Our Staff

The Morton Arboretum's vibrant staff include 130 full-time, 114 part-time, and seasonal employees who work in areas such as plant collections and grounds, tree research, education, visitor services, and other administrative services.  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 three essential goals: advance the planting and conservation of trees, attract larger audiences and engage them in the mission, and raise and earn significantly greater financial support.

Management representatives by area of responsibility:

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

Kris Bachtell, M.S.
Director of Collections and Facilities

Penn French, M.B.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

Gary Watson, Ph.D.
Head of Research

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

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