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: B.S. Ohio State University; registered landscape architect. Favorite thing at the COF: The orchid collection and Victorian architectural elegance.

	Name: Lau Hodges, Director of Operations and Exhibitions Started at the COF: 2007 Education/certifications: B.A. University of San Francisco; B.A. Universite de Grenoble; Landscape Horticulture, Merritt College. Favorite thing at the COF: Its historic relevance to San Francisco, Golden Gate Park and worldwide plant communities.

	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: B.S. 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: 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. University of Michigan; Floral Design, 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.

	Name: Eric Imperiale, Nursery Specialist Started at the COF: 2007 Primary responsibilities: Highland Tropics gallery, Pleurothallid orchid collection, cool-growing orchids. Education/certifications: B.A. San Francisco State University Favorite thing at the COF: Its aesthetic beauty seamlessly interconnects education and conservation, people and plants, and the past and present.

	Name: Michelle Manzer, Guest Services Manager Started at the COF: October 2006 Education/Certifications: B.A. San Francisco State University Favorite thing about the COF: 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, Special Events and Public Programs Manager Started at the COF: September 2009 Primary responsibilities: Program public events at the Conservatory, manage private rentals of the facility, and keep the community informed via social media and the e-newsletter. Education/certifications: B.S. Washington University in St. Louis; Member, International Special Events Society. Favorite thing at the COF: The way the galleries change throughout the day as the light shifts- suddenly a plant that has been in the shade all morning becomes illuminated, in the afternoon the stained glass paints the Lowlands Gallery in bright colors, and at night the Conservatory transforms into a romantic space filled with shadows and silhouettes.

	Name: Annie Abernethy, Assistant Manager, Special Events and Guest Services Started at the COF: August 2010 Primary responsibilities: Supervise ticket booth, gift shop and special event staff; coordinate with wedding clients and vendors to create a special and seamless celebration. Education/certifications: B.A. Mills College Favorite thing at the COF: It's always changing, and always in bloom. I walk through the building many times a day and love being surprised by a new burst of color or fragrance.

	Name: Eddie Edelson, Development and Membership Associate Started at the COF: September 2010 Primary responsibilities: Manage membership program, assist in fund development initiatives and tracking and cultivation of donors, oversee and run database. Education/certifications: B.A. University of California, Santa Barbara Favorite thing at the COF: There is nothing quite like the Conservatory at night. I love how tranquil, peaceful and mesmerizing the building and plants become during our nighttime events.

	Name: Janet Spellman, Gardener Started at the COF: Spring 2011 Primary responsibilities: Potted Plants gallery, cycad collection, assist with Lowlands and Highlands plant maintenance. Education/certifications: B.F.A University of Oregon; Biology, Cabrillo College; arborist license since 2002. Favorite thing at the COF: The giant and ancient Philodendron in Lowlands. I remember seeing it as a young girl and loved going to the COF as a kid with my family.