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Bok Tower CEO talks legacy ahead of retirement
FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.
LAKE WALES, Fla. - In 2007, David Price was appointed president, a role he has held for the past 19 years.
In 1990, he started a prescribed burn program to protect the rare pinelands habitat.
Price’s last day will be in June.
After nearly four decades with Bok Tower Gardens, its president and CEO, David Price, will retire in several months.
The backstory:
Price has served as a leader at the Lake Wales attraction for 19 years. He began his career there in 1987 as director of horticulture, a position he held for 20 years.
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In 2007, he was appointed president, a role he has held for the past 19 years.
What they're saying:
Price says one of his lasting legacies is the acquisition of additional land.
"When I got here, the grounds we had were 125 acres, of which only about 62 acres were usable. The rest was parking lots and service areas," Price said. "I’ve been a really big proponent of land preservation, and now we manage about 850 acres."
Price raised the funds through grants and private donations.
"That’s something that’s going to last for the next 100 or 200 years. It’s important—for all eternity. Once houses are built on the property, you can never get it back," Price said.
Price says his priority during his tenure has been preserving the gardens’ vistas. In 1990, he started a prescribed burn program to protect the rare pinelands habitat.
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He has also focused on attracting younger visitors to Bok Tower Gardens, adding a children’s meditative garden.
"I hope the person who comes in to lead this place understands what I tried to do here—historic preservation, preservation of nature, conservation and creating a quiet, meditative place," Price said. "Those things are so relevant now, and people yearn for that."
What's next:
Price’s last day will be in June. He says retirement will allow him to focus on his bronze wildlife sculpting.
Bok Tower Gardens is currently conducting a nationwide search for Price’s successor.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from the Bok Tower Gardens organization.