The head of the Denver Botanic Gardens will step down in August. This morning, the institution announced that John Scully has resigned, effective mid-August.
Scully has been CEO since April 2004.
He is leaving for health and personal reasons, according to a statement released on behalf of Harold Logan Jr., chairman of the board of trustees.
Scully’s time at the gardens was described as “successful.”
“John Scully has served Denver Botanic Gardens well, bringing a business-like approach to an institution recognized as one of the top ten botanic gardens in the U.S., installing management processes that have increased effectiveness and accountability,” Logan said, in the statement.
Logan said a national search for Scully’s successor has begun.
Scully put the gardens on improved financial footing, according to the statement, and established new relationships with cultural institutions while improving relations with volunteers, neighbors, and Denver government.
“Denver Botanic Gardens is a unique asset for our region — owned by the city, nurtured by thousands of volunteers and funded by donors across the U.S. and around the world,” said Denver Mayor John W. Hickenlooper, in the statement. “John has brought these stakeholders together collaboratively to drive positive change. As a result, the Gardens’ mile-high roots today are deeper and healthier than ever.”
Earlier this month, The Denver Post ran a story in which Scully lamented the physical condition of the gardens, and the lack of the $25 million dollars he felt was necessary to maintain it.
The Post reported that the gardens’ irrigation system is leaking and lined with asbestos. The greenhouses are dilapidated and inefficient. And a study found that systems in Boettcher Conservatory – the signature building that is supposed to keep a constant tropical climate – “do not maintain a consistent interior environment.”
“When you use duct tape and twine for a while, you get points for creativity,” Scully said. “But at some point the bill comes due. We are at that point.”
The private fundraising that had kept things going needed to be supplemented with a public bond issue, Scully felt.
“We think we are being pretty efficient,” Scully said of efforts to raise funds and keep up. “But absent a big infusion, it (a comprehensive repair) isn’t going to happen.”
Last year, a task force appointed by Mayor John Hickenlooper identified city infrastructure needs – including at the botanic gardens – and noted that the city’s annual budget for basic maintenance was just over 50 percent of what’s needed to maintain a “minimum standard.”
Staff writer George Merritt contributed to this report.
