Beth Gullette is a consulting psychologist and human resources leader with 30 years of experience spanning people operations, organizational consulting, executive coaching, applied psychology, and research. She currently serves as Chief People Officer at Well, a health tech company, where she has built and led the HR function since the company’s founding stage in 2019. We’re thrilled to have Beth on our Board of Trustees, her experience in leadership and organizational development is incredibly valuable to our organization as we continue to grow. Read our Q&A with Beth below to learn more about her background, how her personal interests align with our work, why she thinks greenspaces are crucial to our health, and more.
Q. When and how did you learn about the work Capital Trees does throughout RVA?
A. Interestingly, before even moving to Richmond in late 2021, I came across a video of the Low Line Gardens project in my exploration and research of native plants, a very amateur hobby. At the time, I wasn’t paying attention to the group behind the project, just the amazing garden and plants. Then, when I moved to Richmond, I reached out to Leadership Metro Richmond’s Board Concierge service to explore opportunities to get involved in the community. Based on my interests, values and skills, they presented Capital Trees to me. The mission resonated immediately, of course, but when I found out Capital Trees was the driving force behind the Low Line Gardens and Green, I felt like fate was at play.
Q. What inspired you to want to be on the Capital Trees Board?
A. The organization’s mission, track record and people! I’m a clinical psychologist by training and am firmly convinced, by both the empirical evidence and my own experience, that connection to natural spaces, beauty and seasonal change is fundamental to our physical, mental and social health. Every person and every community should have easy access to and a sense of belonging in such spaces. I wanted to do what I could to support Capital Trees’ work to make this happen in the Richmond area.
Q. What skill set, knowledge, professional experience, or unique perspective do you bring to the Board?
A. My work in Human Resources provides a very practical set of skills and experience, such as policy development, that fits well with the needs of the Governance Committee, in particular. I’ve also worked in leadership and organizational development for many years, which gives a nice foundation in facilitating healthy discussion and processes. More personally, I’m passionate about native plants, biodiversity and human-ecology connection.
Q. If you have a board role, why did you take on that position?
A. I currently chair our Governance Committee and, as such, sit on the Executive Committee. I took on Governance based on my professional experience and the needs of the organization at the time to get some policies and procedures in place that I had familiarity with.
Q. In your own words, why do you think urban greenspaces are a vital resource?
A. As I noted previously, I believe it is critical for humans to be in relationship with nature. The opportunity for fresh air, sunshine, clean water, and exercise are obvious. More subtle to our wellbeing, especially in our over-stimulating and disconnected era, are things like seeing natural processes unfold over time; witnessing synergistic relationships such as between bees and flowers; observing non-transactional, non-consumer phenomena; and just having a place to be at rest.
Q. What Capital Trees contribution or project are you most proud of or excited about?
A. It’s impossible not to be amazed and overjoyed at the Low Line. What a gift to the city! More recently, though, and happening during my own tenure on the board, is the awesome Hotchkiss Green project. As described on the Capital Trees website, this project is transforming “two acres of treeless turf at the Hotchkiss Field Community Center in Richmond’s northside into the Hotchkiss Green – an inviting urban landscape that includes walking trails, seating areas, shade trees, a pollinator garden, and native shrubs and perennials.” This transformed greenspace has been designed in collaboration with local residents to really meet their needs and make their vision of “a restorative space to connect with nature and neighbors” a reality. That’s just beautiful.
Q. What should more people know about Capital Trees?
A. People should know about all of Capital Trees’ very special projects and the fact that these projects take financial support and volunteer labor, especially in light of the organization’s commitment to maintain all spaces that it installs. This ongoing stewardship is a heavy lift, but many hands can make light work.
Q. What are you most looking forward to in the next year or over your Board Term?
A. Spring! While I find a great deal of beauty in the winter landscape, I can’t wait to see everything bursting back into life at our various greenspaces, such as the Low Line and Great Shiplock Park. But most of all, I’m super excited for the eventual completion of Hotchkiss Green.
Q. How do you foresee the organization transforming in the coming years?
A. As awareness of the visionary, high quality, collaborative work of Capital Trees grows, trust in the organization as a leader in transformation and stewardship of greenspaces in and around Richmond will grow and so too will our number and scope of projects. This will require more financial support, more staff, more dedicated board members and advisors, and more connections with civic and government partners. Most important, in my vision, will be the emergence of Capital Trees as a respected leader in the effort to redress past neglect of many communities, in terms of access to natural beauty and greenspace, and in bringing more ecological equity to the region.
Q. What’s your favorite plant/plot/project of Capital Trees?
A. I could never name just one favorite plant! I love the River Birches, the Redbuds and the new Fringe Trees at the Low Line; I love the Beautyberry and adore the Winterberry; I really love the grasses – Muhly Grass, Switchgrass and Dropseed; but maybe most of all, I love the humble ferns; and then there are all the perennials!
Q. What is your favorite public landscape/greenspace?
A. Again, I can’t name a favorite! I grew up in the Washington, DC area and never got tired of driving over the Potomac River from Arlington and viewing the breathtaking juxtaposition of shining white memorials and monuments with the natural beauty of the river and the gorgeous George Washington Memorial Parkway – what great design! I then spent 30 years in North Carolina and similarly never tired of any view along the Blue Ridge Parkway or along the coast, whether the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge or the 220,000 acres of salt marshes. I love the tucked away North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill and I love the Carolina North forest, also in Chapel Hill, with its miles of running and walking trails, blanketed by pine needles. Of course, since moving to Richmond, I’ve come to love the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Maymont, the James River Park System, and Pocahontas State Park. Not to mention the spectacular national parks out west!
