Bok Tower Gardens has hired only the sixth director in its 97-year history.
The attraction in Lake Wales announced the appointment of Miles Arnott to succeed David Price, who has retired after 19 years as president and CEO since 2007. He will begin work on July 6, Price said.
Arnott is vice president of horticulture and conservation at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Bok Tower Gardens said in a news release. In that role, he oversees the institution’s cultivated and natural landscapes and directs horticultural development and maintenance of the sculpture gardens, while leading environmental stewardship efforts of natural areas.
Arnott has more than 20 years of experience in public garden leadership, horticulture, conservation, environmental stewardship, education and nonprofit management, the release said.
Before joining Brookgreen Gardens, he served as executive director of Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in Pennsylvania and held leadership positions with Callaway Gardens in Georgia and the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans.
Arnott holds a bachelor of science degree in biology and environmental studies and a master of science degree in botany and plant ecology from Tulane University.
Joshua C. Webb, chair of Bok Tower Gardens’ board of directors, said the board is “thrilled” to welcome Arnott as Price’s successor.
“Arnott brings more than two decades of experience in the public garden field, and I am confident that his leadership and expertise will be a tremendous asset to the organization and its future,” Webb said in the news release. “His deep commitment to horticultural excellence, conservation, education, and visitor engagement aligns perfectly with the mission and values of Bok Tower Gardens.”
Price, 67, began work at the Lake Wales sanctuary in 1987 as director of horticulture, a position he held for 20 years before his promotion. Price, who has a degree in botany from Clemson University in South Carolina, succeeded Robert P. Sullivan as the fifth director at Bok Tower Gardens.
Price previously said that he told the nonprofit’s board of directors two years ago that he planned to retire in 2026. Price publicly announced his planned departure in January, setting a final day of June 1.
The board of directors initiated a succession planning process and hired Kittleman & Associates, a Chicago-based firm, to assist with the search for a new CEO, Bok Tower Gardens said in a January news release. Price planned to remain as CEO throughout the process “to ensure continuity and a seamless transfer of responsibilities.”
Though June 1 was Price’s final official day as president and CEO, he will return in July to help advise Arnott and share his knowledge of the property and its history. In the interim, Erica Smith, director of business development, will supervise operations, Price said.
Background matches Bok’s mission
Arnott has built a reputation for advancing innovative horticultural programs, strengthening conservation initiatives, fostering community engagement and leading mission-driven organizations, the release said. His experience spans garden planning and management, ecological stewardship, fundraising, environmental education and nonprofit administration.
As president and CEO, Arnott will oversee all aspects of Bok Tower Gardens’ operations, strategic planning, conservation and horticultural initiatives, educational programming, visitor experience and philanthropic efforts.
Price noted a connection between himself and Arnott. As a child living in Charleston, South Carolina, Price visited Brookgreen Gardens with his parents.
“I was enthralled by sculpture and gardening, and I said, ‘One day, I want to be a sculptor, and I want to work in a garden like this,’” Price said. “And so, Brookgreen was the garden that kind of got me on the trajectory of art and plants, so quite a connection there.”
That experience, complete with a tour of the sculpture garden, helped ignite his desire to work in botany and to become an artist. He is now an accomplished sculptor.
One of Florida’s oldest remaining tourist attractions, Bok Tower Gardens opened on Feb. 1, 1929, with a dedication ceremony attended by President Calvin Coolidge. Edward Bok, an editor, author and philanthropist, conceived the idea of the botanical haven and its signature “Singing Tower.”
Bok Tower Gardens, situated along the elevated terrain of the Lake Wales Ridge, encompasses about 80 acres and contains a mixture of native ecosystems and exotic plant species. The greenery encircles the Singing Tower, a 205-foot carillon structure and the source of daily music recitals.
The property was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1993.
Bok Tower Gardens manages about 850 acres, Price said, including land protected under conservation easements or shared with Green Horizon Land Trust. The attraction has the equivalent of about 100 full-time employees and an annual budget of roughly $10.2 million, Price said.
Price and his wife, Catherine Price, will split time between Lake Wales and a home in the mountains of North Carolina.
Price said he was having lunch outside with Smith on his final day when he noticed the usual sounds of wildlife.
“And for some reason, the birds came down — it was red-bellied woodpecker and blue jays,” he said. “It was a family of blue jays, so the babies, and one of them flew down onto the chair next to me. And then a squirrel came up on the chair next to me and was looking at me. And it’s like, I thought they all came down to say goodbye.”
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Bok Tower Gardens chooses Miles Arnott as its next leader
Reporting by Gary White, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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