The Board of Directors of the Chicago Botanic Garden has named Gretchen E. Baker as its next President & CEO, effective March 16, 2026. She 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.
 
“Gretchen brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to the Garden’s mission,” said Michael R. Zimmerman, board chair of the Chicago Botanic Garden. “We were equally impressed by her innovative ideas, passion for the natural world, and approachability.” 
 
Born and raised in rural Illinois, Baker’s path to the Garden is a natural transition. 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. 
 
“Plants have been braided into my entire career, from the Amazon rainforest to the landscape design studio to the dinosaur gallery.” Baker said. “I’m honored by the opportunity to lead the Chicago Botanic Garden, and excited to now devote my energies to advocating for plants and deepening our relationship to them.”
 
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1895, stewards over 22 million scientific specimens and cultural artifacts as well as the Powdermill Nature Reserve, a 2200-acre biological field station an hour southwest of Pittsburgh.
 
The new position is a homecoming for the Illinois native, who has lived in California and Pennsylvania for the last 10 years. Prior to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, she served as Vice President of Exhibitions at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, with responsibility for the museum’s renowned Nature Gardens and La Brea Tar Pits, and as Managing Director of Museum Experience at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Notably, she spent 18 years at the Field Museum in Chicago in a variety of roles including botanical research, exhibition design, public programs, business development, and strategic planning. She also contributed to the early groundbreaking work of the museum’s environmental and conservation programs. 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.
 
Baker will be stepping into the position when Jean M. Franczyk, who has been President & CEO since 2016, retires in March 2026.
  
About Chicago Botanic Garden
The Chicago Botanic Garden is a world-renowned living museum and so much more. Its roots grow throughout greater Chicago and beyond, inspiring all people to connect with plants. The Garden helps build healthier communities through urban agriculture, offers lifelong learning opportunities, leads pioneering plant conservation research, and showcases the beauty of horticulture. The Garden is a nonprofit organization run as a public/private partnership with the Forest Preserves of Cook County. For more information, visit chicagobotanic.org and follow on Facebook (@chicagobotanicgarden) and Instagram (@chicagobotanic)