New York institutions from the Guggenheim Museum to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx were the proving ground for Jennifer Rominiecki’s career. Now she comes to Sarasota as the new president and CEO for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and looks forward to bringing her leadership skills to a waterfront cultural attraction.

“The location is really special, being right on the Bayfront,” Rominiecki said of Selby Gardens. “You don’t see that in other gardens—you don’t have that in the Bronx—so the location is very special and the collections are quite spectacular. I’m so impressed with the plant research and conservation efforts of the scientific team. The excellent international-level plant research is pretty spectacular and I'm thrilled to be a part of that organization.”

Rominiecki was announced Monday as the new leader for Selby Gardens, succeeding Thomas Buchter, who retired from the CEO post in October after five years on the job. Buchter’s accomplishments included the opening of the Children’s Rainforest Garden and growth of the gardens amid a backdrop of a recession. Now, Selby Gardens chairwoman Cathy Layton said new leadership will have a great deal of leadership work ahead, including the creation of a master strategic plan. 

Rominiecki’s strength lay in the field of fundraising; she notably spearheaded a $479-million fundraising campaign for the New York Botanical Garden. The new CEO leaves the New York garden after holding various positions in that organization over the past 15 years, most recently vice president for Institutional Advancement. Before that, she also worked with such New York institutions as the Guggenheim and The Metropolitan Opera.

It took another cultural powerhouse community like Sarasota to attract Rominiecki to move her family away from the Big Apple. She will move her, along with her husband and two school-age children, over the next two months and start in her new post on Feb. 9.