Delaware Botanic Gardens adds two new leaders
Sheryl Swed, DBG executive director, said, “I have had the honor to work daily with these two accomplished leaders who are seasoned in both the private and nonprofit sectors. They both bring to DBG a new spirit of innovation and passion for this legacy public garden.”
Watchorn has served as corporate treasurer for the past year. He now joins the board. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA, and has graduate-level education in information systems and logistics management. He is also a certified public accountant. Watchorn served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force where he worked in the logistics management career field. Since retiring, Watchorn has provided pro bono services for a medium-sized nonprofit organization helping it improve its business planning and operating capabilities. Since moving to the Ocean View area, he has volunteered for the AARP Tax-Aide program, and he has served as treasurer for the community association where he lives. He is also actively serving in his church.
Bason worked in information technology for Blue Cross Blue Shield for 25 years. After that, he worked in the commercial software industry where he managed the development of state-of-the-art software systems for large corporations. When the internet boom arrived in the mid-1990s, he joined several internet startups as vice president of software development where he gained invaluable insights into the rigors of how strategic decision-making evolves in early-stage business entities. Since retiring, he has provided his technology skills gratis to many not-for-profit organizations, and for the past year, he has managed the Delaware Botanic Gardens website and back-office applications.
These new leaders join the board at a critical time as DBG celebrates the completion of the Piet Oudolf Meadow, and prepares to hold a fundraising dinner party for the first time at the DBG site in Dagsboro.
The dinner will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 6. Tickets are $200 ($90 tax-deductible) and are on sale at www.delawaregardens.org; click on Events. There is an Epicurean Dinner by SoDel Concepts, Fine Wines & Bourbon Tasting by Banks Wines & Spirits, and Beer & Seasonal Cocktails by Dogfish Head Brewery. Dinner is under a big tent by Coastal Tented Events.
The mission of the Delaware Botanic Gardens is to create an inspirational, educational, and sustainable public garden in Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all. The Delaware Botanic Gardens celebrates the coastal plain with a sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors, and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscape.
For further information on Delaware Botanic Gardens, go to www.delawaregardens.org.
