA accessibility, increasing the Garden’s physical footprint by over 60 acres, and growing the endowment. Grace has a strong public horticulture background with experience at premier gardens in the United States and United Kingdom. While serving as director of horticulture, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA garnered national recognition as a top 10 botanical garden by USA Today and achieved the National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Grace also served as horticulture supervisor and adjunct professor at the 118-acre Ambler Arboretum of Temple University in Ambler, Pennsylvania. As a recipient of the prestigious Martin McLaren Horticulture Scholar award presented by the Garden Club of America, Grace studied botanic garden education, practical horticulture and landscape design in England at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Royal Horticulture Society Rosemoor, the Eden Project, and the Chelsea Physic Garden; and in Scotland at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. Grace has a Master of Science in public horticulture with a certificate in museum studies from the Longwood Graduate Program, University of Delaware. Her Bachelor of Science degree is in environmental horticulture with a public gardens management specialization from University of Florida.
Grace currently serves as Director at Large for Discover Central Massachusetts and was previously the Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the American Public Gardens Association. She was honored as a “Top 40 Under 40” for Richmond, VA’s Style Weekly magazine in 2013 and “Top 40 Under 40” for Worcester, MA’s Worcester Business Journal in 2018. Grace was chosen for the 2019 Distinguished Young Alumni Award from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of Delaware. She was also honored by the Worcester Business Journal on their “Power 50” list in both 2019 and 2023.
gelton@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x112
Jane Ellis, Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Jane Ellis (she/her/hers) joined New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in 2015. As Chief Financial and Operating Officer, she leverages previous experience in the for-profit, nonprofit, and public sectors to manage the Garden’s finance, earned revenue, and human resources areas. Prior to joining the Garden, she was the VP for Operations for Boston Harbor Island Alliance and the first Executive Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank. Jane’s background includes 20 years managing law firms as well as working in media relations and broadcast news. She has served on the board of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful, a municipal finance committee on Cape Cod, as a leader in Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass, and in various other volunteer positions. Jane is an avid home gardener (strictly an amateur!) who lives in central Massachusetts.
jellis@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x100
Theresa Lee, Chief Development Officer
Theresa Lee (she/her/hers) oversees Advancement, including fundraising and membership. She has served as a senior executive in advancement during comprehensive campaigns at MIT, Boston College, Holy Cross, WPI, and UMass Lowell. As an instructor for Boston University’s professional fundraising course and a frequent speaker for professional associations, she has shared knowledge and practical solutions with fundraising professionals from across the world from all types of nonprofits. Theresa believes passionately in relationship-building and impactful stewardship. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maine where she serves as Chair of the Alumni Association Board and an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
tlee@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x168
Steve Conaway, Ph.D, Director of Horticulture
Steve Conaway, Ph.D. (he/him/his) joined New England Botanic Garden in 2024. Steve developed an early passion for plant science and sustainability working in crop diversity preservation on farms in New England. He studied environmental horticulture at the University of New Hampshire where he helped implement the campus-wide composting program. He pursued an interest in tropical plant science and invasive species on the island of Hawaii, working in horticulture and later as a visiting scholar for the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center. Steve studied plant pathology at The Pennsylvania State University where his doctoral dissertation centered on the control of invasive weeds with naturally occurring fungal pathogens. As Conservation and Outreach Director at Greenwich Land Trust, he led educational programming and directed ecological restoration projects on 750 acres of protected open space. Before joining the team at NEBG, Steve worked as the Associate Director of Horticulture at Wave Hill where he focused on the health and beauty of the gardens, greenhouses, and woodlands.
sconaway@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x122
Marissa Gallant, Director of Education
Marissa Gallant (she/her/hers) is from Worcester, MA, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Roger Williams University and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from Clark University. Marissa has nearly a decade of experience in the field of environmental education and has shared her passion and excitement for nature-based education in roles at many local organizations over the years including the EcoTarium, Mass Audubon, and Boston based ‘e’ inc. Marissa has worked at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill since 2018. In her past role as the Garden’s Manager of Youth Education, she grew youth and family offerings including field trips, scout programs, birthday parties, family classes, drop-in activities, community outreach programs, and more. In 2023, Marissa was promoted to Director of Education. In this role, she continues this growth across the department; building upon existing partnerships and programs and forging new ones that allow the Garden to bring science education to more communities, adults, children, and families than ever before.
mgallant@nebg.org| 508.869.6111 x137
Heather Griffin, Director of Finance
Heather Griffin (she/her/hers) began her career in public accounting with a focus on nonprofits, specializing in health and human service providers with state and federal funding. From there she decided to take her expertise to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts where she was the Finance Director for almost five years overseeing the finance operations. Working almost exclusively with non-profits her entire career, Heather has extensive supervisory and financial management skills and is well-versed in complex funding sources, state and federal contract compliance, financial operations, and budgeting and analysis. Heather is a native to New Hampshire and attended Nichols College where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. After college, Heather decided that Central Massachusetts felt like home and settled down in Worcester County. Along with spending time with her husband and dog, Benny, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and has recently taken up golfing.
hgriffin@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x117
Gitu Jain, Director of Marketing and Communications
Gitu ‘Gitanjali’ Jain (she/her/hers) oversees the Garden’s marketing and communications strategy, initiatives, and campaigns to increase brand visibility, reputation, and reach on national, regional, and local levels. Before the Garden, Gitu consulted for various clients, including nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, corporations, and individual entrepreneurs. Gitu joined the Garden’s marketing department in a junior role in 2014. She was drawn in by the Garden’s potential, recognizing how the ‘hidden gem’ could be marketed more effectively. During her tenure, she has played an instrumental role in shaping the organization’s marketing and communications efforts, leading to increased awareness and visitation. Gitu successfully led the Garden’s name change rollout campaign in 2022 and expanded her department the following year. As a person of color, Gitu is passionate about promoting inclusivity and diversity in all aspects of her life. She was co-chair of the Garden’s staff IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) committee, has played an active role on the American Public Gardens Association’s IDEA committee, and currently serves as the vice chair of the APGA IDEA Community. Gitu continues to strive to expand outreach and make the Garden welcoming to all.
gjain@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x142
Erin Kutz, Senior Operations Manager
Erin Kutz (she/her/hers) oversees the Garden’s the Private Events and Visitor Services Departments. She joined the Garden as the Manager of Private Events in 2021, rebuilding the Private Events program after the pandemic and was promoted in 2024 to her current position. Erin holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management with a concentration in International Hospitality Operations from Johnson & Wales University. Her background of 15 years in hospitality and event planning spans various corporate and independent hotel brands. This background shaped Erin’s love of creating positive and memorable experiences.
ekutz@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x133
Mark Richardson, Director of Strategic Horticulture Partnerships
Mark Richardson (he/him/his) serves as Director of Strategic Horticulture Partnerships at New England Botanic Garden. In this capacity, he works as executive director of two leading environmental organizations that entered into formal affiliation with the Garden in 2024, the U.S. branch of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI-US) and the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA). This partnership, rooted in strong mission alignment, strengthens all three organizations in plant conservation, research, and ecological horticulture practice. Before taking up his current role, Mark served as Director of Horticulture at New England Botanic Garden for five years. Prior to joining the staff at the Garden, he worked as Botanic Garden Director for Native Plant Trust, where he oversaw Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm native plant nursery. He has a passion for ecological horticulture and is co-author of the book Native Plants for New England Gardens (Globe Pequot, 2018).
Diana West, Executive Assistant and Board Liaison
Diana West (she/her/hers) serves as the Executive Assistant and Board Liaison at New England Botanic Garden. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Lasell College (now Lasell University) and a Master of Arts in Public History from Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London. Prior to her time at the Garden, she worked at the Springfield Museums in Springfield, MA, and the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA. She serves as the chairperson of the Hadley Historical Commission and the Board of Christian Education at the First Congregational Church of Hadley. She also honors her family’s agricultural roots by serving as the co-superintendent of the Agricultural Exhibit Hall at the Three County Fair. She has experience in customer service, nonprofit membership services, digital and social media, administration assistance, and board management. Diana plays an instrumental role on the Garden’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) Committee, which she led as co-chair while also leading the Worcester IDEA Coalition. She is committed to furthering the principles of IDEA not only at the Garden, but in the cultural sector and her everyday life.
dwest@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x102
Lashaun Woodliff, Facilities Director
Lashaun Woodliff (he/him/his) joined the Garden in 2023, bringing a wealth of experience not only as a director, but also as a previous maintenance technician and construction expert. His many responsibilities at the Garden include leading a team of facilities staff and an array of facility enhancement projects that make the Garden safe and accessible to staff and visitors. Prior to coming to New England Botanic Garden, Lashaun served the community of Lowell, MA, for six years as facilities director for House of Hope, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless families gain stable housing. During that time, he managed the construction and renovation of two multi-million-dollar projects including an 18-unit apartment building built from the ground up and a 35 family, 12,000 square foot homeless shelter renovation. Before getting into facilities management, Lashaun worked as a general contractor for Brady Sullivan. Lashaun is devoted to his profession and does all in his power to ensure the upkeep of the Garden’s mission and values, as well as successful accomplishment and completion of goals.
lwoodliff@nebg.org | 508.869.6111 x134