Staff

	Name: Brent Dennis, Director Started at the COF: June 2007 Primary responsibilities: Primary spokesperson and community connection for the Conservatory, financial management, staff and volunteer motivator and fund development Education/certifications: BS in landscape architecture from Ohio State University, registered landscape architect Favorite thing at the COF: The orchid collection and Victorian architectural elegance
	Name: Jane Scurich, Director of Development Started at the COF: 2007 Primary responsibilities: Manage fund development initiatives and membership program, collaborate with dedicated volunteers to plan fabulous events, coordinate foundation grant proposals, cultivate corporate sponsors and business partnerships. Education/certifications: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Marin County Master Gardener, Association of Fundraising Professionals Favorite thing at the COF: Whatever is in bloom at the moment. My favorite moment is when the Clerodendrum thomsoniae (Tropical Bleeding Heart) is in bloom.
	Name: Dolores Gebhardt, Director of Education Started at the COF: 2008 Primary responsibilities: To expand and develop docent programs for visiting students, children and adults; and to develop an in-depth interpretation of the Conservatory's permanent plant collection, with an emphasis on regional and global adaptations, conservation and diversity. Education/certifications: B.A. from San Francisco State University, MBA program in finance from the University of San Francisco, UCCE/UCD Marin Master Gardener (multiple advanced training certifications), UCD National Plant Diagnosis Network, and California Academy of Sciences. Favorite thing at the COF: Its magnificent beauty!
	Name: Eric Imperiale, Nursery Specialist Started at the COF: 2007 Primary responsibilities: Highland Tropics gallery, Pleurothallid orchid collection, cool-growing orchids, special exhibit gallery Education/certifications: B.A. from San Francisco State University Favorite thing at the COF: One of my favorite things about the Conservatory of Flowers is the way in which its aesthetic beauty seamlessly interconnects education and conservation, people and plants, and the past and present.
	Name: Lau Hodges, Guest Services Manager Started at the COF: 2007 Primary responsibilities: To supervise the guest services team, manage tour scheduling and reservations, and assist events Education/certifications: B.A. from the University of San Francisco; B.A. from Universite de Grenoble; Merritt College, Landscape Horticulture Favorite thing at the COF: Historic relevance to San Francisco, Golden Gate Park and world wide plant communities
	Name: Michelle Manzer, Assistant Guest Services Manager Started at the COF: October 2006 Primary responsibilities: To oversee the Guest Services Staff, to manage, arrange and buy for the Gift Shop, to edit and maintain the web site, and to aid all other staff members as necessary. Education/Certifications: B.A. San Francisco State University Favorite thing about the COF: My favorite thing about the Conservatory is, no matter how many times I’ve walked through the building, when I walk through the vestibule into the Lowland tropics gallery, I still become awestruck by the lush tropical landscape.
	Name: Morgan Davis, Event Planning and Program Coordinator Started at the COF: September 2009 Primary responsibilities: I program special events at the Conservatory, and manage weddings and private rentals of the facility. I enjoy making sure every event at the Conservatory will be beautiful and unique, incorporating the natural beauty of the museum and its galleries to create a charming and romantic or spectacular and blooming event! I’m also the resident social (media) butterfly: keeping the community informed via the newsletter and social media interactions! Education/certifications: BS in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, Memberships: International Special Events Society Favorite thing at the COF: I enjoy the interaction between the plants and the architecture- and I love the way the galleries change through out the day as the lights shifts and suddenly a plant that has been in the shade all morning becomes illuminated, or in the afternoon, how the stained glass casts paints the Lowland Galleries in bright colors. I especially love the Conservatory at night – when it transforms into a romantic space, filled with shadows and silhouettes.
	Name: Erika Frank, Director of Volunteer Services Started at the COF: 2010 Primary responsibilities: Recruiting, scheduling, and providing educational opportunities for volunteers. Education/Certifications: B.F.A. from the University of Michigan. Studying Floral Design at City College of San Francisco. Favorite thing at the COF: The smell! The intoxicating nectar of the citrus blossoms during Lunar New year and the fragrant orchids in the Highlands Gallery take me on a trip to the tropics each time I enter the Conservatory's galleries.