Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston announced Wednesday it has selected the director of a Virginia garden and Florida native as its new CEO.
Grace Elton, the director of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Va. since 2011, will take over as permanent Tower Hill CEO in early April. She will fill the position left vacant by Kathy Abbott, who left in May to work in Boston on waterfront issues. Suzanne Maas served as interim CEO until a permanent replacement was found.
Elton is a former adjunct professor and arboretum supervisor at the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University in Philadelphia. She is a native of Florida, as the daughter of parents who worked in Everglades National Park.
Tower Hill is in the early phases of implementing its new master plan to add more gardens and programs. The botanical garden celebrated its 30th anniversary at its Boylston location last year and the 175th anniversary of its parent organization – the Worcester County Horticultural Society.
