Elaine McGinn

Elaine McGinn joined the Garden in 1997. In partnership with the executive director and senior staff, she provides leadership in Garden planning and visitor engagement strategies. She leads Garden teams who are responsible for visitor experiences, including exhibits, events, education, and marketing to identify long-range visitor experience goals and develop planning strategies for expanding audience development and engagement. She has extensive experience in exhibit development and design, master planning, and interpretation. During her tenure with Desert Botanical Garden, she has led major exhibit initiatives including new permanent displays, interpretive planning, seasonal butterfly exhibits and annual art exhibitions. Elaine holds a bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College and completed an executive leadership program at the University of Michigan. Elaine received a Virginia G. Piper Fellowship in 2009 to study garden design and the exploration of place-making.