Polly Hill Arboretum has hired its next executive director to lead the 72-acre public garden in West Tisbury

Ian Tucker Peach, a Chappaquiddick resident and current director of design for Wilkinson Ecological Design, will succeed longtime director Tim Boland who is retiring, the organization’s board of directors announced in a statement Wednesday.

“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. 

At Wilkinson Ecological Design, Mr. Peach has been at the forefront in 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,” Mr. Peach said in the announcement. “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.”

Before joining Wilkinson in 2021, Mr. Peach was the land superintendent for the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank. He is married to Lily Walter, who runs Slip Away Farm on Chappaquiddick, where they live with their two children.

The search for a new executive director began about a year ago, when Mr. Boland announced his pending retirement after more than 20 years at the helm of the organization. The search was assisted by Cambridge-based Carolyn O’Brien Consulting. 

“I am excited to welcome PHA’s new executive director, Ian Peach, to lead the next chapter of our institutional growth,” Mr. Boland said in the statement. “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.”

Mr. Peach begins work in early July.