Dede, The Garden Club of America's 42nd president, personifies the GCA’s motto Garden, Create, Advocate. She reminds us by her words and deeds that "The GCA represents the voice of the plants.” 

Currently, she speaks on behalf of plants as the president of the Olmsted Network, the “first and only national organization dedicated to championing Olmsted parks, places, and principles through advocacy, education, and stewardship.” Beginning in 2020, Dede led efforts across the country to celebrate Frederick Law Olmsted’s 200th birthday in 2022.

A lawyer by training, Dede has been an inspiring and impactful leader. In addition to leading the GCA and the Olmsted Network, she was the co-founder of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and general counsel and congressional liaison for the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

Plants are at the root of Dede’s achievements in horticulture, conservation, and civic improvement, including launching the GCA’s Restoration Initiative, restoring the Olmsted Woods at the Washington National Cathedral, and preserving the Haupt Garden at the Smithsonian Institution. Inside and outside of the GCA, she has been an ardent advocate for plants, parks, and preservation.

As GCA medalist Laurie Olin puts it, "Dede has the soul of the gardener... the vision of a planner, [and] the heart of a teacher."