Jane G. Pepper

President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Jane G. Pepper took over the reins of the180-year-old Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 1981. In her role as president, she oversees the Society’s activities and programs, including the renowned Philadelphia Flower Show and Philadelphia Green, a national model for neighborhood revitalization. Under Pepper’s guidance, the organization has become a leading voice in regional greening initiatives.

AT THE SHOW. . .
            The Philadelphia Flower Show has achieved national and international stature during Pepper’s tenure. It is the largest and most prestigious indoor flower show in the world, and enjoys an unprecedented level of participation and attention. The Show plays host each year to more than a quarter million visitors from around the country and overseas.

AT THE SOCIETY. . .
The Society’s programs and activities have seen tremendous growth under Pepper’s leadership. Nearly 16,000 members enjoy a variety of benefits, including the award-winning Green Scene magazine, a 14,000-volume horticultural library, garden tours, lectures, workshops and awards programs.
            In addition, the Society’s acclaimed neighborhood and public landscape greening program, Philadelphia Green, has grown extensively over the past decade. Philadelphia Green coordinates greening projects with organized community groups on blocks in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and revitalizes downtown areas and gateway open spaces in partnership with public and private organizations. More than five million square feet of vacant urban land has been reclaimed and revived so far. Today, Philadelphia Green is the nation’s largest such program and serves as a model for similar programs throughout the United States.

EDUCATION. . .
            Prior to her position with PHS, Pepper, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, was Horticulturist at Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania. She holds a Master of Science degree in Public Horticulture Administration from the Longwood Graduate Program and a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Science from the University of Delaware. She also has an Associate of Science degree in Landscape Design from Temple University.

SHE CAN ALSO BE FOUND. . .
            A Fellow of the Garden Writers Association of America, Pepper authored her first book in 1997, Jane Pepper’s Garden: Getting the Most Pleasure and Growing Results From Your Garden Every Month of the Year. Camino Books is the publisher.
            Pepper is a director of the PNC Financial Services Group; a member of the Board of Directors of the First Hospital Foundation, the Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; and chair of the Selections Committee for the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships Philadelphia International Leadership Initiative. She is also a trustee of Longwood Gardens, Inc.

AWARDS. . .