Honorary Director
Dena Wild’s career as a city planner and urban designer spanned 35 years. She worked in cities across the country, using design to help preserve the character of traditional neighborhoods and commercial districts. During her tenure with the City of Orlando, Dena served as Chief Planner for Urban Design, where she oversaw both the public art and historic preservation programs. She also taught urban design as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida. Dena holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon.
Upon retirement, Dena shifted her focus from urban design to urban horticulture. She is actively involved in educating the community about all aspects of home horticulture through the Orange County Master Gardener Volunteer program, giving talks and leading gardening classes. In addition to being a Master Gardener Volunteer, Dena also serves as a docent for the Orlando Museum of Art and volunteers with IDignity.
She previously served as Secretary and Chair of the Florida Wildflower Foundation.
In her free time, Dena enjoys maintaining her lawn-free yard (which includes many natives plants), traveling and reading a good book.