Proposed by: Garden Club of Denver, Zone XII

Brian Vogt, CEO of the Denver Botanic Gardens since 2007, has transformed the Gardens with his global vision and inspirational leadership. Attendance has grown to 1.3 million visitors annually. Brian and his staff work with scientists in countries with similar climates, offering technical assistance with food security and climate change. Researchers from the Gardens are helping protect and propagate endangered species in Madagascar, addressing agriculture in arid regions of Africa, and promoting collaborative management of the Colorado River with Sonora, Mexico. He empowers mentoring programs with graduate students, colleagues, veterans and disadvantaged groups. With multiple campuses representing the six Colorado ecosystems, the Gardens champions accessibility to community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, outreach classrooms across Colorado, and techniques for sustainable landscaping in public places. His mission is, “Connecting People to Plants” locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Brian truly believes botanic gardens can and should change the world.