Sue Wagner: CEO
Huntsville, AL – Sue Wagner has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Wagner’s selection follows the retirement of Paula Steigerwald, who served as President and CEO for the past 17 years.
Wagner comes to the garden from The Morton Arboretum, a 1,700-acre botanical garden 25 miles west of Chicago in Lisle, IL, where she served as Vice President for Education and Information for the past decade. She brings extensive experience in leading public engagement initiatives that inspire people to connect with trees and nature and support organizational growth and sustainability.
Prior to joining the Morton Arboretum, Wagner served as Vice President for Exhibits and Programs for the Adler Planetarium in Chicago where she renovated school and teacher programs and led the master plan for exhibition and planetarium dome show production.
She began her career as an educator, teaching K-8 science, math and language arts with an emphasis on problem-based learning. During that time, she was awarded the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.
The Huntsville Botanical Garden features the nation’s largest open-air butterfly house, stunning venues for events, a picture-perfect aquatic garden, spectacular nature trails, numerous specialty gardens – including an interactive children’s garden – and a variety of plant collections.
