The City of Wichita has announced the hiring of a new executive director for Botanica, The Wichita Gardens.
Dr. Lynette Zimmerman has over 20 years of experience in arts, culture, and education, and she most recently served as the Associate Vice President of Kean University’s Liberty Hall Academic Center and art galleries. Zimmerman earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Wichita State University. From there, she went on to earn a master’s degree in arts administration from Drexel University and a doctorate in education from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Dr. Zimmerman will begin work on June 10th. She takes over for Dawn Hewitt, who left last fall to take a position as Director of Development at the Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas Austin.
The Executive Director of Botanica is responsible for managing Botanica employees and ensuring the most efficient operation of the organization, facilities and grounds. Botanica, the Wichita Gardens opened in 1987 and features 18 acres of garden scaping, including more than 4,000 species of plants, 50 sculptures and an annual attendance of more than 300,000 visitors. Botanica is a public/private partnership between the City of Wichita and Botanica, Inc., a non-profit founded to operate the gardens.
