Chicago Botanic Garden - Carillon Press Release

Chicago Botanic Garden’s Kris Jarantoski Receives Prestigious Award from the American Horticultural Society

GLENCOE, Ill. (April 17, 2007)—The Chicago Botanic Garden is pleased to announce that Kris Jarantoski, Executive Vice President and Director of the Garden, is this year’s recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) Professional Award. Jarantoski will be honored during the AHS’s Great American Gardeners Awards Ceremony and Banquet on June 1, 2007. This award is given to a member of the horticultural community that makes their living as a leader or director of an arboretum or botanical garden and whose achievements during the course of their career represent a significant contribution to horticulture.

“Kris has made enormous contributions to the development of the Garden and its collections, which will continue to make an impact on visitors and Garden employees for years to come,” said Barbara Whitney Carr, President and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Jarantoski has worked at the Chicago Botanic Garden for the past 30 years, starting as a horticulturalist after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a Master of Science in Horticulture. While working at the Garden, he earned an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. As the Executive Vice President and Director of the Garden Jarantoski develops and directs the horticulture, plant collections and garden operations of the progressive 385-acre botanic garden. He also works on the selection and hybridization of dieback shrubs to evaluate their adaptability to the Chicago area. He is also active in the American Public Gardens Association. Jarantoski has served as chair of the Awards and Collections Committees, as a member of the Board of Directors, and is currently a member of the Design and Planning Section and the Plant Collections Section. Jarantoski has written numerous articles for such publications as American Nurseryman, The Public Garden, The Herbarist, and Museum News.

Jarantoski was integral in creating and planning the Garden’s 23 display gardens and making the Chicago Botanic Garden into one of the most visited Botanic Gardens in the world, with nearly three-quarters of a million visitors annually.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden’s newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year, except Dec. 25. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. Through the Institutes of Plant Conservation and Ornamental Plant Research, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.