Our Next Speaker

Brian Trader, Ph.D./President & CEO, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens; "The Gardens in 2024: Celebrating 40 years"

Trader started his position at the Garden on Jan. 4, 2021.  Previously, Trader served as Deputy Executive Director and Director of Horticulture at the Delaware Botanic Gardens where he managed one of America’s newest public gardens. Since its grand opening in 2019, he expanded two new garden areas, secured competitive grants, and built a programming calendar to engage diverse communities. Previously, he served as Director of Domestic and International Studies at Longwood Gardens, one of the preeminent gardens in the United States and internationally. During his tenure, Trader mentored and supervised over 700 emerging public horticultural professionals from around the world. He collaborated with public garden leaders throughout the Philadelphia region, the U.S. and internationally to facilitate research, student and staff exchange, and outreach,

The move brings Trader back to his home state of Virginia. He grew up on the Eastern Shore as part of a farming family, where he developed a life-long passion for plants. He earned his doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Virginia Tech and has also taught at Virginia Tech, Mississippi State University and the University of Delaware. 

Trader is a frequent presenter at meetings throughout the world, has published extensively about horticulture and the role of public gardens, and is the recipient of numerous awards including the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Award and the American Public Gardens Association’s Award for Program Excellence.