The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is pleased to welcome Joseph Rothleutner as its new Director of Horticulture & Facilities.

Rothleutner served as the Director of Horticulture at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where he helped redefine the zoo’s use of the term “wildlife to be inclusive of animals and plants. Under his tenure, the Lincoln Park Zoo achieved accreditation as an arboretum.

Previously, Rothleutner served as the Tree and Shrub Breeder, leading the new plant development program at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.  He is an active member of the American Public Gardens Association, and served on the Publication Award Committee of the American Society of Horticultural Science.

As Director of Horticulture & Facilities at the Garden, Rothleutner will oversee management of the Garden’s living collections, ensuring that the living collections receive the highest level of curation consistent with the standards of the profession and accrediting agencies.

About the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden conserves and promotes California native plants through our gardens, research, and education, and serves as a model for sustainability. Founded in 1926, the Garden is the first botanic garden focused exclusively on California native plants and currently spans 78 acres with five miles of walking trails, an herbarium, seed bank, research labs, library, nursery, and gift shop. For more information about the Garden, please visit sbbg.org