BELLEVUE BOTANICAL GARDEN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Society Staff Member
- Adult Education Program Manager
- Adult Education, Classes, Webinars
Job Titles:
- Society Staff Member
- Trillium Store Manager
Carolyn Yuen is a finance professional, with a background in the arts, investment banking, and retail. She studied Economics and Art History at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and received an MBA in Corporate Finance and Sustainable Enterprise from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill, NC. Her current role at Amazon brought her to Bellevue after living and working in New York City for over 15 years, while her interests in the outdoors, floral design and sustainability led her to join the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society as a board member. She enjoys trying new recipes, reading, and traveling to art fairs around the world.
Charles Freedenberg has a marketing degree from the University of Illinois and a J.D. degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. For more than six years, he was an attorney in the IRS estate tax division, and went on to an 18-year career in commercial real estate. Charles retired in 1996 and taught himself how to program interactive financial calculators for the web. In 2006, Charles was recruited by Microsoft to write the algorithms for their financial calculators. In addition to his board work, Charles serves on the finance committee. In his free time, he enjoys reading, photography, and playing jazz guitar.
Job Titles:
- Volunteer Program Coordinator
- Volunteer Program Manager
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager
- Marketing & Communications Manager
- Society Staff Member
- Communications & Marketing Website the Buzz Newsletter Online Ticket Sales
Elaine grew up in Yakima, surrounded by those who loved the natural world. She taught elementary school in various places, including Seattle Public Schools. As Head Teacher, Principal, and District Program Manager, she collaborated with parents, and then with district staff, leading scientists, and university science educators. She secured national, regional, and local funding to bring systemic change to how K-5 teachers could access high quality professional development and materials to teach inquiry-based science. The 16-year program earned the KCTS Golden Apple Award in 2001. Elaine likes to snow ski, garden, hike, walk, and participate in the arts.
Genevieve Macdonald is an avid houseplant parent with a love for jungle plants. Originally from the Midwest, Genevieve has been living in the Seattle area for over a decade. An accounting graduate from UW, Genevieve is currently working as a CPA at a local Bellevue firm preparing tax returns. She joined the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society in 2021 and is happy to be helping the gardens.
A Seattle native, Jane graduated from WSU and her first job was as a merchandising trainee at Frederick and Nelson. Her later career path was as a secretary at many organizations - lastly as Corporate Secretary to the president and board of directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle. After retiring, Jane began volunteering at the Trillium Store, which led to becoming a docent and then a BBGS board member. Jane has been cultivating gardens throughout her life, tending to both vegetables and flowers. She remains dedicated to nurturing plants, maintaining a small P-Patch, and using planter boxes on her patio.
Job Titles:
- Youth & Children 's Programs Manager
- Youth Education, Living Lab
Job Titles:
- Membership and Donor Development
- Membership and Donor Development Associate
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Product Leader With over 10 Years' Experience at Amazon
Kathryn Carlson is an omnichannel product leader with over 10 years' experience at Amazon. She has a BA in Business Administration from Seattle Pacific University. She is a native of Kirkland, where she still lives today with her husband, Tim, and miniature goldendoodle, Mr. Darcy. She is an avid gardener and particularly loves growing dahlias and English roses, and is passionate about sharing her hobby with others. She also enjoys traveling, reading, and baking.
Job Titles:
- Grounds Staff Member
- Office Assistant
Sara Hutton was born and raised in Northwest Indiana, but decided to head out west to go to school. She got her B.B.A. in Accounting and M.S. in Taxation from Gonzaga University, and then went on to get her CPA license. She currently works at Moss Adams as a tax senior. She moved to Western Washington during the pandemic, and frequented the Garden a lot during her free time when everything else was closed.
Tere Kaulfus grew up in Houston, Texas. She has also lived in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Massachusetts, before settling in the Pacific Northwest in 2014. A mother of three, Tere retired from her work as a physical therapist to devote more time to her kids, as well as assume leadership roles in various organizations. In 2020, she joined the Board of Directors of the Northwest Perennial Alliance, where she is currently serving as President. Tere loves volunteering at BBG, where she trained as a docent, leads the volunteer team at the NPA Perennial Border, and manages the NPA Plant Stand. Additionally, she enjoys working in her home garden, touring NPA Open Gardens and public gardens, creating delicious vegan food, and traveling & relaxing with friends and her husband, Daniel.
Tracy Botsford is a native of Seattle and attended WSU. After working for over 25 years in the tech industry, Tracy retired from Microsoft and completed the Environmental Horticulture program at Lake Washington Technical College. This spawned a second career as garden coach and landscape designer. Tracy joined the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society as a docent in 2017 and has lead the docent community the past two years. When not in the garden, you'll find Tracy traveling with her husband, Chuck, and son, Charlie, spending time with family and friends, cooking, reading, walking, playing sports, and cheering on her favorite sports teams.