Staff Bios

A unique feature of the Desert Landscaper School are the teachers. The school is staffed primarily with the Curators and horticulturists from the Garden.
In addition to the Gardens expert staff, we also bring in industry professionals as instructors in irrigation and design. We work to keep our curriculum fresh and up to date with the current best practices of the landscape industry.

Rebecca Senior
Rebecca Senior is the Program Coordinator for the Desert Landscaper School at the Desert Botanical Garden. She received a Business Degree in Computer Information Systems from ASU in 1992 and soon after began volunteering at the Desert Botanical Garden. In 1996 she began working part time implementing a grant funded experiment then moved to full time adding care of one of the Gardens Trails.

She is a lifelong artist and student of the natural world with previous work experience in corporate training making the job of Program Coordinator a fulfilling opportunity to serve where her talents, experience and desires reside. She is proud to be a graduate of the Master Gardener program, is a Certified Arborist through the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture), and enjoys speaking about the care and beauty of trees.

Jaime Toledano
Jaime Toledano has been Desert Landscaper School Assistant Coordinator since 2000 and is the instructor for the Spanish version of the Desert Landscaper School classes. Jaime earned his Engineering degree in Agronomy from the University Of Ciego de Avila Cuba in 1985 and completed study as Technician of Meteorology at the Academy of Sciences, Camaguey, Cuba. He worked in the Ministry of Agriculture Camaguey, Cuba in vegetable production, from 1985-1987 and as instructor of Agronomy at Technical Institute of Cuba from 1987-1990. He is an ISA Certified Arborist through the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture), and has instructed workshops on desert landscaping in different Mexican states. He taught classes for the cities of Glendale and Avondale as well as workshops for Lowes Home Improvement stores. Jaime has also been an active participant in many local radio and television programs.

Catherine Babcock
Cathy Babcock assumed responsibility as Director of Horticulture in January 2003 and is charged with the maintenance, care and health of the living collections as well as overseeing the Desert Landscaper School and semi-annual plant sales. Cathy graduated cum laude in 1989 from Arizona State University’s College of Engineering, School of Agriculture with a B.S. degree in Urban Horticulture. While attending ASU, she completed several internships that included the Los Angeles County Arboretum and the Desert Botanical Garden. Cathy initially joined the Garden in September 1989 as Plant Recorder; in 1990 she became a Horticulturist responsible for the Garden’s succulent plant collection with the exception of cacti and agave; in 1998, she was promoted to Assistant Director of Horticulture; in 1999, she became coordinator of the Garden’s semi-annual plant sales and in 2003 was promoted to Director of Horticulture. In addition, Cathy is a past president of the Central Arizona Cactus & Succulent Society.

Kirti Mathura
Kirti Mathura is the Curator of the Garden's shrub collection and the horticulturist responsible for the Steele Herb Garden exhibit. Kirti graduated from the University of Montana in 1984 with a B. A. degree in Botany and Environmental Biology. She became a volunteer at the Garden in 1987 and in 1994 joined the staff as a Public Horticulturist in the Public Horticulture department, propagating plants for the semi-annual Plant Sales and Plant Shop and teaching gardening workshops to local residents. In 1998 Kirti became a member of the Horticulture department, caring for the Rhuart Demonstration Garden and propagating shrubs and trees. Through the years she has had various responsibilities such as maintaining the Center for Desert Living Trail, the Native and Hispanic Crop Gardens on the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail, and maintaining the shrub collection. Kirti is a past president of the Arizona Herb Association, has served on committees of the Herb Society of America, and is a member of the Arizona Native Plant Society, Central Arizona Cactus & Succulent Society, and the Maricopa County Master Gardeners. She authored The Arizona Low Desert Flower Garden and contributed to Desert Landscaping for Beginners.

Angelica Elliott
Angelica Elliott assumed responsibility as Curator of the Wildflower Collection in 2001 and is in charged in the maintenance, care, propagation and health of the living collection in the Desert Wildflower Trail. Since the creation of the Desert Wildflower Trail Angelica has increased the diversity of approximately 245 different plant species. . Angelica initially joined the Garden in February 1999 as an assistant to the Director of Horticulture. While serving as the assistant to the Director of Horticulture Angelica compiled data and researched the findings for the gray water experiment and submitted to the State of Arizona Department of Water Quality. Angelica graduated in 1998 from Arizona State University College of Liberal Sciences with a B.S. degree in Biology

Scott McMahon
Scott McMahon is the Curator of Cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden. He received his Masters degree in Plant Protection from the U of A in 1977 and worked for 5 years in the agrichemical industry in Arizona and Southern California. Scott’s father was a commercial landscaper, and Scott gained valuable experience in landscape design, installation, and maintenance working for him on and off over the years. Scott has also worked in the electronics industry as a technician and has held a K-8 elementary teaching certificate. Scott is a member of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America and also of the local affiliate, the Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society, where he served two terms as President. Scott started with the DBG as their arborist and became a Certified Arborist a year later. Scott’s current duties include caring for the Garden’s extensive cactus collection, including numerous succulents from other families. Scott is an instructor in the Desert Landscaper School, teaching classes in both English and Spanish on desert trees, the Cactus Family, and on other succulents. Scott’s ability to speak Spanish has also enabled him to participate in workshops on desert landscaping in Mexico.

Chad Davis
Chad has been with the Garden since 2002. Prior to his promotion to Curator of Agavaceae, Aloaceae, & Nolinaceae in 2003, Chad served in the Security Department as a Ranger at the Garden.

As the Curator of Agavaceae, Aloaceae, & Nolinaceae, Chad curates and maintains three primary plant collections in the Garden. This entails tracking of collections, acquisition and propagation of suitable plant material, designing and planting of garden displays, and serving on internal Garden committees. He regularly works with volunteer groups, has obtained and maintains a Certified Pesticide Applicator License, as well as teaching in the Garden’s Desert Landscaper School. Chad has designed and installed the New Arizona Agave Beds, expanded the Aloe Collection/display in the Garden, and overseen the design and installation of seasonal plantings in the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion. He has given numerous presentations to environmental groups and garden clubs such as the Arizona Native Plant Society, Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society, and McDowell Park Association, as well as leading a workshop during the Cactus and Succulent Society of America National Convention. He is a regular contributor to the Garden’s Sonoran Quarterly, and has been appeared on local and nationwide television shows.

Chad received an Associate of Applied Science in Urban Horticulture from Mesa Community College, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree combining the disciplines of Landscape Architecture and Urban Horticulture at Arizona State University.

Brandi Eide
Brandi has worked as the Plant Propagator at the Garden since December 2005, growing plants for plant sales and the living collection, as well as overseeing the plant hotline and serving as Co-Chair of the Green/Sustainable Committee. Brandi teaches classes on Basic Botany, Propagation, Xeriscape and Vermiculture. Prior to working at the garden, she managed a hardware store and nursery, an organic salad greens business, and worked at the Findhorn Foundation, Scotland, (an ecovillage and international community model for sustainable living). Her interests span the natural world, and her B.A. degree is in Chemistry and French from The Evergreen State College in Washington.

Matt Goff
Matt Goff has worked at the Desert Botanical Garden for 5 years; he is the arborist responsible for the pruning and care of all the trees at the Desert Botanical Garden. Matt attended the Desert Landscaper School in ’05-’06. He is a certified arborist through the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture), and serves on the ACTC (Arizona Community Tree Council) board.