Our Staff

The Morton Arboretum's vibrant staff include 135 full-time, 100 part-time, and 100 seasonal employees who work in areas such as plant collections and grounds, tree research, education, visitor services, and administration.  Employees come from diverse backgrounds but have in common a commitment to the mission of the Arboretum: to plant and conserve trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, more beautiful world.

The vision of The Morton Arboretum is to be the leading center of tree expertise, inspiring the world to plant and protect trees. The management team strives to make that vision a reality by leading staff to achieve the goals of the Strategic Plan: strengthen our leadership in tree science and education, build capacity and grow outreach and service to the public, improve the vigor of the urban forest in the Chicago region, save trees from extinction through global collaborations, and provide leadership to the world's arboreta.

Management representatives by area of responsibility:

Gerard T. Donnelly, Ph.D.
President and CEO

Kris Bachtell, M.S.
Vice President of Collections and Facilities

Nicole Cavender, Ph.D.
Vice President of Science and Conservation

Jennifer GoodSmith, M.A.
Vice President of Marketing

Richard Hootman, M.S.
Director of Visitor Programs

Jill Koski, C.F.R.E.
Vice President of Development

Nancy Peske, P.H.R.
Director of Human Resources

Susan Wagner, Ed.M.
Vice President of Education and Information

Timothy Wolkober, C.P.A.
Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer