Cynthia Hasenau spent 13 years overseeing capital improvements, managing operations, and expanding community engagement as executive director of Mead Botanical Garden. She will end her tenure this summer, leaving a legacy of growth that transformed Winter Park’s “best kept secret” into a local icon.
The 47.6-acre property opened in 1940 and was originally made up of five donated parcels that were deed restricted to remain a garden honoring acclaimed horticulturalist, Theodore Luqueer Mead. It was gifted to the city in the early 1950s when the first management group could no longer continue proper maintenance, and later rescued from neglect by the Winter Park Garden Club. A group of community advocates was enlisted in 2007 to form new master plan for management and program development under the Friends of Mead Garden 501(c)(3). The group began a long term lease and partnership agreement with city in 2012 and was renamed Mead Botanical Gardens, Inc.
Hasenau began volunteering with the group in 2011, spending 10 hours a week helping with administration and project coordination. “I was referred by a few friends in the community,” she told the32789. “I guess they thought it was a fit for my skillset.”
She hails from Tampa, but her family is based in Kansas. “One of my grandfathers was a farmer and the other was head of soil conservation for the state.” She graduated from Kansas State University with dual degrees in business management and journalism/mass communications. She later attended Rollins College, earning a master’s degree in human resource management.
Mead Botanical Garden Board of Trustees Chair, Tom McMacken, first met Hasenau while she was a volunteer. “Cynthia has been the glue that has allowed MBG to evolve from a small friends group to a successful non-profit organization,” he noted in a prepared statement. “Anyone who compares Mead Garden today to what existed 10 years ago would recognize what hard work and dedication can achieve. She leaves the garden with a strong foundation and an exciting future.”
Hasenau’s professional resume includes two years as a training and development specialist at Darden Restaurants and nine years as employee relations, training, and health and safety manager for the Orlando Sentinel. She also served six years at Rollins, devoting three years as director for the Center for Lifelong Education & Corporate Learning Institute, and three years as director of management and executive education at Crummer School of Business.
Mead Garden features a balance between an Old Florida nature experience and a collection of unique botanical displays. Seeing its potential appeal to a diverse set of interests, Hasenau spearheaded several projects as executive director that include:
- The Legacy Garden tribute to the achievements of Theodore Mead.
- Acquisition of the Azalea Lodge at Mead Garden event venue, created as a revenue stream to support projects and programs.
- Signature community events including The Great Duck Derby, GROWvember Fallfest and Plant Sale, and growth of the Young Naturalist Summer Camp that now serves more than 550 children annually.
- The “Friends of Mead Garden” membership program, providing members with free access to over 345 gardens throughout the country.
Among her favorite endeavors is the expansion of the Young Naturalist Summer Camp Program. Open to ages 5-11, the activities turn the garden into an outdoor classroom where hikes reveal the depth of knowledge within the natural world. The camp began in 2012 as a one-week offering serving 18 students and is now a six-week program serving 548 children with a waiting list of 150. “But it’s not about the numbers, it’s about the impact,” Hasenau said. “The kids learn, the have fun, and the experiences build their confidence and curiosity.”
Mead Botanical Garden is celebrating its 85th anniversary and Hasenau says details on special events and programming are in development. She credits her colleagues and the many volunteers who contribute more than 8,000 hours annually for all the success she has overseen. “This is absolutely not an individual effort, there are many supporters and contributors who make it all possible.”
The Mead Gardens board has formed a search committee to find the next executive director. Hasenau will continue her involvement throughout the transition period and beyond as a volunteer. She sees retirement as an opportunity to travel and spend more time with family, but also wants to see what more can be accomplished under new leadership.
“I’m still having fun and plan on staying active as a volunteer,” she said. “But the anniversary serves is an example of what is possible when you help each other. The land was donated, the hours are volunteered, and so many people came together over all those years to create something wonderful.”