Garden Leadership
Our Team
Executive Team
Robert Price
Email: robert@vbgardens.org
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Jesús Reyes
Email: jesusr@vbgardens.org
Jesús Reyes is originally from the small town of El Tuito, where he grew up with a deep love for the local ecosystems and a profound knowledge of endemic biodiversity. He joined the Vallarta Botanical Garden as a co-founder in 2005, while still a university student and even before it opened to the public. For the past 20 years, Jesús has held virtually every position within the Gardens and beyond. Today, he is Chairman of the Board, CEO, and COO, working with both the non-profit organization and its for-profit businesses. In 2024, he received the Marsh Award for International Plant Conservation, reflecting his expertise and his unique role in advancing the Vallarta Botanical Garden’s propagation laboratory and in-situ conservation projects.
Co-Founder and Chief
Operating Officer
María Fernanda Reyes
Email: mariar@vbgardens.org
Originally from the picturesque town of El Tuito Jalisco, located 20 minutes from the Botanical Garden, Maria holds a law degree as well as a diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms from Puerto Vallarta, and is currently pursuing a master’s in Business Management from Anáhuac University. She has worked at the Garden since she was just 17 years old and has been witness to many positive changes and growth over the years. She is also the mother of two boys and devotes her free time to charity in her community and the well-being of the most vulnerable people.
Dr. Cristóbal Sánchez
Email: cristobals@vbgardens.org
Cristóbal is a biologist with a master’s degree in botany, and doctorate in forestry sciences from the Colegio de Postgraduados at UNAM, Mexico City. He is an active member of the Botanical Society of Mexico and the current Vice President of the Latin American Botanical Association. In his role at VBG he coordinates research and conservation projects for native plants and oversees the Department of Botany and Education.
Departmental Leads
Esthefanía Beltrán
Email: esthefaniab@vbgardens.org
Originally from Guasave, Sinaloa, Sthef has over eight years of experience in strategy, branding, and digital communications. She has called Puerto Vallarta her home since 2021, and today she leads the Marketing and Communications Department at the Vallarta Botanical Garden, guiding projects that celebrate the Garden’s identity and commitment to conservation and sustainable tourism.
Director of Marketing and Communications
Andres Hernandez
Born in El Venado, Ruiz, Nayarit in 1970. I started working in the fields at age 10 and entered hospitality at 15 as a steward at Hotel Las Palmas, then progressed to waiter roles. I worked nearly 7 years at the Sheraton, 6 years at Mayan Palace (pool waiter), 4 years in banquets at Villa del Palmar, and 4 years at Le Bistro as a gourmet waiter. I spent 5 years at Secrets organizing romantic dinners, later managed bar and beach activities for Vallarta Adventures at Las Caletas. I am currently Food & Beverage Manager at Hacienda de Oro in the Botanical Garden.
Christopher Jacobs
Email: christopherj@vbgardens.org
British-born, but now a full-time Mexican resident for 8 over years, Chris has a BA in Modern & Medieval Languages (French and Spanish of course!) from the University of Cambridge. This is what brought him to Mexico for the first time in 2005. Chris’s professional career has spanned events management, marketing, book publishing and, since 2013, fundraising in the non-profit sector, both in Puerto Vallarta and London. He is passionate about disability rights and climate issues and feels particularly strongly about conserving the natural beauty and biodiversity of the corner of Mexico he now calls home.
and Development
Angel Juarez
Email: angelj@vbgardens.org
Miguel Ángel Juárez González was born in 1989 in Tlalnepantla, Mexico, and grew up in El Tuito, Jalisco. Through unwavering dedication and strength, he has built a long-standing career at Vallarta Botanical Gardens since 2007. In 2015, he stepped into a management support role, developing extensive experience in leadership, event coordination, human resources, and operational management. His trajectory reflects resilience, commitment, and a deep sense of purpose within the institution.
Head of HR and Special Events
Evelyn Martinez
Email: evelync@vbgardens.org
A biologist with her degree from the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM), specializing in Natural Resource Management and Experimental Design, Evelyn began her career at an Environmental Management Agency, where she gained experience in environmental impact assessment and ecological modeling, conducting floristic and forest inventories for Land Use Changes in the states of Culiacán, Nayarit, Veracruz, Guanajuato, Monterrey, and Mexico City. Direct contact with the impact models of large-scale projects—such as road, rail, and agricultural works—led her to recognize the urgency of active conservation in the face of the country’s ecological collapse. As a result, she redirected her career toward the direct protection of biodiversity. She currently collaborates with the Vallarta Botanical Garden, dedicating her efforts to resource conservation in the areas of propagation.
Science Advisory Board
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Selene Asiul Barba Bedolla
Andrew
Bunting
Dr. María del Carmen Anaya Corona
University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Dr. Sandra Quijas Fonseca
University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Selene Asiul Barba Bedolla
Andres Hernandez
Email: robert@vbgardens.org
Phone: +52 (322) 223 6182
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Christopher Jacobs
Email: tessa@vbgardens.org
Phone: +52 (322) 223 6182
British-born, but now a full-time Mexican resident for 8 over years, Chris has a BA in Modern & Medieval Languages (French and Spanish of course!) from the University of Cambridge. This is what brought him to Mexico for the first time in 2005. Chris’s professional career has spanned events management, marketing, book publishing and, since 2013, fundraising in the non-profit sector, both in Puerto Vallarta and London. He is passionate about disability rights and climate issues and feels particularly strongly about conserving the natural beauty and biodiversity of the corner of Mexico he now calls home.
and Development
Angel Juarez
Email: robert@vbgardens.org
Phone: +52 (322) 223 6182
Originally from the picturesque town of El Tuito Jalisco, located 20 minutes from the Botanical Garden, Maria holds a law degree as well as a diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms from Puerto Vallarta, and is currently pursuing a master’s in Business Management from Anáhuac University. She has worked at the Garden since she was just 17 years old and has been witness to many positive changes and growth over the years. She is also the mother of two boys and devotes her free time to charity in her community and the well-being of the most vulnerable people.
Dr. Eduardo Ruíz
Sánchez
University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Tim
Thibault
Huntington Botanical Gardens, USA
Dr. Antonio Vázquez García
University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Friends of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens Board of Directors
Friends of VBG is a US-based 501c3 founded to promote the mission of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens and solicit funding to advance the Gardens activities in research, education, and conservation.
Jesús Reyes
President
Meredith Rosenberg
Secretary
Kim Roberts
Kim has known Robert Price for over 30 years; both are originally from Florida. Through him, she developed a deep appreciation for orchids, hummingbirds, and horticulture. She first visited the Gardens in 2004 and served on its inaugural Board. Two decades later, she is honored to return as Treasurer.
Kim lives in Marin County with her husband and frequently travels to Puerto Vallarta to spend time at the Gardens. With a background in medical sales and ongoing volunteer work in Northern California, she brings a strong commitment to governance, financial stewardship, and the continued growth of the Gardens.
Treasurer
Edith Ahern
Edith is a lawyer in the US but mainly retired. She has been active on several boards, including the Newberry Library in Chicago (facilities committee, collections committee, fundraising), the Women’s Board of Rush Hospital (fundraising), Friends of Sulgrave Manor, Sulgrave in the UK (fundraising), the Board of the Montessori School of Lake Forest (President, bylaws chair), and Colonial Dames of America, Washington DC and Chicago (bylaws chair, national codification committee). She has joined the Board of Friends of Vallarta Botanical Garden because it is near and dear to the hearts of her entire family as a place they have all visited and loved and will continue to visit. She has watched the Garden grow into a world class institution and admires its many accomplishments.
Edith is committed to finding a way to make a positive impact through fundraising in the US and to help raise the profile of the Garden among US donors.
Damian Maldonado
Damian Maldonado is the Founder and Chief Strategy Advisor for the Collaborative
Strategies Institute, a bilingual and multicultural consulting organization supporting
education, public health, and nonprofit systems. With over 25 years of experience, Damian leads initiatives focused on strategic planning, leadership development, and equity-centered community engagement. His volunteer work spans youth development, education, community health initiatives, and advocacy for
underserved populations.
Damian is honored to join the PV Botanical Gardens Board to support its mission of conservation, education, and cultural enrichment. He sees the Gardens as a living classroom and community sanctuary that reflects the region’s biodiversity
and rich heritage. Through his role, he hopes to strengthen inclusive community partnerships and promote environmental awareness that benefits both local
residents and visitors.
Ellen Zagoty
Ellen Zagory, MS Plant Science, is a retired horticulturist from Davis, California near
Sacramento. She served at the University of California (UCD) Davis Arboretum and Public
Garden as the Director of Public Horticulture, developing educational programming and
performing outreach for UCD on Sustainable Landscaping, Pollinator Conservation and
Irrigation-Conserving Plants.
Treasurer for the Friends of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens for 16 years, she has recently stepped down but hopes to continue to support the development and support of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens in its efforts toward environmental conservation and education helping people to understand the importance of conserving forests and natural areas and the creatures in them, upon which we all depend.
Pam
Grissom
TJ
Hartung
Nancy
Holland
Lupe Patterson
Robert Price
Cristóbal Sánchez
Carl Timothy
English 
Spanish