Ken Schutz

Member since: 2026

Proposed by: Arizona Columbine Garden Club, Zone XII

Seconded by: Woodside-Atherton Garden Club, Zone XII

In 2001 Kenneth "Ken" J. Schutz was appointed as the Dr. William Huizingh Executive Director of the quiet horticultural haven--Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. During his tenure he increased annual visitation to over a half a million guests, completed three capital campaigns, managed $35 million in construction projects, and raised more than $15 million for the organization's endowment. In the process, Schutz reimagined the garden as one of Arizona's most vibrant and celebrated cultural institutions.

With a background in marketing, business, education, museum management, and fundraising, he began his work at the botanical garden by initiating changes to enhance inclusivity, starting with bilingual signage to make the public garden more accessible to the region's Spanish-speaking population. Under his leadership, the garden hosted a series of large-scale, rotating art installations that have captivated both locals and tourists. The Desert Botanical Garden was the 2020 recipient of the GCA's Eloise Payne Luquer Medal. For more than two decades, Schutz and the Desert Botanical Garden have played host to Arizona Columbine Garden Club and GCA national committees.

Schutz has guided the growth of the garden as a resource for the study of Sonoran-desert plants, and in 2012, he launched the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance, a consortium of more than 60 collaborative organizations dedicated to protecting the natural desert environment.

Schutz served as president of the American Public Gardens Association (2013–15) and was named to the Institute of Museum and Library Services board (2016–21) by President Barack Obama.