Management at the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt
Several changes in management have recently taken place at the Bonsai Garden at Lake
Merritt (BGLM).
DIRECTOR
The new Director of the BGLM is Suzanne Muller. Suzanne formerly was Assistant Director and
succeeds Gordon Deeg. As Assistant Director, Suzanne began the transition to becoming
Director in November 2023, training under Gordon and working closely with the volunteers in
specific operational areas (finance, security, water system, etc.)
The Director’s responsibilities will continue to include overseeing infrastructure (security, water
system, etc.), finances (fundraising, relationships and grant writing with corporate and
foundation donors), scheduled events (Mammoth, Moon Viewing). Going forward, Suzanne will
increase BGLM’s engagement with local bonsai clubs, communicate on a regular basis with
garden volunteers, and work to improve the on-boarding process for new volunteers. Suzanne
will manage facilities improvements, ranging from more informative and attractive tree
description placards to improvements to the physical plant.
CURATOR
The new Curator of the BGLM is Gordon Deeg, who was the Director of BGLM from 2018 to
November 2024. Gordon’s responsibilities as Curator will continue to include managing the care
and maintenance of the garden’s tree collection, tracking and keeping a record of work done by
other volunteers and maintaining a development plan and a record of work done on each tree.
Going forward, Gordon will focus especially on training opportunities for both experienced and
new volunteers. He will work closely with the team of Assistant Curators, who, after acquiring
bonsai experience over a specified number of years, may participate in a BGLM education
program that will offer instruction by well-known professional bonsai artists. For inexperienced
volunteers, Gordon will make available training in specific areas of tree care such as repotting,
fertilization, watering, and defoliation. Gordon will seek the team’s input on their goals as
volunteers, as well as their current work schedule, their ideas for garden improvements, and
their developing expertise.
Areas of overlapping responsibilities which the Director and the Curator will share include the
accession, deaccession, and loan of trees, selecting trees for exhibit at shows, improvements to
the tree displays, allocation of resources to special projects as needed, garden landscaping,
and the overall state of the garden.
The position of Curator was previously held by Gary Tom. Gary ended his work and affiliation
with the garden in November 2024, at which time his responsibilities were taken on by Gordon.
With Gordon’s transition from Director to Curator, Suzanne took on the role of Director.
It is appropriate here to take note of Gary Tom’s decades of work in maintaining and improving
the garden. Gary’s commitment to BGLM began long before he became Curator. That the
garden is currently in very good shape, with so many healthy and beautiful trees, is a testament
to his dedication and skill. Our expressions of gratitude cannot encompass all of Gary’s
contributions. We wish him success in his future endeavors.
