Clara A. Curtis, one of the longest serving leaders at The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, has announced that she will retire as of March 1, 2024. Her title, Senior Director of Mission Delivery, reflects the many leadership roles she has taken on over 36 years of service to the organization. Beginning in 1988 as Special Projects Coordinator, when the fledgling arboretum consisted of a borrowed bank branch trailer within 425 wooded acres of the Bent Creek Experimental Forest, her creative leadership has touched every facet of the institution which now welcomes over 600,000 visitors annually.

As an affiliate entity of the University of North Carolina System, the Arboretum embraces a wide range of programs from academic and technical to engaging and inspiring.

 

"Clara's professional growth from a young, talented landscape horticulturist from Haywood County in 1988 to the current nationally-celebrated designer, writer, speaker and plantsperson is inseparable from the growth of The North Carolina Arboretum from its inception to joining the world stage among its peer institutions,' said George Briggs, the Arboretum's executive director. "Clara has proven time and again that she can willingly tackle, master and lead any challenge handed her, and there have been many during her 36 years."

Most recently, Curtis' vision can be seen on display in Winter Lights, the Arboretum's 45-night holiday light show that, now in its tenth year, welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually. A stroll in the gardens during warmer seasons will present a visitor with seasonal landscape plantings, lush planted containers and the signature Quilt Garden, all designed by Curtis. In 2024, those features will constitute her 29th year of design. Frequent traveling exhibits, both indoor and outdoor, have benefitted from her careful oversight, including development of the nationally-traveled exhibits Wicked Plants and Making Scents. In 2023, she led the creation of the inaugural Bloom with a View, a display of 10,000 plants created in concert with the Dutch Consul in Atlanta that returns in May, 2024.

While every aspect of the Arboretum reflects the organization's commitment to team culture, Clara Curtis' creativity and leadership have been integral to the high quality and enrichment of the visitor experience. Visit a facility, take a class, smell a flower, hike a trail, attend an event, enjoy the bonsai, learn from an exhibit, or simply browse the Arboretum website; her tenure has overseen everything from education, horticulture and design to guest services, marketing, exhibits, and development. The Curtis resume also includes greenhouse management, interior design, and construction oversight.

Attorney and economic developer Cheryl McMurry Kaynard, the Arboretum's state board of directors' chair, describes the Curtis palette of talents: "If there ever was a Renaissance woman, Clara Curtis fits the model. Her understanding of the Southern Appalachian ecology and landscape, talent range from design concept through project execution, and unflinching commitment to excellence are inspirations to all of us who enjoy her achievements. A highlight of almost every board meeting involves Clara's next exciting program venture and success. As lead for the Mission Orchestration Team, she touches every corner of the Arboretum."

Clara Curtis holds a B. S. degree in Landscape Horticulture from North Carolina State University and is a recipient of the Citizen's Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, as well as the Award of Merit from the American Public Gardens Association.