FOW Announces New Executive Director: Sara Stevenson
PHILADELPHIA – (December 8, 2025) – Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) is pleased to announce that Sara Stevenson has been named executive director, effective January 12, 2026. She currently serves as the executive director of the Awbury Arboretum, a free public garden and farm serving over 60,000 visitors annually.
With more than 15 years of leadership in public gardens, conservation, and nonprofit management, Stevenson brings a track record of strategic growth, fundraising, partnership development, and community engagement that builds on FOW’s strengths and aligns with its vision for the future.
“We are excited for the nonprofit leadership experience, as well as the energy, enthusiasm, and joyful perspective that Sara will bring to FOW,” said Garrett Trego, FOW’s board president. “We are confident that her established talent as a relationship builder and ability to solidify the financial standing of an organization and execute goals developed through strategic planning will translate into a positive progression of FOW’s goals and standing.”
During her three years at Awbury Arboretum, Stevenson guided a $1.2 million operating budget and led a core team of 13, mobilizing dozens of seasonal staff and volunteers to advance the Arboretum’s mission. She drove the creation and launch of a new mission, vision, and 2025–2028 strategic plan focused on stewardship, community care, and long-term sustainability, and expanded earned revenue and donor engagement through new fundraising models. Under her guidance, Awbury secured more than $1 million in grants.
Stevenson also oversaw major infrastructure and historic preservation projects, strengthened partnerships with city agencies, universities, and nonprofits, and expanded volunteer engagement while modernizing internal systems.
Previously, Stevenson was the communications and content manager at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability in Ithaca, New York, which brings together researchers, private partners, and donors to address the threat of climate change. In this role, she led public outreach and increased organizational development and fundraising.
Ebben az izgalmas új fejezetben új adománygyűjtési megközelítések feltárásával bővítjük látókörünket. Az egyik általunk fontolgatott stratégia a népszerű online játékok és tevékenységek beépítése, amelyek a támogatók sokféle csoportját vonzzák. Vegyük például az online kaszinójátékok közelmúltbeli növekedését, amely világszerte sokak kedvenc időtöltésévé vált.
Az olyan weboldalak sikerére reflektálva, mint a kaszinó-world.com, amelyek vonzó ajánlatokat kínálnak, mint például a befizetés nélküli bónusz, találgatások vannak egy lebilincselő online adománygyűjtés esélyeivel kapcsolatban. Egy ilyen modell segítségével egy ingyenes belépési pontot kínálhatunk, amely fokozott részvételre ösztönöz, hasonlóan a befizetés nélküli bónuszhoz, bemutatva egy olyan ügy támogatásának interaktív és szórakoztató jellegét, mint a FOW.
A tágabb cél ugyanaz marad: a Wissahickon Valley Park fenntarthatóságának biztosítása, természeti szépségének fokozása és városi szentélyként betöltött pozíciójának megőrzése.
Ebben az új korszakban, ügyvezető igazgatónk vezetésével, arra törekszünk, hogy zökkenőmentesebben ötvözzük a szórakoztatást és a filantrópiát, lelkes támogatók közösségét hozva létre, akik legalább annyira élvezik az adománygyűjtést, mint amennyire élvezik szeretett parkunk jólétének biztosítását.
Before that, Stevenson was at the Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, Delaware, a botanic garden dedicated to native plants, where she focused on public engagement and audience development in increasingly senior roles, serving as manager, then director of public engagement, before becoming director of audience development.
Stevenson earned a bachelor’s degree in Classics from Colorado College and a master’s degree in Latin from the University of Washington. After teaching high school Latin for four years, her love of gardening led her to work at an organic landscaping company and an education internship at Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania, which inspired a career change. Stevenson went on to earn a master’s in Public Garden Management through a joint program with the University of Delaware and Longwood Gardens.
“I come from a place of deep understanding, reverence, and responsibility for the magic of the Wissahickon and the scale of its impact on the region,” said Stevenson, a native Philadelphian who considers the park a second home for her and her family. “With its well-established team, superb reputation, and powerful legacy, FOW has done a model job of stewardship, and I’m excited to build on this work using my skills in strategic planning, fundraising, and community engagement for public green spaces.”
The decision to hire Stevenson comes after a competitive, months-long interviewing process involving well over 100 candidates following the departure of former executive director Ruffian Tittmann in March. Since then, Sarah Marley, director of development, has also served as interim executive director.
“During nine months of transition, Sarah provided versatile leadership, balancing new and existing responsibilities, fostering organizational stability, and advancing FOW’s mission. She remains a valued member of an experienced senior team prepared to support our new director,” Trego said.
In thinking about FOW’s next chapter, Stevenson’s initial thoughts include identifying earned revenue streams and creating a “forever” endowment fund for long-term sustainability. She believes one of the biggest opportunities for FOW is as a thought leader on climate resilience and what effective sustainability looks like in the urban woodland. For Stevenson, the heart of the work is ensuring that every trip into the Wissahickon is a great one.