Chicago Botanic Garden, President and Chief Executive Officer

The Board of Directors of the Chicago Botanic Garden has named Gretchen E. Baker as its next President & CEO, effective March 16, 2026. The Chicago Botanic Garden is a world-renowned living museum dedicated to inspiring all people to connect with plants. As a nonprofit organization run in a public/private partnership with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Garden helps build healthier communities through urban agriculture, offers lifelong learning opportunities, leads pioneering plant conservation research, and showcases the beauty of horticulture.

Gretchen joins the Garden from Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, where she has led the organization since 2021, steering one of the country’s largest natural history museums. Her academic background in botany and landscape architecture has been enriched by years of experience in cultural institutions. Throughout her career, Baker has understood the importance of connecting museum visitors to the stories of our natural world. 

The new position is a homecoming for the Illinois native, whose career has included roles at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and the Field Museum in Chicago. Baker received a bachelor’s degree in biology and anthropology from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and undertook graduate studies in landscape architecture at the University of California, Berkeley.
   
The search was led by Jeff Kessner and Jackie Mildner, with Nella Young and Pamela Carty