Joseph Rothleutner is new director of horticulture and facilities at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
Rothleutner served as the director of horticulture at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where he helped redefine the zoo’s use of the term wildlife to be inclusive of animals and plants. Under his tenure, the Lincoln Park Zoo achieved accreditation as an arboretum.
Previously, Rothleutner served as the tree and shrub breeder, leading the new plant development program at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill. He is an active member of the American Public Gardens Association, and served on the publication award committee of the American Society of Horticultural Science.
As director of horticulture and facilities at the Botanic Garden, Rothleutner will oversee management of the garden’s living collections, ensuring the living collections receive the highest level of curation consistent with the standards of the profession and accrediting agencies.
For more information about the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, visit sbbg.org.
— Flannery Hill for Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.