Missouri Botanical Garden Adds First DEI Executive

Missouri Botanical Garden President Peter Wyse Jackson is pleased to announce that Amanda Shields will become the Garden’s first Director of Diversity and Inclusion; she will begin February 22, 2021.

With nearly 20 years of leadership experience, Shields most recently led organizational culture transformation at Nestlé. This included diversity and inclusion initiatives, employee experience, and community outreach for the information technology organization across the US and Canada. Previously, as the founder of Shields Consulting, she partnered with global groups across a variety of industries on organization transformation strategy and initiatives. Earlier in her career, she held positions with responsibility for talent development, change management and internal communications.

“I am honored and excited for this opportunity to lead towards a more equitable and inclusive community within the Missouri Botanical Garden and in partnership across the broader St. Louis Region. We stand at a unique moment to set the vision for the community we want to be for the future, and for us, that begins with building an environment where all feel a sense of belonging,” said Shields.

Shields has deep roots in the St. Louis community, having received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and an M.A. in Human Resources Development from Webster University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors for Saint Louis Story Stitchers, among others.

“We will benefit greatly from Amanda’s leadership and experience,” said Dr. Wyse Jackson. “Bringing Amanda on board as part of the Garden’s team is part of our critical ongoing work to be inclusive across all our platforms, engaging all our stakeholders and welcoming new audiences. We will share best practices and understanding throughout the Garden community locally, nationally and internationally.”