MANSFIELD, Ohio (JUNE 4, 2021) Kingwood Center Gardens announces the hiring of a new Executive Director, Josh Steffen. After a national search, Steffen was selected as the next executive leader at the public garden, only the fifth Director since Kingwood’s opening in 1953. He will begin on June 14, 2021 following the retirement of Chuck Gleaves, who has served in that role for 23 years.
Steffen brings a broad scope of both education and experience with him. Most recently he held the position of Horticulture and Facilities Manager at the Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart, IN. Prior to his leadership position there, he was a softscape foreman at Stoney Creek Landscaping in Creston, OH, and the Hershey Children’s Garden Manager at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. He is skilled in project and staff management, exhibit and landscape design, organizational capacity building, and stakeholder engagement.
Steffen completed a master’s degree in Public Horticulture at the University of Delaware, Longwood Graduate Program, after completing his undergraduate studies in both horticulture and botany at Michigan State University. In 2004, he was awarded a Longwood Graduate Fellowship - the Louise Roselle Fellow in Public Horticulture.
Eager to begin his new role, Steffen explains, "I really believe in the power of public gardens to build community and living landscapes that sustain life. I am looking forward to returning to northeast Ohio, a region near to my heart, to lead the excellent team at Kingwood Center Gardens into its next chapter of Charles Kelley King's vision."
About Kingwood Center Gardens
Kingwood Center Gardens is an exquisite garden estate on 47 acres in Mansfield, OH that once was the home of the innovative industrialist, Charles Kelley King. Kingwood is renowned for its distinctive floral displays, unique plant specimens, woodland trails, historic mansion and gardens, display greenhouse, duck pond, and peacocks. Signature events like Wine Walk, the Great Pumpkin Glow and Christmas at Kingwood delight tens of thousands of guests annually while providing vital support for this non-profit organization.
In mid-October 2020, Kingwood celebrated the opening of the Garden Gateway, a new visitor center with a café, garden and gift shop, ballroom, exhibit gallery, and guest amenities. The Garden Gateway Project also includes the Grand Perennial Garden with Perennial Pavilion, the new Draffan Fountain Terrace, a Nature Pond, and utilizes cutting-edge stormwater management methods.