EXTON, PA — The leader of one of the world’s preeminent public gardens will soon be inducted into the Chester County Hall of Fame by the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC).
CCEDC is announcing that Longwood Gardens President and Chief Executive Officer Paul B. Redman will be honored on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 before an anticipated audience of more than 400 business leaders. For the first time in CCEDC history, the event will be held at Longwood Gardens, on the heels of the largest expansion in Longwood’s modern history. Sponsorship packages including tickets are available by contacting Tracey Oberholtzer at toberholtzer@ccedcpa.com.
“Paul has executed an amazing transformation that has come to fruition to the benefit of the local community as well as national and international visitors,” said Gary Smith, CCEDC Chief Executive Officer. “Over the last 18 years, Paul has led Longwood Gardens through an extensive transformation, investing $500 million in infrastructure improvements at Longwood, including the most recent $250 million in Longwood Reimagined. Paul’s bold plan has brought exponential prosperity to the county. The economic impact goes far beyond buying a ticket.”
Since 2006, visitors have doubled to almost 1.6 million per year, and membership support has climbed from 17,000 to 81,000 households. Longwood has become a national destination for tourists and botanical enthusiasts alike. Under Redman’s leadership, Longwood Gardens’ recent investments include refurbishing of the Main Fountain Garden, reimagining 17 acres of the core Gardens experience with the new West Conservatory, Cascade Garden, 1906 restaurant and other features, as well as the acquisition of Granogue, a 505-acre property in New Castle County.
Redman graduated from Oklahoma State University and began his career at the Franklin Park Conservatory where he received the Ann Islay Wolfe Award for extraordinary contributions to the organization. This would be the first of many awards during his storied career: 2018 National Garden Clubs Award of Excellence; 2017 Distinguished Alumnus from the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University; 2016 American Public Gardens Association Award of Merit; the International Garden Tourism Network’s 2015 Person of the Year; 2015 American Horticultural Society’s Professional Award; 2014 Wyck Strickland Award; 2014 American Society of Horticultural Science’s Dr. William A. “Tex” Frazier Lecturer.
“Early on I was connected to my passion for horticulture without realizing it could be a career. Longwood Gardens has given me the opportunity to feed that passion,” said Redman. “Chester County and CCEDC have been great partners because they naturally understood the benefits to the community, and their talented staff and expertise were very important to this project. The value they bring to the table helped ensure that the majority of the work contracted for this project stayed within Chester County, which is a key to our ongoing success.”
Redman continues, “The future of Chester County’s business and economic health is a collaborative effort with residents, business owners, county officials and visitors. We knew our community needed this investment and that it would have a long-term return and value. We all have the same notion of what our community can be so there was no question about working together on this expansion.”
Regarding being inducted into the Chester County Hall of Fame, Redman says, “The honor was a total surprise, and I was completely caught off guard. It’s always very humbling to be recognized, and it’s rarely about me. It’s about Longwood and from that perspective, it’s even more special. It’s a recognition of Longwood Gardens and its role in the community.”
Redman is active in advancing the horticulture industry and raising awareness of the important role of public gardens around the globe. He was the founding co-chair of Seed Your Future, a national campaign to promote awareness and careers in horticulture and is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s Board of Directors and PA Gardens. He previously served as board president and treasurer of the America Public Gardens Association.
To join CCEDC’s Chester County Hall of Fame celebration through sponsorship packages and tickets, contact Tracey Oberholtzer at toberholtzer@ccedcpa.com.
Recent Chester County Hall of Fame inductees include Christopher Fiorentino of West Chester University (2024), Patti Brennan of Key Financial, Inc. (2023), Chris Annas of Meridian Bank (2022), James E. McErlane of Lamb McErlane, PC (2021); Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet of Victory Brewing Company (2020); Michael L. Pia of South Mill Champs (2019); Claudia P. Hellebush of United Way of Chester County (2018); Dr. Jerry Parker of Delaware County Community College (2017); W. Thomas Musser of The Tri-M Group, LLC (2016) and more.
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