Staff
Roger Ravenstad
Executive Director
Roger Ravenstad currently serves as the Executive Director for the Ruth Bancroft Garden and Nursery in Walnut Creek, California. Before coming to non-profit work, Roger Ravenstad spent 38 years as a government leader and private consultant focused on community outreach, organizational development, collaborative problem solving in the design, and construction of city parks and public spaces. Before government service, he worked in private consulting designing corporate campuses, urban plazas, and parks throughout Northern California. Roger has steered his career toward a focus on sustainable long-term quality public places for people. He feels strongly that great places are defined by their ability to enhance people’s quality of life, sense of community, and connection to the natural environment. During his leadership, Fremont’s award-winning parks have been ranked as one of the top park systems in the nation by Trust for Public Land. At the City of Fremont, Roger managed the Parks Capital Improvement Program, Parks Planning and Acquisition Program, and established the first Urban Forestry Program for the City. Roger authored the City’s Tree Preservation Ordinance and the Citywide Development Landscape Policies. Roger is a California licensed Landscape Architect, with a BS in Landscape Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a Masters in Public Administration from California State University East Bay (Hayward). Roger served in the Peace Corp Forestry Program in Nepal. For the City of San Leandro, he served on the City Planning Commission, Site Development Sub-Commission and General Plan Advisory Committee. In Roger’s spare time he is a lifelong skier and enjoys hiking in the mountains and at the beach with his partner Ken and their dog Roxie. Before taking on the role of Executive Director, Roger volunteered as a Ruth Bancroft Garden Ambassador and served on the Board of Directors.
Brian K.
Curator
Brian has been at The Ruth Bancroft Garden since 1980. He is highly regarded in the horticultural world and is a prolific writer and lecturer on botanical topics, especially relating to succulent plants. Brian has a B.A. in Philosophy from Antioch College, and he began concentrating on succulents soon after moving to San Francisco in 1971. Brian's work for The Garden has included hybridizing aloes, agaves, gasterias and some South American cacti. Brian has traveled extensively in Mexico, Madagascar and southern Africa, studying and photographing plants in their native habitats. His gardening column “On the Dry Side” appears in several newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area, and his photos have been published in numerous books on succulents.
Walker Y.
Garden Manager
Walker joined the staff at RBG in January 2012 and since then has come to function as custodian of the Garden’s aesthetic. He acts as point person in the collaborative process of preserving, renovating, and rejuvenating Mrs. Bancroft’s beds, taking particular joy in sculpting undulating mounds and arranging rocks in the Garden to form a unifying backdrop and compositional foil to the Garden’s plant collection. Along with the curator he propagates rare succulents from seed to be used in the Garden and manages care of the private collection. His most significant contribution to the plant palette has been the donation of a cycad collection, which he has used as an intermediate texture connecting the garden’s collection of radially symmetrical rosettes with its softer drought-tolerant herbaceous perennials.
Martín V.
Horticulturalist
Martín is the senior gardener, having worked at the Garden since 1990. He moved to Bakersfield, California from Mexico in 1984, where he began to work in vineyards there. His cousin first introduced him to the Bancroft's in the late 1980s and he soon moved to the Walnut Creek area to begin work in Ruth’s garden. He did not know much about cactus and succulents at the time and Martín said at first he did not enjoy working with the especially spikey cacti. He wondered how Mrs. Bancroft could handle them without wearing any gloves. After six months though he began to really enjoy the job, though he does wear gloves when working with cacti. He currently divides his time between Mrs. Bancroft’s private gardens and the Ruth Bancroft Garden. Martín also has his own landscaping business, and enjoys cooking for a special event catering business he created called “Tacos Michoacanos” providing signature dishes for weddings and other private gatherings.
Szymon S.
Garden Horticulturist
Szymon joined the staff in May 2020, after volunteering at the Garden for a couple of months. He has a Bachelor’s in Zoology from Roehampton University in London, where he also worked as a Research Assistant and Lab Technician. In addition he holds a Master’s in Ecology degree from the University of Brighton. In his free time, Szymon’s all about nature and outdoors: from cultivating cacti and other succulents in his own garden and greenhouse to spending months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or living off the land in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho.
Rada
Nursery Floor Lead
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Rada grew up in Walnut Creek and began his journey into plant science after attending classes at DVC shortly after high school. He eventually transferred to Humboldt State University where he graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Science - Ecological Restoration with minors in Botany, Geospatial Analysis and Watershed Management. Following his strongest passion, he worked as a botanist conducting vegetation surveys across the Western U.S. with a focus on assessing the effectiveness of ecological restoration efforts. Most notably, he has surveyed alpine plants and lichens in the Rocky Mountains, plants in the rugged sagebrush steppe across the Great Basin, and plants in dynamic dune systems along the Northern California Coast. He's usually found traveling throughout the western states backpacking, botanizing, tending plants or hanging with his dog.
Cricket R.
Design Services Director
Plant centered design is the focus of all of Cricket’s work at the Garden. From designing gardens, to giving workshops, from writing about plants in the newsletter to ordering plants for the Nursery, educating people on the beauty, diversity and sustainability of regionally appropriate planting is always her goal. “Your garden should look good, feel good and do good. If we’ve accomplished those three things, then we’re successful” Cricket has an AA in Landscape Architecture from Merritt College, a BA in History from UC Santa Cruz, and an MA in Broadcast Journalism and Near Eastern Studies from NYU.
Nikki V.
Senior Designer
Nikki is a landscape designer that specializes in creating beautiful, functional spaces that feel lush but use low water. She also has extensive experience in fine gardening and aesthetic pruning. She enjoys working on plant-focused designs, learning what clients want out of their garden, and developing creative, sustainable solutions. Prior to this, Nikki spent many years in the nonprofit sector, providing fundraising, marketing and creative support. She has an AA degree in Landscape Architecture from Merritt College and a BA in Communication Studies from UNCW.
Kate N.
Designer
Garden making and growing professionally in the Bay Area for over fifteen years, Kate has learned, plants are powerful. As a designer, she believes that beauty and resilience go hand in hand, working with clients to realize their low water garden aspirations. Before coming to Ruth Bancroft Garden, Kate was the Horticulture Manager at Filoli gardens in Woodside. She studied Landscape Architecture at Merritt College, earned an MA in Museum Studies at the University of Washington and a BA in Biology at Boston College.
Anne L.
Office Manager
A true nomad at heart, Anne has put down roots in a lot of different places. Born in California, but primarily raised in Portland, Anne grew up with passions for theatre, martial arts, Shakespeare, music, genealogy, travel, and animals. A Theatre Arts major from the University of Oregon, Anne lived and studied in London her Senior year, which was quickly followed by an internship in Dublin at the Gaiety School of Acting. Her professional experience ranges from Administrative Assistant and Office Manager in a variety of companies, to her most recent work as a Support Specialist for a non profit company that supports adults with Autism. She is thrilled to be back living in California, and is grateful for the opportunity to work for such a special, magical place. She looks forward to what the future will bring at the Garden.
Erin P.
Development and Membership Manager
While a lifelong plant lover and gardener, Erin began her non-profit career in the arts. After teaching music to UC undergrads as well as elementary schoolers in Santa Barbara, Erin returned home to the Bay Area to work in development for SFJAZZ just before they opened their concert hall in 2013. When the opportunity arose to work with students again, she made the move to SFJAZZ's education team, where she worked closely with grant writers to scale and diversify their youth programs. After short stints with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and the Hewlett Foundation's Performing Arts grantmaking team, Erin joined the Ruth Bancroft Garden as their Development & Membership Manager. Having been a member for years, she is excited to be a part of this gem within her own community. Erin has BAs in Music and French from Chapman University, and an MA in Ethnomusicology from UC Santa Barbara. In addition to botany and bebop, Erin loves writing, and is the Editor-in-Chief of Mensa's San Francisco chapter.
Jacki K.
Visitor Education Manager
Jacki has been bridging the world of special education and advocacy for many years, all the while volunteering and managing volunteers for various community causes. Jacki first fell in love with the Ruth Bancroft Garden many years ago, when she took her own kids to its fabulous children’s education programs. Since then, she has been chasing a similar dream as did Ruth Bancroft - surrounding herself with all the beautiful colors, textures and forms found in plants. When Jacki is not out in the community, she can be found in her own garden, watching the birds, whispering to her kitty, or joking around with her family. Jacki's role as the Volunteer Coordinator at RBG is the perfect marriage of her love of volunteerism and horticulture.
Marie G.
Children's Education Manager
Marie joined the Ruth Bancroft Garden as a member when she first arrived to Walnut Creek 3 years ago. She became a garden docent and also guided school classes. Marie has, while she stayed at home to raise her kids, been on the boards for an HOA, a MOM's club, PTA and PTO as an officer. She is a graduate of University of Uppsala and has also studied psychology at College of the Canyons. Marie has a passion to learn new things and to share her knowledge with others. Marie believes that we learn by using all of our senses and will strive to incorporate sensory experiences into the children’s education programs. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, jewelry making and printmaking
Monica A.
Marketing Manager
Monica joined RBG as a Nursery Intern and became involved in many aspects, helping out with private events, the Nursery, and marketing. As a graduate of Saint Mary’s College of California with a degree in Global Business, she enjoys being able to combine her appreciation for waterwise gardening with an international business perspective. Prior to working at RBG, Monica studied abroad in Florence, Italy, worked at a nursery in her hometown of Modesto, and interned for a tech startup. When she’s not at the Garden, she enjoys shopping second-hand, practicing her film photography, and trying new recipes.
Teddy S.
Assistant Nursery Manager
A passion and love for plants, especially cacti and succulents, first brought Teddy to visit the Garden in early 2020. He became a Member and then joined the Nursery Sales Staff team shortly thereafter. Prior to Covid, Teddy worked professionally as a member of the stage actors union, performing locally as well as internationally. In his free time, you'll likely find Teddy working in his own garden with the reliable help of his rescue pup, Dweebs. Other hobbies include mushroom foraging, disc-golfing, upcycling, and backyard birdwatching. Teddy received his MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University, and a BA in both Psychology and Musical Theater from CSU, Chico.
Daniel R.
Senior Nursery Associate
Daniel is a deep-rooted East Bay native with an admiration for succulents and cacti. He received an Associates in Science in Agriculture Plant Science and a Certificate of Achievement in Plant Science and Horticulture from Diablo Valley College. He also has two years of experience as a student worker for DVC's Horticulture unit, working in the nursery and teacher assisting with classes. In his free time, Daniel enjoys designing succulent dish gardens, tending to his edible plants, and hiking with his dog.
Fiona S
House Manager
A Bay Area native, Fiona graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.A. in English and a minor in digital filmmaking. She then worked as a theatre technician at Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the Arts, where she specialized in lighting. She loves to show people the magic of Ruth's garden through private events and the Garden of D'Lights. In her free time, Fiona enjoys seeing musicals, playing video games with her family, and reading.
Staff portrait photos by Ashlee Urmson of Zella Urmson Photography, and other photographers.
Banner photo by John Ricca