Mission Values/Board and Staff
What We Do
The Delaware Center for Horticulture inspires individuals and communities through the power of plants. Since 1977, we have cultivated a greener community by creating and maintaining the first Urban Farm in the city of Wilmington, beautifying public landscapes, planting and advising on the placement of urban trees, mobilizing volunteers, and hosting community events and educational programs, including our Branches to Chances® Return to Work program and our Neighborhood Tree Steward Program. Because much of our work occurs in low income neighborhoods with higher rates of disease, environmental contamination, and poor access to healthy foods, our educational efforts also emphasize the personal health and sustainability benefits of gardening.
DCH is the only nonprofit membership organization in Delaware that mobilizes and inspires community greening statewide in urban and suburban environments. By inspiring an appreciation for improving our environment through horticulture, education, and conservation, we have become a leader in improving and beautifying communities by harnessing the power of our members, volunteers, and staff to go out and make a difference.
Our members come from Delaware and the surrounding region and bring with them a passion for plants only matched by that of our staff members.
With more than 600 active and dedicated volunteers annually, we have a tremendous amount of community support, which allows us to accomplish the impossible.
Why It Matters
The work of DCH strengthens the social fabric and builds more livable towns and cities by enhancing the environmental, economic, and aesthetic qualities of our cities and state. Working together, we create neighborhoods that are healthier, more attractive, and more ecologically sustainable. Simply put, DCH is about people and plants.
Our Staff
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Board of Directors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Paul Ignudo Jr. - President | EDiS Company |
| Carrie Wiles - Vice President | North Creek Nurseries |
| Paula Hearst - Secretary | Black Cemetery Restoration Civic Association, Mt. Zion Cemetery |
| Emily Mowen, Treasurer | Santora CPA Group |
| Beth Wells - Past President | Wells Consultants |
| James Bailey, J.D. | The Bailey Law Firm |
| Tyler Bozzuto MPA | Nemours Estate |
| Eileen Dallabrida | SmithReports |
| Sally DeWees | DCH Volunteer, Garden Club of Wilmington |
| Ivey Ibrahim | Central Baptist Community Development Corporation |
| Marybeth Johns | Delaware Federation of Garden Clubs |
| William Kelly | Wilmington Trust Company |
| Sharon Loving | Longwood Gardens |
| Walter Matthews | U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, District of Delaware |
| Scott Parker | Verdantas LLC |
| Ann Wick | DCH Volunteer, Garden Club of Wilmington |
| Beverly Zimmermann | Out & About Magazine |
Council of Advisors
| Name |
|---|
| Patricia S. Boyd |
| Hazel L. Brown |
| David W. Brownlee |
| Patricia M. Bussard |
| Lynn B. Carbonell |
| Joanne B. Cushman |
| Susan S. Fisher |
| Richard W. Lighty, Ph.D. |
| Eleanor Maroney |
| Elizabeth McCoy |
| Christopher S. Patterson |
| Ellen C. Petersen |
| Michael E. Riska |
| Mrs. Sidney Scott, Jr. |
| Elizabeth A. Sharp |
