JENNIFER O. ROMINIECKI

PRESIDENT & CEO, MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS, SARASOTA

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a nonprofit organization that provides 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature and regional history on two campuses. It has 90 employees, 800 volunteers and a world-renowned collection of orchids. Rominiecki joined as President and CEO in 2015. She has implemented a master site plan for which $115 million has been raised from private philanthropy. Phase one includes the first net positive energy botanical garden complex in the world. Groundbreaking on the second phase, which will consist of a first-of-its-kind hurricane-resilient conservatory for 20,000 research plants, was scheduled for fall 2025.

EDUCATION: Lafayette College (BA)

FIRST JOB: A carnival wheel operator on the Jersey Shore boardwalk at Seaside. I think it helped me develop my people skills. I can talk to anyone!

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I would choose to pluck a rare talent that could be incorporated into a career, specifically as an artist who paints large-scale canvases. Art has the power to move people, challenge perspectives and bring beauty into everyday life.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: My husband, two sons and I are big sci-fi fans. We love all things Star Wars and have masqueraded as different characters for Halloween. I always want to be Princess Leia — but have also been Han Solo in carbonite. In addition, we have a family tradition of binge watching the annual New Year’s Day marathon of The Twilight Zone on the Sci Fi Channel.

HOBBIES: My favorite pastime is swimming in the Gulf and spending time at the beach, so I love collecting seashells. There's no need to go far, we already live in paradise! My favorite shell-collecting spot is on Longboat Key — such a magnificent beach community.