Former PHS President Jane Pepper’s Charitable Gift Annuity Will Support the Future of PHS

Jane G. Pepper grew up in Scotland and has been interested in horticulture all her life. She received her associate of science degree in landscape design from Temple University and then went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in plant sciences and her master’s degree in public horticulture administration from the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware. 

Jane first became involved with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society as a volunteer at the Flower Show. She officially joined the PHS team full-time in 1979 as coordinator of public relations and was the first PR staffer. Ernesta Ballard, PHS executive director from 1963 to 1981, was very influential in her life. Later Jane became president of PHS and served for nearly 30 years until her retirement in 2010.

In gratitude for her fulfilling career and to ensure her support of PHS continues beyond her lifetime, Jane has established a charitable gift annuity (CGA) that provides her with a steady stream of retirement income for life and secures a future legacy gift for her beloved PHS. “The opportunity to have income benefits during life and still leave a gift to PHS was important to me,” Jane says. “Meeting all the staff and people doing good work inspired me to want to give back and help continue that work.”

During her tenure as president, PHS membership doubled to nearly 15,000 individuals. “I was so honored to join the team when we had a staff of only 25 people and a $2 million budget,” says Jane, who helped grow those numbers to 111 staff members and a budget of $21 million. Under her leadership, the Flower Show grew enormously and had to upgrade venues from the Civic Center to the Convention Center—which created many challenges “both good and bad.”

Reflecting on the last year and a half, Jane notes that COVID has highlighted the need for green space in the city—and she is proud to have been a part of Philadelphia Green, a PHS program that since 1974 “has supported the development and ongoing care of community gardens, neighborhood parks, and public green spaces in Philadelphia."

Along with her late husband, G. Willing “Wing” Pepper, Jane has been a local philanthropist for many years. She hopes her story of giving will inspire generosity in others who also love and want to support the programs and beauty that PHS brings to the greater Philadelphia community. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is grateful for our loyal supporters like Jane. We hope you will consider the legacy you could leave with a planned gift to benefit the future of PHS.