Antonia Adezio: Antonia is the President and Executive Director of The Garden Conservancy. The Ruth Bancroft Garden was the inspiration for the formation of a national Garden Conservancy. Their mission is to help save America’s garden masterpieces.

Ruth Bancroft: Ruth is the Garden Founder: Through research and a keen eye for design, she has developed this exceptional three acre “dry” garden which has been heralded by horticulturists all over the world. Chosen as the first garden for preservation by the national Garden Conservancy, it has become a teaching center for professionals, children and the general public, promoting the doctrine of beauty with less water. She graduated from The University of California. Her course work was in architecture and education. In addition to her garden, she has been a supporter of The San Francisco Opera and the California Symphony. Ruth is the widow of Phillip Bancroft, the grandson of Hubert Howe Bancroft, who compiled a collection and wrote his own collection of the great histories of The West.

Nina Bancroft Dickerson: Nina is a graduate of Wellesley College. As a daughter of the garden founder, she grew up on what was once the Bancroft farm and has seen The Garden grow and develop from the beginning. As a community leader, she has served in official positions in many organizations including Monte Vista High School Keynoters, Camp Fire Boys and Girls, The PTA and as President of The Equestrian Center of Walnut Creek. Her professional work has been in the area of Social Services. She is a member of The Garden’s Finance Committee.

Gretchen Bartzen: Gretchen is currently the very successful Director of Development and Parent Relations at The Seven Hills School. She directed a successful 5 million dollar capital campaign for them in 2003. She has increased volunteer involvement, annual giving, and the school’s endowment. Her teaching background and participation in various organizations indicate she will bring skills to the Board’s goal of raising visibility in the community, as well as increasing financial support. Gretchen serves as the Vice President of the Board and the Chairman of the Development Committee.

Thomas Bassett: Thomas Bassett is a landscape architect, registered in California. He is a Graduate of Willamette University and the University of Oregon and worked for some of S.F. Bay area’s most prestigious design firms before starting his own company in Walnut Creek. He formerly served on the Design Review Commission for the City of Walnut Creek. He has been active in leadership positions in Walnut Creek and San Francisco. He serves as the President of the Board of Directors. 

Donna Coit, RD, MPH: Donna retired after a 20 year career at Contra Costa Health Services where she held manager and health educator positions. Prior to that time she coordinated and laid the groundwork for a statewide nutrition program, a regional nutrition program for children of migrant workers and county nutrition projects for senior citizens. From these experiences she gained skills in managing grants and contracts, budgeting, coalition building and designing education programs for the public. She has served on local and State-wide nonprofit boards, coalitions and advisory groups. She received a BS in Education and a BS in Food Science & Nutrition from Framingham State College, Massachusetts and a Public Health Master’s degree from UC Berkeley. Some of her interests include painting, edible landscaping and sustainable gardening. Donna is a great admirer of Ruth Bancroft and all she accomplished is the latter part of her life. Donna serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors and is also Chairman of the Finance Committee.  

Gail Giffen: A mother of four, Gail has had a successful career in real estate investment and also owns two Bay Area pizza restaurants. Her hobbies are duplicate bridge and theatre; she is a big supporter of Playhouse West. Gail is an addicted sculpture collector and enjoys sharing this passion with her friends. She serves on the Development Committee and the Host Committee for the Annual Sculpture in The Garden Show.

Rosemarie Kramer: Rosemarie is an enthusiastic and talented volunteer. Since joining the Board, she has been invovled in many of our successful fundraisers. She secured and promoted the auction items which added so much to the enjoyment of the guests, as well as to the bottom line. She is committed to the success of all things associated with the RBG. She also volunteers for the California Symphony and John Muir Hospital. Rosemarie serves on the Development Committee.

Jim Mills: Jim has a BS from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard. His career began with television marketing and promotion in New York. He worked for Citicorp in project finance, structuring and distributing large commercial real estate transactions for domestic and off-shore clients. Currently he is the Senior Director, Product Marketing, for Leap Frog School House in Emeryville. He is the VP of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Development Committee for Seven Hills School in Walnut Creek. Jim serves as the Chairman of the Governance Committee.

Bonnie Randall: Bonnie is a graduate of Kent State University in Ohio and is the CFO for Randall Planning and Design, Inc. She is a travel writer and has authored four books. She had a long term career in management for Aetna Life and Casualty. She is an enthusiastic Gardener and has volunteered for Garden Clubs and chaired The Ruth Bancroft Garden’s Spring Garden Tour. Bonnie serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors and is a member of the Development Committee.

Greg Randall: Greg is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Landscape Architecture. He opened his own firm in 1993 and is the principle architect for Randall Planning and Design, Inc. Greg has published a book with John Hopkins University Press, “All American City.” It is about the planning and development of Park Forest, Ill., the first community for retired G.I.’s after World War ll. Greg also serves The Children’s Hospital in Oakland and The Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. Greg serves on the Development Committee.

Maynard “Bud” Rotermund M.D: Dr. Rotermund holds a medical degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Before retirement, Bud practiced medicine in Walnut Creek, CA and he is currently on the Advisory Board of Hospital de la Familia, a philanthropic organization doing surgical trips to remote villages in Guatemala. He serves on the Board of Symposia Medicus, a non-profit organization putting on medical/nursing meetings in North America. His interest in environmental issues includes membership in Solar Cooking International. Bud is former President of the Board of Directors and now serves on the Development Committee.

Mary Louise Williams: Mary Lou is a person with many garden connections; Master Gardener, President of the Rose Society, former Board member of The Markham Arboretum in Concord. She has attended RBG Seminars and plant sales. She participates in various community organizations. Her background and interests make her a valuable Director who thinks creatively about The Garden, propagation, our plant sales and our stated mission.

Kristin Yanker-Hansen: Kristin graduated from Tufts University in Boston with a degree in History, and received her master's degree from Berkeley in Asian Studies. She also worked as a financial analyst, and portfolio manager for banks in New York City, and Cleveland having completed half her MBA at NYU. Kristin taught herself about gardening from experience, listening to other gardeners and finally to voracious reading of books and magazines. She is the former president of the California Horticultural Society and has written articles about tropicals and mallows, her favorite plants. She was Horticulture chair for the California State Garden Clubs. Currently she belongs to International Plant Propagator's Society, and is Horticulture Chair for Danville Alamo Garden Club and program chair for the California Horticultural Society.