About Bloedel Reserve
Initially a country retreat known as Collinswood, the estate that is now part of Bloedel Reserve was purchased by Prentice and Virgina Bloedel in 1951. In their retirement, the Bloedels doubled the acreage of the estate and utilized the help of noted landscape architects and designers to create the framework of the gardens present in the Reserve today. The Reserve was first opened to the public in 1988 with limited annual attendance. In 2009, the decision was made to open the Reserve more broadly to the public. Currently, Reserve encompasses 140 acres and 23 distinct landscapes and sees ~78,000 annual visitors. The Reserve’s mission is to enrich people’s lives through a premier public garden of natural land and designed Pacific Northwest landscapes. Bloedel is led by a dedicated staff of 45 full-time employees, 19 members of the Board of Trustees, and over 300 volunteers. The Reserve has an annual operating budget of $4.2 million and endowments totaling $25 million.
The Opportunity
Over the past decade, Bloedel Reserve has dramatically increased its capacity and made a number of additions and improvements to gardens, buildings, and programs. Today, the organization finds itself at another exciting inflection point, as it searches for a new leader. The Board of Trustees seeks a dynamic President & CEO to lead all aspects of the Reserve, with a focus on long-term goals, sustainability, growth, and philanthropy.
The President and CEO will provide guidance and oversight to ensure the successful implementation of the current strategic plan, working closely with the Reserve's various constituencies. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for the vision and mission of the Reserve, and an ability to translate that passion into organizational strategy, institutional and team leadership, and a dynamic approach to fundraising and ambassadorship.