KENNETT SQUARE, PA — Longwood Gardens has appointed three trustees with backgrounds in institutional investment management, corporate marketing and higher education as the Chester County organization oversees an expanded portfolio of nearly 1,700 acres following major capital projects and a property acquisition in the Brandywine Valley.
The appointments of Carol Chan, Avery Stabler and Michael Vaughan, Ph.D., coincide with the departures of Michael Bontrager, Robert McCracken Peck and Margaretta K. Stabler, whose combined service on the board totaled 66 years.
The leadership transition follows a period of expansion that included the Main Fountain Garden Revitalization, the Longwood Reimagined project and the acquisition of Longwood at Granogue, which established Longwood as a multisite organization.
Chan brings institutional investment experience to the board, while Stabler contributes corporate strategy and marketing expertise and Vaughan adds experience in university administration and community partnerships.
All three have previously participated in Longwood’s governance activities. Chan served on the Endowment Investment Committee, while Stabler and Vaughan served as non-trustee members of the organization’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Committee.
Chan is head of investments and chief investment officer for retirement plans at the Inter-American Development Bank Group, where she oversees more than $9 billion in retirement trust assets.
Her responsibilities include investment policy development, portfolio construction, liquidity management, risk oversight and evaluating external investment managers.
Before joining the bank, Chan served as deputy chief investment officer at EY US LLP and held investment management positions at Hewitt Associates and a corporate retirement plan sponsor.
She has also worked in strategic planning and financial management at Fortune 500 companies in the financial services, travel and leisure industries. Chan resides in Rockville, Maryland.
Stabler is a team lead at Walmart Connect, where she oversees media strategy and data-driven marketing initiatives for Unilever brands operating within Walmart’s retail and advertising network.
Previously, she was vice president of corporate development and strategy at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and held senior advertising and partnership positions at Hearst Magazines and Condé Nast.
Stabler resides in Wilmington, Delaware.
Vaughan serves as chief community engagement officer at the University of Delaware, overseeing initiatives that connect the university with community organizations and educational partners.
His responsibilities include leadership of the university’s Community Engagement Initiative, the Delaware State University-University of Delaware Dual Degree Engineering Programs and the Delaware Technical Community College Connected Degree programs.
Vaughan has more than 34 years of academic administrative experience at the University of Delaware.
His previous positions include vice provost for equity and associate dean for engineering undergraduate education. He also holds a secondary faculty appointment as an instructor in the College of Engineering.
Vaughan resides in Newark, Delaware.
“Carol Chan, Avery Stabler, and Michael Vaughan bring valuable expertise in global financial planning, experiential marketing, and academic administration and education outreach,” Longwood Gardens Board Chair Ann C. Rose stated.
The appointments also mark the conclusion of lengthy board tenures that coincided with substantial changes to Longwood’s facilities and property holdings.
Margaretta Stabler, a grandniece of Longwood founder Pierre S. du Pont, served on the board for 38 years.
Longwood President and Chief Executive Officer Paul B. Redman credited the outgoing trustees with helping guide the organization through its major development projects and the Granogue acquisition.
“Their leadership helped guide us through years of transformational growth and mission impact from the Main Fountain Garden Revitalization, to Longwood Reimagined, to the acquisition of Longwood at Granogue,” Redman stated.
The acquisition expanded Longwood’s responsibilities beyond its established Kennett Square property, bringing its total stewardship to nearly 1,700 acres in the Brandywine Valley.
The incoming trustees will participate in governance as Longwood manages those expanded holdings and continues its horticultural, educational and cultural programs.
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