Horticultural Society President Drew Becher Resigns

Photo from @PHS_Gardening on Twitter

Drew Becher, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society since 2010, is leaving the post to join his partner in San Francisco.

The announcement came on Tuesday, and the resignation takes effect June 1st. 

“I am extremely proud of the accomplishments we’ve achieved over the past five years,” Becher said in a statement. “While there is still much more to do for our city and region, the PHS tradition of building beauty and community will certainly attract excellent new leadership to expand the role of PHS.”

Among those accomplishments: Growing PHS membership from 20,000 to 75,000, originating the summertime “pop-up gardens” that have become so popular; and the attraction of $4 million in grant funding to support PHS activities.

“Under Drew’s leadership, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has thrived, evolving to meet the changing needs of the region,” said Margaret Sadler, chair of the PHS Board.

In a March interview with Philly Mag, Becher seemed to have his eye on other locales:

“My wardrobe consists primarily of … clothes purchased in London. The clothes I buy there seem to fit me better. We go there a lot — we lived there for three years — and I go with a very empty suitcase.”

“Last year I went to Singapore, which is an absolutely unbelievable place. It was so overwhelming. So lush. So green. So clean. Even the subway system is pristine.”

Becher’s partner, Eric Lochner, has accepted the position of president and CEO of Achievers, a cloud-based “employee success platform” company located in California.