STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Jen Smith, former director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Ketchum, has been hired as the new executive director of the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.
Smith replaces Kat Vanden Heuvel, who is stepping down to spend more time with her family and pursue her passion assisting businesses and organizations with strategic planning and team building.
Smith has served as city arborist, events manager and staff liaison to the Ketchum Arts Commission during her 17 years with the City of Ketchum. She also has worked with such organizations as Higher Ground Sun Valley, Boulder Mountain Clayworks and ARCH Community House Trust.
She has a degree in natural resource recreation management from Oregon State University.
Smith says she sees her experiential and academic knowledge as a great fit for her new line of work.
“Kat will be missed but she clearly did such a wonderful job of cultivating a great staff and fortifying the garden’s financial stability and its significance in the community,” she said.
Vanden Heuvel took over as director of the garden three years ago after stints with Wild Gift and The Hunger Coalition. Under her leadership, the garden recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Garden of Infinite Compassion.
She is leaving to spend more time with her 8-year-old daughter Seneca and 6-year-old son Tripp.
“It was fine when they were younger because my husband Dan was off during summers from his job as a teacher. But now that they’re older I envision more extended experiences with them—taking off a week or two for a backpack trip, making visits home to Wisconsin to visit parents and grandparents,” she said.
“Summer’s when the bulk of things are happening at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden so my schedule was opposite my family’s.”
Vanden Heuvel said she elected to leave during winter rather than the beginning of summer, as the Sawtooth Botanical Garden is beginning to develop an updated master plan which includes not just the physical space but programming.
“This will give Jen a chance to get her feet wet before things start picking up with the Bug Zoo the end of April,” she said.
The garden received about 14,000 visits during the past year, with people attending classes, fundraisers, memorials and weddings.
“Our role in the community connects people with nature,” she said. “And we’ve gotten back on the community’s radar as a place for families and groups to come together. I have loved popping in on one of Kristin Fletcher’s classes and hearing the excitement. And I’ve loved being out in the community and having someone come up to me and telling me the great experience they had here.”
Smith may be contacted at 208-726-9358 or jen@sbgarden.org.