The Garden Club of Denver is thrilled to announce that Brian Vogt, CEO of Denver Botanic Gardens has been awarded Honorary Membership to the Garden Club of America. This award is significant as GCA granted just four Honorary Memberships this year to people from across the country with extraordinary achievements in the fields of horticulture and conservation and whose knowledge and interests align with ours.
Brian is joining the ranks of some greats here in Denver. As you may know, Ed Conners was a GCA Honorary Member for 35 years, and we all sorely miss him and wish he could be here today to welcome Brian to the ranks!
DBG’s Panayoti Kelaidis, a current GCA Honorary Member since 2004, is also the winner of a GCA Florens De Bevoise Award for achievement with rock gardens.
This nomination process began a full year ago and was spearheaded by GCD’s Awards Co-Chairs Jane D.and Courtney M. The Broadmoor Garden Club seconded the nomination with letters of recommendation from Lindsay D., Judy S. of the Broadmoor Garden Club, Paul R. of Longwood Gardens and Scott M. of the Sonoma Botanical Gardens. Susan C., Brian’s able assistant, compiled his extensive CV and Alice H. brought us across the finish line with her computer skills.
Brian is no stranger to the GCA as he previously received the GCA’s Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal of Honor in 2019 for “outstanding achievement in environmental protection and the maintenance of the quality of life” (GCD Awards Chair Ann C. spearheaded that nomination).
Brian is a visionary leader! His generosity and good will for the people and plants (and the world) around him has made the DBG one of the truly great public gardens anywhere. Because of his leadership, DBG is a scientific center for plant research with global reach. It is beautiful, relevant, vibrant, and accessible to all the wonderful people of our state.
More than this, Brian is just so great to be around, motivating us all to be the best we can be. We are more than thrilled to welcome you into the GCA! So, on behalf of the Garden Clubs of Denver and Broadmoor and all our members, we give you a HUGE congratulations and welcome you to the Garden Club of America!
-by Cindy S.
