The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is pleased to welcome Stephanie Linder as its new director of development and communications.
Linder’s more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector includes leadership roles in local and national conservation organizations.
She comes to the Botanic Garden from the San Francisco Parks Alliance, where she served as the director of philanthropy and partnered with the Recreation and Park Department, other city agencies and more than 100 fiscally sponsored groups to improve San Francisco’s parks through philanthropy.
Previously, Linder served as the advancement director for the Sierra Club at the national office in San Francisco, where she launched a national major donor network for the largest grassroots environmental organization in the United States.
In her position as director of board affairs at the Trust for Public Land, Linder provided guidance to the national board and 25 state advisory boards and staff to enhance fundraising efforts nationwide.
“Stephanie’s passion for conservation is contagious,” said the Botanic Garden’s executive director, Steve Windhager, Ph.D. “This, along with her wealth of experience as a development professional, made her a perfect fit for the garden,”
“For many years, I lived just a few blocks from the San Francisco Botanical Garden and planted Bay Area natives in my backyard. So, while I’ve moved hundreds of miles, I feel right at home here at the garden,” Linder said. “I appreciate our sense of place and local community. This is an incredibly lucky time to start my career at the garden — during our 90th year, with the new gardens and the opening of our new conservation center.”
Prior to joining the conservation field, Linder worked for organizations focused on women’s health, equality and safety, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she led a national project to revitalize volunteerism.
As past chair of Emerge California, a candidate training program, she remains active in the efforts to elect more women to public office.
Linder holds a Master of Arts degree in American history from Binghamton University and has taught history at the college level. She lives with her husband in Ojai, Calif., and enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors.
— Rebecca Mordini is the communications coordinator at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.