Chief Marketing Officer, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS)

Posted by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society on November 3, 2020

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) seeks a transformative Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to build its brand as a social impact leader in the Greater Philadelphia Region and grow revenue. This is an incredible opportunity for a proven marketing leader to significantly impact the health of this region by increasing awareness and support for PHS.

PHS is an internationally recognized not-for-profit that uses horticulture to advance the health and wellbeing of the Greater Philadelphia Region. Founded in 1827, PHS today deploys horticulture-driven solutions that address four impact priorities: healthy living environments, strong social connections, access to fresh food, and access to economic opportunity.

PHS is a community of hundreds of thousands of people and organizations who invest their money, time, expertise, and gardens into PHS’s cause. Together, we work in 250 neighborhoods; operate a free-to-all network of public gardens and landscapes; inspire and empower gardeners; and produce the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. Check out the website for a map of program activities and a recent annual report.

In 2019, PHS adopted Vision 2027, a new vision and strategy that focuses PHS on health and wellbeing through PHS’s bicentennial in 2027. To achieve Vision 2027, PHS must align all its work around advancing the impact priorities, expanding and activating PHS’s support community, and becoming more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We must also more vocally advocate for horticulture’s role in addressing health needs and inequities.

Health challenges and inequities are real. In the City of Philadelphia, male life expectancy varies by neighborhood ranges from 63.9 to 82.0 years; poor mental health from 8.5-22.7%; and violent crime from 14.1 to 244.9 per 10,000 people. Horticulture is a proven, affordable way to address these challenges. For example, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that PHS’s approach to cleaning and greening vacant lots cuts gun violence by 29% and feelings of depression by 41.5% – at a maintenance cost of $180 per lot per year.

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) owns PHS’s brand, internal and external communications, marketing and sales for programs and events, audience research and development, and customer experience. The CMO is directly responsible for $7-7.5m in Flower Show sales and shares responsibility with other leaders across the organization for all revenue and other inbound resources (e.g., volunteers, in-kind services, strategic partnerships, etc.). The CMO plays a leadership role in identifying, planning, and executing revenue and audience growth opportunities. This includes expanding PHS’s reach to multicultural audiences, planning the growth of programs, and planning new events and activities.

The CMO will play a critical role in solving the greatest strategic challenge facing PHS – growing PHS’s revenue to allow us to sustain existing activities and fuel growth. To grow revenue, PHS is focused on building membership, increasing philanthropy, and introducing a new major event. The CMO will also help drive other strategic priorities, including: achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion goals; expanding programs to increase impact; tying the Philadelphia Flower Show more closely to the impact priorities; designing and launching a new major event; and increasing PHS’s presence in the horticulture industry.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has retained Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC to facilitate this executive recruitment. Please send confidential inquiries and applications directly to Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC via e-mail at PHS-CMO@glfreeman.com.