Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Botanical Research Institute of Texas
Patrick Newman, new CEO and president, Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Botanical Research Institute of Texas.
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Botanical Research Institute of Texas said Tuesday it named Patrick Newman as its new CEO and president effective May 1, replacing the current president, Ed Schneider, who is retiring to California.
Newman, executive director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin since 2016, has more than 14 years in public gardens. At the Lady Bird, he oversaw a $5 million annual budget and supervised a staff of 60 employees and 800 volunteers.
"Under his direction, the Center increased earned and contributed income, added to its endowment, and dramatically increased annual attendance, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and BRIT said in a release.
“Patrick is the right leader at the right time as we transition toward becoming a world-class botanical organization,” Greg Bird, the organization's board chair, said in the release.
“After an exhaustive national search that yielded several impressive candidates, the board was delighted to find someone right here in Texas and familiar with positioning a botanical center as a leading cultural destination,” he said.
Prior to the Wildflower Center, Newman was director of programs for the Red Butte Garden in Utah. Before that, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Azerbaijan, where he taught English and science.
He is active with the American Public Gardens Association and on the Directors of Large Gardens Advisory Committee. Newman earned a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Utah.
Schneider began at BRIT in 2016 and led the joining of the BRIT and Botanic Garden operations Oct. 1, 2020 to create one of the largest centers for botanical exploration and discovery in the United States.
Schneider also expanded research initiatives, which included construction of the George C. and Sue W. Sumner Molecular and Structural Laboratory, with a scanning electron microscope, addition of doctorate-level staff that led to funding from the National Science Foundation, and numerous collaborations with academic and other related institutions.
“It’s been a pleasure to watch Ed Schneider’s planning and leadership grow our organization and lead us to where we are today,” Bird said. “We are grateful and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
According to his bio on the Lady Bird site, Newman is a "self-identified plant nerd" and avid runner, having completed more than 40 marathons in 26 states.
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is the oldest public botanic garden in Texas, with theme gardens including the Fuller Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, and the Victor and Cleyone Tinsley Garden, which features plants native to north central Texas.
The Botanical Research Institute of Texas is a nonprofit, international research, education and conservation organization that collects and safeguards plant specimens, studies and protects living plants, and teaches the importance of conservation and biodiversity to the world. BRIT assumed nonprofit management of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden Oct. 1, 2020.
The combined organization comprises 120 acres in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. Winter Hours: Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 65+, $6 for children 6-15 and free for those under 5. Parking is free throughout the campus during regular business hours.