Staff Lead Highlight: Todd Strong, Horticulturalist at Cox Arboretum
Staff Highlights are a great way for volunteers to get to know our staff and for staff to share their work with volunteers. This month, we're excited to highlight Todd Strong, Horticulturalist at Cox Arboretum MetroPark, whose passion for plants, food production, and community impact is evident in everything he does.
Todd joined Five Rivers MetroParks in March 2025 as a Horticulturalist at Cox Arboretum, bringing with him a wide range of experiences and a lifelong love of gardening. Before coming to MetroParks, he spent several years traveling and working in vegetable production, garden centers, and greenhouses. His path into horticulture was driven by a simple desire to work outside and grow things that matter. He holds a bachelor's degree in horticulture, but his hands-on experience began much earlier. "I've had a garden for as long as I can remember," he shared. From digging up mint to growing dozens of hot pepper plants in his backyard, tending plants has always been part of who he is.
What Todd enjoys most about his work at MetroParks is the feeling that what he's doing truly matters. "I like feeling good about the job that I'm doing," he shared. "I like doing something that benefits the community and the environment, something I can go home at night knowing I've done something meaningful." One of the most rewarding parts of his role is growing food that can be donated to help feed others. He also finds a lot of fulfillment in the educational side of horticulture, especially seeing visitors and volunteers enjoy learning about the gardens.
That same mindset shapes how Todd approaches being a Staff Lead for volunteers. For him, communication is key, but enjoyment matters as much. "I want them to enjoy their time here, so they want to come back," he said. He focuses on making sure volunteers feel welcomed, supported, and appreciated, and that they walk away feeling like they gained something from the experience. "They're so appreciated," Todd added. "Letting them know how much they make a difference is really important to me."
Volunteers play a major role in the success and beauty of Cox Arboretum. Todd Credits the Gardening Ambassadors volunteer group as "basically the entire reason it looks as good as it looks," along with regular gardening volunteers who help maintain garden spaces throughout the park. Volunteer groups have also made a huge impact through large mulching projects. "We were able to get almost the entire park mulched this year because of our community groups," he shared, noting that this kind of work would not be possible for staff to accomplish alone.
To Todd, volunteerism is at the heart of what makes MetroParks work. "This is a community effort," he said. "We can't do what we do without the support of our community." He sees volunteers as essential partners in caring for the gardens, supporting staff, and helping Cox Arboretum remain a welcoming and vibrant place for everyone. 
Thank you, Todd, for your passion, your dedication, and the care you bring to both the gardens and the volunteers who help them thrive. We're grateful to have you on our team and appreciate the impact you make every day. Join Todd and other Cox Arboretum Horticulture staff at one of the upcoming Cox Arboretum Gardening shifts! View Cox Arboretum Gardening volunteer opportunities here. Or join us for our next Volunteer Open House, where you can meet one-on-one, in-person, with a Volunteer Coordinator and learn how you can support this opportunity. Click here to RSVP to an upcoming Open House.
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