By: Jesús Reyes
CEO
We are thrilled to announce Tessa Lee as incoming Executive Director of the Vallarta Botanical Garden. She will take up her position in the coming months. Tessa is a career sustainability professional, with a wealth of experience in non-profit management, travel and tourism, and social impact.
Tessa joins VBG at an important inflection point. This year we celebrate our 20th anniversary and are looking ahead to a third decade of growing our impact as a leading Mexican environmental and educational not-for-profit.
Originally from North Carolina, fluent in Spanish and with extensive Latin American experience, Tessa has spent the last 14 years living and working in New York City. She joins us from Expedia Group, where she served as global Senior Manager for Climate and Sustainability. At Expedia Group, Tessa launched the company’s first Climate Action Plan and supported the creation of new sustainability features for travelers on their technology platforms. She oversaw the creation of the Destination Climate Champions program in partnership with the Travel Foundation, as well as the Nature Positive Tourism Fund, managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
She previously led corporate engagement for non-profit The Climate Group, focused on decarbonizing supply chains and scaling renewable energy procurement. Prior to that, she held roles at various environmental non-profits, including the Rainforest Foundation, Carbon War Room, Rocky Mountain Institute, and 100 Resilient Cities, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation. She additionally spent nearly a decade in the restaurant industry.
Tessa shares “I’m deeply committed to preserving our wonderous natural world, and I know that impact-driven local organizations are critical to the success of that goal. At Expedia Group, one of my favorite parts of the job was supporting destinations in building their capacity to manage their environmental resources while educating travelers on the exciting possibilities of sustainable journeys. The Vallarta Botanical Garden sits at the intersection of science, conservation, education, and hospitality, and I am honored to step into this leadership role.”
“We are absolutely delighted that Tessa has decided to join our team” comments Jesús Reyes, CEO of VBG. “She knows Puerto Vallarta well, is passionate about helping to mitigate the sustainability issues faced by our beloved region and, most importantly, believes in the mission of the Garden to protect native Mexican flora and fauna. Specifically, she will be providing leadership for the next phase in our growth and development, expanding educational programming, cultivating community engagement, and increasing our visibility.”
Bob Price, Founder and Curator of VBG, is also keen to extend a warm welcome to Tessa, sharing that “we have come a long way in 20 years, from a patch of farmland to an award-winning Botanical Garden that is now on the cutting edge of scientific research into Mexican orchids and which gives endangered species such as the Military macaw a place to survive and thrive. Our institution demonstrates that sustainable tourism is both possible and profitable in Puerto Vallarta. Tessa is just the person we need right now to increase our impact ten-fold.”
When we first opened in November 2005, we were on a small 4-hectare (approximately 10-acre) site. Now the Garden has over 135 hectares (330 acres) under its protection, offering a safe haven for over 250 species of bird and more than 1,200 species of plants, including several under severe threat of extinction, such as the Magnolia Vallartensis tree, from which blooms the official flower of Puerto Vallarta. Bringing Tessa on board is a huge opportunity for us to scale our important conservation work and expand our educational and community outreach programs, building a more resilient and sustainable future for the wider region.
