JC Raulston Arboretum members. volunteers, and stakeholders are very pleased to announce that Arlene Calhoun has been named Assistant Director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at NCSU.
Arlene has a background as an executive with experience in direct marketing, business operations, and communications with a focus on building revenue streams. After 15 years in the business world, Arlene was ready for new challenges. She began as a volunteer with the JCRA, helping to gather needed data to analyze our rental program and was subsequently hired as the JCRA Volunteer & Membership Coordinator.
In the 18 months she has been at the Arboretum, she has increased memberships by nearly 20%, forged relationships and partnerships with allied groups and business neighbors, and increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the volunteer program.
Traditionally, the Assistant Director at the JCRA has had a plant-focused role, charged in part with developing and curating the collections and gardens. As we move into a new era of funding realities, JCRA staff and the Board of Advisors made the decision that the JCRA would be best served by adding a different skill set than we have had in the past.
With Arlene focusing on marketing, rental development, membership, and non-education events, I will be able to better keep the JCRA fulfilling its mission-oriented goals of developing and evaluating meaningful collections, communicating horticultural information, growing educational services, and expanding research opportunities – the real reasons we are here.
Please join me in congratulating Arlene and welcoming her into this new leadership role at the JC Raulston Arboretum. I am excited by Arlene’s energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge and know she will be a vital part of continuing and growing the Arboretum’s legacy of relevance and impact. Arlene’s official start date is October 20, 2015.
Mark Weathington, Director
JC Raulston Arboretum
mark_weathington@ncsu.edu