Mounts Garden Names New Board Members

Joseph Singer

Rachel Pappert Docekal, MBA, Ed.D.

(PRESS RELEASE)_​(West Palm Beach, FL – November 6, 2021) Rebecca Doane, long-time board member and President of Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden, Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest public garden, today announced two new members of the nonprofit organization’s Board of Directors:

+ Rachel Pappert Docekal, MBA, Ed.D.
As CEO of Hanley Foundation, Dr. Docekal oversees board and donor relations, while creating strategies to support the organization’s lifesaving programs and expansion initiatives. She previously founded the Lyrae Group, a consultative services firm focused on philanthropy, serving as its Managing Director until 2023. In addition, she currently co-chairs two policy committees as a board member of the Economic Council of Palm Beach County; and serves as chair-elect of Palm Beach County’s Criminal Justice Commission.
 
+ Joseph Singer
The Managing Director of Mish Fine Jewelry, a nationally acclaimed jewelry design studio based in Palm Beach, Singer enjoys gardening in both tropical and temperate environments with a passion for cultivating unusual orchids. Having co-chaired the New York Botanical Garden’s Rare Plant Fair for the last 15 years, he is—along with Mish Trowkowski—co-chairing Mounts Botanical Garden’s Spring Benefit 2024.
 
“Both Dr. Rachel Docekal and Joseph Singer are talented, insightful professionals who will be invaluable assets for Mounts Botanical Garden, as we continue to grow and attract new visitors to our beautiful 20-acre oasis, located just minutes from downtown West Palm Beach,” said Mounts Curator/Director Rochelle Wolberg.
 
In addition to the announcement of two new Board members, other highlights from last week’s Annual Meeting held at Mounts included:
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+ County Mayor Gregg Weiss honored Laura Bloom from the Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District and Diane Robaina, Mounts Associate-Director of Youth Programs & Schools, for their work on the Garden’s Ambassadors of the Wetland program, which has served more than 8,000 middle and high school students.
+ Special recognitions were presented to longtime Mounts officers and board members Bill Brady, Ilene Passler, Sandy Smith, Paton White, and Mike Zimmerman.
+ State of the Garden address from Curator-Director Wolberg reviewing recent accomplishments and sharing future goals.