Ian Tucker Peach has been named new executive director of the Polly Hill Arboretum, succeeding longtime leader Timothy M. Boland, who is retiring this summer, a press release from the organization’s board of directors announced on Wednesday.
Peach, who lives on Chappaquiddick in Edgartown, is currently director of design for Wilkinson Ecological Design, a New England firm that specializes in shoreline stabilization and ecological restoration while protecting the biodiversity of unique natural ecosystems. Peach is the company’s lead for restoration ecology and large-scale land management projects in Maine and Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands.
“I am thrilled to join the community of the Polly Hill Arboretum,” said Peach. “It is a place of unique and exquisite trees, gardens, acts of science-led plant conservation and legible history, all connected by the talented staff, engaged board, and passionate volunteers. It will be my honor to lead and steward Polly Hill for its next arboreal chapter.”
Boland, who spent more than 20 years as the executive director, began at the arboretum as curator in 2002 and became executive director in 2004. Boland oversaw the organization’s growth into an international institution for plant conservation, education, and historic preservation. The 72-acre public garden in West Tisbury was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, and the nonprofit manages 25 acres of maintained landscape and another 47 acres of woodlands with trails open to the public.
“I am excited to welcome PHA’s new executive director, Ian Peach, to lead the next chapter of our institutional growth,” said Boland. “The Arboretum community of friends and supporters will appreciate his thoughtful approach in maintaining the spirit of this special place, as well as his advocacy on behalf of our core tenets of education and plant conservation, and the stewardship of our historic landscape and buildings. I look forward to watching PHA flourish in the years ahead.”
The board voted unanimously to hire Peach after a national search assisted by Carolyn O’Brien Consulting in Cambridge, Mass. A pool of more than 30 applicants was narrowed down to a few finalists earlier this year. Peach is expected to start in early July.
“Ian brings a rare combination of scientific experience, operational expertise, and a personal leadership style that aligns exceptionally well with the arboretum’s mission, traditions, and aspirations for the future,” said Selena Roman, president of the Arboretum’s board of directors, in the release. “He is highly regarded for his ability to transition an organization with positivity and great regard for staff, members, the public, and the culture. His collaborative style and passion for Polly Hill will lead us well into our next chapter.”
A native of New Boston, N.H., Peach holds an undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and a master’s in landscape architecture from Cornell University. He was also awarded a research fellowship through Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to investigate how Christchurch, New Zealand transformed its post-earthquake spaces into thriving locations for ecology and public engagement. Before Peach joined Wilkinson in 2021, he previously held roles on the Island, including land superintendent for the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank.
Peach lives with his wife, Lily Walter, who operates Slip Away Farm on Chappaquiddick, and their two children.