Join Our BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Are you passionate about connecting people to nature and community? The Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation is looking for dedicated board members who want to make a difference. No plant knowledge required! We welcome individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and strengths to help guide the Foundation’s growth and sustainability.
What We Ask of Board Members:
- Serve a 3-year term, with the option to renew.
- Attend four quarterly board meetings per year, typically held in the evening on every other third Tuesdays.
- Participate in one committee or special project team, based on your skills and interests.
- Be an ambassador for the garden in your community—helping grow the Foundation’s visibility and financial support.
- Make a personally meaningful annual contribution and support fundraising efforts through outreach, invitations, or connections.
- Support our mission by bringing your unique expertise, curiosity, and care.
We understand that each board member brings a different mix of time, talent, and resources—and we’re here to support you in finding the best way to contribute.
Interested? Please complete the brief interest form below, and we’ll follow up about next steps in the recruitment process.
Questions? Reach out to info@kruckeberg.org—we’d love to hear from you!
Board Members
Laura Zuchlewski – President
Laura was born in Buffalo NY and moved to the Seattle area nearly 20 years ago. She currently resides in Shoreline with her husband, 2 dogs and several chickens. Laura graduated from UW with a masters degree in applied mathematics and brings a wide array of technical problem solving skills to the board, including software development and data analytics. Laura grew her love of gardening as a child, helping her grandmother grow sunflowers and tomatoes. She now has a passion for growing plants of all varieties: flowers, edible gardens and native plants, and is always looking for new plants to use as an excuse to rip up more grass. She also has a strong passion for building and engaging local communities, and is excited to be involved in supporting such a great organization.
Mike Rea – Vice President
Mike’s is a nonprofit and philanthropic leader who is thrilled to be a neighbor and frequent visitor to the Garden. With family and friends he appreciates its quiet paths, its solstice and community events, and annual wreath-making. Several of its plants dot his yard. A social entrepreneur, he loves helping extraordinary community organizations thrive through high impact strategies and collaborations with staff, donors and constituents. He has led and grown Give2Asia, Tourism Cares and the climatetech angel group E8, along with stints at the Gates Foundation and Bank of America.
Olga Chittenden – Treasurer
Olga moved to Shoreline in 2017 after having lived in Northern California for 15 years. Growing up she loved helping her grandparents with growing veggies and herbs, and then with canning and fermenting the harvest for the winter. Olga discovered Kruckeberg Botanic Garden after being invited to a wreath making class, then she discovered a forest bathing class, after that it was an easy decision to send her kids to a Birds Connect Seattle summer camp held at Kruckeberg. Olga brings her acumen in finance and business administration to the Garden Foundation. Olga considers this public botanic garden to be a gem in the urban environment. She is excited to work on the preservation of this unique garden, expansion of community outreach, and providing resources to the neighborhood to learn and feel more connected with nature and unique plants.
Renee Garcia – Secretary
Renee moved from Central California to Olympia, WA over 15 years ago, bringing childhood memories of helping her mom in their garden filled with roses and palm trees. In the Pacific Northwest, she embraced learning how to grow vegetables and other new-to-her plants, discovering the joys of the region’s unique growing climate. As a former designer and creative director now residing in Lake Forest Park, she loves planting bursts of color and texture in her home’s yard. As a mom, she particularly enjoys growing food for her family to eat during the summer and fall months. After moving to Lake Forest Park, she began hearing about Kruckeberg Botanic Garden and finally had the opportunity to visit the beautiful gardens before joining the board. What draws her to Kruckeberg is the history and story—the dedication and passion that Art and Mareen brought to their home and nursery (now Kruckeberg Botanic Garden) is inspiring. She’s excited to support the small but mighty team that keeps the gardens beautiful and welcoming for all who visit, contributing where she can between her children’s activities and her work at UW.
Colin McFeron
Colin McFeron is an urban forester, horticultural designer, and community weaver drawn to the quiet intelligence of plants and the stories landscapes carry. With a professional background in parks, natural resource management, and public spaces, he works at the meeting point of ecology and human care—where stewardship becomes both science and art. He is especially devoted to native plants, forest health, and cultivating places that invite curiosity, belonging, and reverence.
Beyond his professional life, Colin seeks beauty and challenge climbing mountains, writing, gardening with his family, and losing himself in encyclopedic novels that braid history, imagination, and the human condition.
At Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, Colin hopes to help the garden deepen its role as a sanctuary for learning, conservation, and connection. Fostering a space where conservation is lived, stories are shared, and people feel restored by the living world around them.
Ram Ness
Info coming soon
Jessica Farmer
Info coming soon
Alessandra Roup
Info coming soon
