Duke University has named Grace Elton as the next executive director of Sarah P. Duke Gardens, effective Jan. 1, 2027. Elton will succeed Bill LeFevre, who is retiring after 19 years.
Elton joins Duke Gardens from New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston, Mass., where she has served as CEO for nine years. During her tenure, she grew the garden’s annual budget by 78%, visitation by 81% and membership by 47%, while leading a more than $31 million comprehensive capital campaign supporting a new children’s garden, accessibility and infrastructure improvements, expanded acreage and endowment growth.
A leader in public horticulture, Elton previously held positions at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. She holds a master’s degree in public horticulture and museum studies from the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware and a bachelor’s degree in environmental horticulture from the University of Florida.
“I am thrilled to join Duke Gardens and the Duke University community,” Elton said. “Duke Gardens has an extraordinary history and an exciting future, and I am honored to have the opportunity to help lead this remarkable institution.”
Elton said the recently completed Garden Gateway creates new opportunities to welcome visitors, expand learning and engagement, and strengthen the Gardens’ role as a resource for Duke and the broader community. “I am especially excited to work with the talented Gardens team and our many partners to build on that momentum while honoring the legacy and character of this extraordinary garden,” she said.
Elton will join the Duke Gardens team on January 1.
Visit gardens.duke.edu to learn more about this next chapter at Duke Gardens.
Photo: Grace Elton in the Cottage Garden at New England Botanic Garden. Photo by Troy B. Thompson Photography.
