YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS…
Starting in 1980 when Friends of the Conservatory saved the Conservatory from the brink of demolition, FOC and community have raised millions of dollars for essential capital improvements, advocated for expanded city support, and enriched the onsite experience through public education programs and arts and culture activations. This movement began with concerned neighbors and community members who came together to save and then advance the Conservatory. For over four decades, Friends of the Conservatory has been a dedicated champion of the Volunteer Park Conservatory.
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The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a unique space that for over a 100 years has combined science, heritage, and cultural arts. It is a combination of a living plant museum, arts programming, horticulture & botany, cultural heritage, and experiences for all ages. Friends of the Conservatory exists to steward and advocate for the Conservatory, offer creative programming, connect community, and open access for all visitors.
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Friends of the Conservatory envisions a world where people have a deep connection to nature that inspires and sustains their lives.
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Friends of the Conservatory inspires meaningful connections between people and nature through immersive plant experiences, cultural arts programming, and educational opportunities for all ages. We strive to preserve the historic structures of the Conservatory and sustain the plant collections for future generations.
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The Transformative Power of Nature: We believe in the transformative power of nature, offering healing, restoration, and growth for all.
Inclusive Community: We foster a sense of belonging through active community engagement and ensuring everyone has equitable access to our Conservatory.
Adaptability and Resilience: We embrace adaptability and resilience to navigate challenges and ensure excellence in Conservatory practices.
Preservation and Conservation: We prioritize the preservation and conservation of our living collection and historic structures, stewarding their heritage for future generations.
Holistic Sustainability: We promote sustainability in all aspects, considering people, the environment, resources, and equitable distribution of power and opportunities.
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Friends of the Conservatory centers:
An open-access facility that provides a welcoming space for all our visitors with accessibility features for movement, language, sight, hearing, touch, and sensory needs;
Cultural programming rich in visual arts, music, dance, and expression;
Educational offerings that are experiential & hybrid, multi-generational, and low-cost;
Research and knowledge-sharing about historic preservation technology, horticulture advances, and indoor plant care
MEET OUR TEAM
Shannon Koyano Operations Director
Shannon grew up in Seattle and has always had a love and admiration for the Volunteer Park Conservatory. She spent many hours as a child walking through the Conservatory with her beloved family matriarchs. Her grandmothers introduced her to the beauty and wonder of nature which has greatly influenced her utter joy and passion for working in the Conservatory. She has continued this family tradition with her own children.
Shannon joined the Friends of the Conservatory staff in the Fall of 2022 and has brought with her a vast array of professional experience including working in nonprofit and education, organic and natural healthcare, as well as owning and operating her own gift shop in the Madison Valley neighborhood of Seattle. Her shop closed in March of 2022 which led her to her role as the Operations Director. She is incorporating both her professional background and her Seattle roots (pun intended) into every aspect of her job.
Her past teaching experience along with her dedication to inclusivity and accessibility, have been a guiding force in how she approaches managing the gift shop volunteers. Working with volunteers is one of the greatest joys of her job and she feels that they are the backbone of this organization. Her goal is to create meaningful relationships with every single volunteer so that they always walk away with a feeling of being appreciated and cared for and above all, a joy for volunteering! Her hope is that people will want to volunteer here for years to come!
FOC BOARD MEMBERS
Shannon Tyman (she/her) is a lecturer in the UW Department of Urban Design & Planning and a fellow in the Program for Interdisciplinary Pedagogy at UW Bothell. Her research examines questions of social justice in urban food systems, and she has worked as a chef, interned on urban farms, taught courses on urban agriculture and served on the board of a food cooperative. She has also contributed food system research to universities and government institutions. Tyman holds a bachelor’s degree in the growth and structure of cities from Bryn Mawr College, earned a master’s in environmental studies from the University of Oregon, and is a Ph.D. candidate in the UW College of Built Environments.
Shannon Tyman President
Tone Pettit (he/him) was raised only a few blocks from the State Capitol Conservatory in Olympia, WA, and suspects that’s where his curiosity about plants first blossomed, and a love of horticulture was born. He naturally gravitated to Volunteer Park Conservatory when he moved to Seattle and since 2005, has served on the FOC Board of Directors. Tone has worn many hats around the organization over that span, starting as a volunteer in the Palm House Gift Shop, and working his way up to Executive Director (2013 - 2016).
While not attending Conservatory matters, Tone is a data scientist, writer, and consumer privacy advocate.
Tone Pettit (Anthonio) Secretary
John Muniz Board Member
John Muniz is a technology professional with more than 20 years experience in high volume manufacturing. With a background in computer science, John strives to advance operations and increase efficiency through process automation and optimization. In his free time he enjoys volunteering, listening to music, and reading
Christopher Miller Board Member
Christopher is an experienced art director in the outdoor industry and is always seeking new opportunities to aid in environmental conservation. He has been a long time volunteer at the conservatory through photography and videography, and now leads the conservatory’s brand look and feel.
When not out photographing trees with his aussie Melrakki, you can find him on his 2nd or 3rd vanilla latte down the road at Volunteer Park Cafe.
Allie Rawlings Board Member
As an avid traveler, Allie has a deep appreciation for diverse plant life. She first fell in love with the Volunteer Park Conservatory when she visited on the very first weekend she moved to Seattle, back in early 2022. She knows the importance of community and public green spaces and decided to get more involved. In late 2025, she began running the social media account for the Volunteer Park Conservatory, and later officially joined the board.
Carley is a lifelong public servant, working in nonprofit organizations, and federal, state, and local government to make sure people have the information they need to lead healthy and happy lives. With a Masters in Public Health, Carley is passionate about connecting people to social services and health information. With a love of plants, Carley always seeks out gardens and conservatories when she travels and did just that when she moved to Seattle from the East Coast in 2016. Carley loved talking with conservatory visitors as a Gift Shop volunteer and joined the FOC board in 2018. As a mom of two young children, Carley is excited to share her love of plants and the conservatory with children across our region.
Carley Thompson Board Member
Natalie Board Member
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Annie Sherman Board Member
A resident of Capitol Hill for nearly two decades, Annie has worn many hats or maybe hairstyles is a better way to put it. With a long time adoration for plants, the Volunteer Park Conservatory is one of her most favorite places in Seattle. A few years ago she inquired about volunteering in the gift shop and with plant sales. Now as a board member she looks forward to continuing to support the conservatory and the people who enjoy it.
When she's not at the park Annie enjoys pretending to be Martha Stewart, traveling, tiny things, playing wordle with her husband, scrabble with her mom, and talking with her dogs.
Theron Rawlings Board Member
Theron Rawlings is a Tax Associate who brings a blend of financial skill and a lifelong love for nature to the Volunteer Park Conservatory. His interest in plants began early, spent gardening with his family as a child. Today, he is eager to use his professional background to serve the Seattle community and help protect the beauty of the earth.
Theron earned his Master’s in Accounting from BYU with a focus on tax. He is a driven professional who enjoys keeping operations organized and running smoothly. By joining the Conservatory, he hopes to use his knowledge of finance to help the group meet its goals. Theron looks forward to building a deeper bond with his community and the environment through work he can truly be proud of.
Interested in becoming a Board Member?
We review applications annually. Contact us to submit your application.