Leadership Staff
Filoli's Leadership Staff takes the charge in fulfilling our core mission of connecting our rich history with a vibrant future. Meet the wonderful individuals that assemble this diverse and well-rounded team!
President & CEO
Kara Newport came to Filoli as the CEO in 2016 and since that time she has worked with exceptionally talented staff to ensure that Filoli is a place of beauty and refuge for the broadest community. With a shared passion for plants and history, she seeks to create resonant programming that connects people to this incredible place. Kara was first a professional fundraiser at diverse organizations including science museum, zoo and historic properties and is committed to elevating the experience for all visitors through contributions from the community. She is most connected to the public gardens community as a director of a garden for over a decade and serving on the national public gardens board.
Chief Operations Officer
Chief Experience Officer
Davey Barrett joined Filoli in June 2023 and leads the Visitors Services, Events, Retail, Curatorial, and Learning and Engagement teams. He brings with him over 15 years of experience from both the UK and the US, with brands such as LEGOLAND, Harry Potter, Barbie, and The London Eye, just to name a few. He enjoys working at the intersection of operations and creative excellence. He graduated from The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he studied Theatre Arts. Davey is thrilled to bring new and exciting experiences to Filoli visitors, including a winter concert series, Filoli’s Forbidden Forest, the Hair of the Dog Hike, and he is looking forward to adding many more!
Chief of Staff
Nova Maldonado came to Filoli in 2023 and is a member of the senior management team and a partner to the President & CEO, supporting the Leadership Team and the Board of Directors to ensure strategic alignment and organizational growth. From her previous roles at The San Francisco Peninsula and The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA, she brings with her years of tourism, non-profit, and hospitality experience. She is thrilled to be working for a premier attraction on the Peninsula!
Chief External Relations Officer
Susan O’Sullivan, has been with Filoli for the past 13 years, serving in a variety of roles, including Visitor Services Manager and Membership & Volunteer Services Manager. She began her current role in 2018 and now oversees all public relations and communications, membership, and marketing functions at the organization.
Vice President of People & Culture
Chris O'Callaghan joined Filoli in January 2025 as the leader of the People & Culture team. A credentialed Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Chris is originally from the UK and holds a degree from the University of Bristol. A certified facilitator in multiple talent development methodologies, he brings extensive expertise in people and talent management. Chris has designed and implemented people and culture strategies for global leaders in the creative, entertainment, and hospitality industries, including LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds, and SEA LIFE aquaria. In addition to his role at Filoli, he serves as an Adjunct Professor at the College of Business at California State University San Marcos.
Director of Events
Helene Dubuc joined Filoli as Director of Events in August 2021. She brings over 10 years of experience in hospitality in various sales leadership roles. As Director of Events, her role is to promote Filoli as an exceptional venue and oversee the planning and logistics of events and weddings to ensure their successful execution. Helene and her team work to create lasting memories for our clients! Helene is particularly inspired by the incredible dedication of Filoli’s Board and Staff in keeping Filoli enduring and beautiful, with passion and authenticity. Helene is originally from Bordeaux, France, and relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2015
Director of Learning & Engagement
Erika Frank has been with Filoli since 2017 and manages learning and interpretation programs. Erika and the Learning team tell the story of Filoli through the plant and object collections, special exhibitions, public programs, adult workshops, and youth programs. She works to infuse the visitor experience with perspectives representative of the past and present Bay Area community. Prior to Filoli, Erika was the director of volunteers and education at the Conservatory of Flowers.
Director of Marketing & Communications
Wynter Martinez joined Filoli in 2024 as Director of Marketing & Communications and oversees advertising, public relations, branding, and group sales. She brings over 10 years of experience in non-profit arts and culture marketing. She is central to connecting audiences with Filoli’s key messages through shared stories. Prior to Filoli, she oversaw marketing for Alonzo King LINES Ballet, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (de Young/Legion of Honor), and SFMOMA. In 2022, she was named San Francisco Magazine’s Dynamic Woman. She finds inspiration in the Garden and loves wandering hidden paths whenever she gets the chance.
Director of Guest Experience
Megan Quintal joined Filoli in 2024 as the Director of Guest Experience. With nearly 10 years of management experience in cultural institutions across the Bay Area, most recently at the California Academy of Sciences, Megan brings a wealth of expertise to her role. At Filoli, she leads guest operations, fostering collaboration across teams to enhance the guest experience through all of Filoli's offerings.
Director of Development Operations
Hannah Raschko, CFRM, joined Filoli in 2022 and serves as the Director of Development Operations. In this role, Hannah works to implement Filoli’s comprehensive fundraising strategy, encompassing annual giving, corporate, institutional, major gifts, donor cultivation, and stewardship programs. She is especially passionate about learning about individual donors’ interests and passions to find new paths of engagement and deepen their involvement. In May 2024, Hannah completed the Certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Associate Director of Horticulture Initiatives
Jim Salyards has worked at Filoli for 30 years and jumped into this role in early 2025. Jim oversees a wide range of horticultural programs that support Filoli’s external relations, learning and engagement, development, retail, and interpretive strategies, with a particular emphasis on community engagement. He also oversees Filoli’s plant collections work. Additionally, Jim is responsible for building and nurturing relationships within the fields of public gardens, horticultural science, gardening, retail product production, and the culinary arts.
Director of Facilities
Paul Thomas joined the leadership team in June of 2023. Prior to his leadership role, he was hired as a lead technician with over 15 years of experience in facilities and maintenance operations. As Director of Facilities, his role is to oversee facility operations, project planning and logistics. Paul and his team work to preserve Filoli and its infrastructure and historical sites.
Director of Retail Operations
Mandy Torres joined Filoli as Director of Retail in 2022. In this role Mandy will direct, strategize, and budget our retail operations including overseeing our award-winning Clock Tower Shop, retail event experiences, and enhance Filoli’s reputation in curating memorable experiences. Mandy and the retail team work to highlight the story telling, exhibitions, and history of our site into unique retail experiences, drawing inspiration from local artisans, cultures, communities, and our museum’s collections. She comes to Filoli with over 15 years of experience in luxury and non-profit retail management and previously served as a Board Member for the Red Oak Victory Ship, an asset of the Richmond History Museum.
Director of Museum Collections
Kevin Wisney joined Filoli in 2018 and serves as the Director of Museum Collections. During his tenure, Kevin has worked in a variety of roles including as a member of the founding DEAI Taskforce and cofounder of Filoli Pride. As Director of Museum Collections Kevin curates the design of exhibits while assisting the Learning & Engagement department in the interpretation of museum objects. Kevin has also been featured in Filoli's social media channels and hopes to make history and museum work fun and accessible for all.
Director of People Operations
Priya Yadav joined Filoli as director of human resources in April 2019. Priya has many years of experience in a broad spectrum of human resources management, most recently in healthcare agencies. Her skills range from developing employee recruitment programs and benefits management to implementing HRIS programs and human resources analysis. She brings a new perspective to Filoli as we continue to grow and develop our human resources function.