SARASOTA, FL., August 17, 2026 – The Board of Trustees of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has elected four new members to their governing body. Healthcare professional and educator Sondra Biller, radiologist Richard Mones, M.D., conservationist Elizabeth Moore, and academic physician Gail Morrison Morganroth, M.D., will each serve a three-year term on the Board of Trustees during which they will help guide the strategic vision for the future of the institution. Their terms began in July.
Sondra Biller holds a B.A. and Master of Public Policy from the University of Texas at Austin. A Registered Nurse by training, she served as a Clinical Educator and Nurse Manager at the University of North Carolina Medical Center before continuing her healthcare career in the Chicago area. Now retired in Sarasota, Sondra is an active supporter of the region’s arts and cultural community, serving on several non-profit boards. She and her husband, Gerald, enjoy traveling and spending summers in Chicago exploring its museums and theater scene.
Richard Mones, M.D., earned his B.S. from Franklin & Marshall College and his M.D. from Temple University, completing his radiology training and fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Following service in the U.S. Air Force, he built a distinguished career in diagnostic radiology. Since retiring to Sarasota in 2014 with his wife, Pamela, Dr. Mones has become an active member of the local arts community. A longtime art collector, he co-founded 502 Gallery in Burns Court to showcase the work of local artists. He and Pamela have two children and two grandchildren.
Elizabeth Moore earned her B.A. from Denison University and her M.A. from American University. A committed philanthropist, conservationist, and community leader, she serves on several boards and is especially passionate about our natural world, arts and culture, environmental stewardship, and expanding opportunities for others. Through her leadership and generosity, she has helped organizations pursue ambitious goals and create lasting impact. Elizabeth is also the owner of MooreBlissFarm, a regenerative urban farm, and Triangle Ranch, a working cattle ranch protected by a conservation easement safeguarding its watershed and wildlife habitat. An avid tennis enthusiast, she is the Title Sponsor and Co-Owner of the Sarasota Tennis Open Tournament.
Gail Morrison Morganroth, M.D., has had a 50-year career as an academic physician at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, involved in clinical care, internal medicine, and nephrology. Her career was highlighted by serving for 23 years as the Senior Vice Dean for Medical Education at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, training the next generation of students, graduates, healthcare professionals, faculty, and the community, about preventing and curing diseases. Gail has been actively involved philanthropically, targeting both medical and non-medical educational programs that lead to a healthier world, and currently serves as a co-chair of Selby Gardens’ Phase Two campaign.
Katherine A. Martucci, Chair of Selby Gardens’ Board of Trustees remarked, “We are pleased to welcome our new trustees at an exciting and transformative time for Selby Gardens. Their leadership will be invaluable as we continue to advance our Master Plan and strengthen our mission.”
Katherine Martucci, Chair, and Jeannie Russell, Vice Chair, will continue their board service as officers for the current year.
Also continuing their service as Selby Gardens’ trustees: Ali Bahaj, Daniel “Pat” Ball, Aaron Bellamy, Morgan Bentley, Mary Braxton-Joseph, Hosana Fieber, Renée James Gilmore, Marcy Klein, Sherry Koski, Cornelia Matson, Marianne McComb, Keith Monda, Kevin O’Donohue, Michael Quillen, Audrey Robbins, Richard L. Sandor, (Ph.D., Dr. sc. h. c.), Nikki Sedacca, and Jennifer O. Rominiecki, President & CEO of Selby Gardens.
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About Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens provides 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history. Established by forward-thinking women of their time, Selby Gardens is composed of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus in the Osprey area of Sarasota County, Florida. The Downtown Sarasota campus on Sarasota Bay is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. There is a significant focus on botany, horticulture, education, historical preservation, and the environment. Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus features the world’s first net positive energy botanical garden complex, generating more energy than it consumes. The Historic Spanish Point campus is located less than 10 miles south along Little Sarasota Bay. One of the largest preserves showcasing native Florida plants and active archaeology that is interpreted for and open to the public, it celebrates an archaeological record that encompasses approximately 5,000 years of Florida history. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is also accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Selby Gardens was selected for Time magazine’s annual list of the “World’s Greatest Places 2024.” For more information visit www.selby.org.