Staff
Erin P.
Acting Executive Director
A longtime member of the Ruth Bancroft Garden, Erin brings 15+ years of nonprofit experience in fundraising, education, and community engagement. She began her career in the arts before moving into nonprofit development and education, designing and growing youth programs in San Francisco. Erin first joined the Ruth Bancroft Garden's team as Development & Membership Manager, strengthening fundraising and growing community support. A particular source of joy has been forming friendships with RBG's many members over the past several years through fun, educational (and delicious) Garden events. Erin holds BAs in Music and French from Chapman University and an MA in Ethnomusicology from UC Santa Barbara. In addition to music and gardening, Erin has a passion for writing—she currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Group for Public Garden, the magazine of the American Public Gardens Association, and is the former Editor-in-Chief of San Francisco Regional Mensa's monthly publication.
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.
Rada
Assistant Nursery and Garden Manager
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.
Molly F.
Design Services Manager
Since college, Molly has been interested in fostering connections between people and their natural environments. Molly's interest in horticulture blossomed when she was farming in Latin America for one year. Upon returning to the United States, she pursued a Master's degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning from UC Berkeley. Since receiving her degree, she has worked in residential and restoration landscape architecture firms in the Bay Area. When she is not designing, she enjoys spending time with her family, painting, hiking and gardening.
Angela M.
Design Associate
Angela has always had a deep appreciation for plants. Following this passion, she has worked in the field of horticulture for over 25 years. Throughout her career, she has worked in many areas of the plant world, including stewardship and land management, nursery sales and production, research, estate gardening, and her favorite landscape design. Angela was a founding member of the RBG Landscape Design Team from 2020–2022 and is excited to have returned to continue creating thoughtful, sustainable, and welcoming garden spaces featuring “The Bold Dry Garden” plant palette. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from University of California, Davis. Outside of designing gardens, Angela enjoys spending time with her teenage kids, exploring new places, and being outdoors.
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.
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 traveling, shopping second-hand, practicing her film photography, and trying new recipes.
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 Visitor Education Manager 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
Teddy S.
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.
Jessica L.
Events Manager
Jessica has been visiting The Ruth Bancroft Garden for many years and has always enjoyed the magic it brings. Its unique collection of plants and beautiful landscape have helped inspire her love of gardening. She brings experience in events, fundraising, and program coordination to her role as Events Manager. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys gardening at home, spending time with her ducks, and paddle boarding during the warmer months
Staff portrait photos by Ashlee Urmson of Zella Urmson Photography, and other photographers.
Banner photo by John Ricca
