An Ohio native, Drew Becher has amassed an impressive résumé in urban planning and greening, initiating some 1.8 million tree plantings. As an assistant to Mayor Daley in Chicago, he created the Greening Agenda, focused on environmental awareness and drawing worldwide recognition. In Washington, D.C., he led the creation of the Department of Environment, responsible for the district’s sustainability agenda. Then he led the New York Restoration Project, which greens and beautifies underserved communities. Now in Philadelphia, Becher helms the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which runs the renowned Philadelphia Flower Show.
PGN: Where are you originally from? DB: I was born in a little town called Centerville, which is in between Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio. It’s actually named after Centreville, N.J.
PGN: Any siblings? DB: I have a brother Clayton, who is also gay, and two stepbrothers and a stepsister.
PGN: What did your parents do? DB: My father ran the family steel business and my mother was a stay-at-home mom until she got bored and my father bought her a temporary-help company. She grew it into a powerhouse and sold it.
PGN: Are they both still around? DB: My mother is. My father committed suicide when I was in college.
PGN: How did that impact you? DB: A lot. In some ways, it brought different sides of the family together. For me, it heightened my desire to help people. I’ve volunteered with some groups and also do things on a personal level to reach out to people.
PGN: Did he suffer from depression? DB: I think it was more succumbing to a lot of pressure. The family business hadn’t been doing well and for it to fold under him after being around for a hundred-some years was stressful. I’m sure there were personal things as well. I’m glad you asked me because I think that suicide is something that we need to talk about more so that it loses its stigma.
PGN: What were you like as a kid? DB: I always liked gardening. When I was 12, I won a “Most Beautiful Yard” award in a competition that was for adults. You have to threaten most kids to mow the lawn, but I landscaped my parents’ whole garden without them even asking. I’d go to neighbor’s houses and do their yards, too!
PGN: Tell me about schooling. DB: Well, I got into real estate at a young age. At 15, I was actually the youngest person to hold a real-estate license in the state of Ohio. I went to the University of Cincinnati because it was one of the few schools that offered a real-estate program.
PGN: I bet the houses you sold had the best lawns around! DB: Of course! It’s all part of the staging that needs to happen. I’d decided to leave school since I was already working, but that didn’t go over so well with my father. He said, “There are 30,000 freaking kids at your school who found something they like. Find something you want to do.” So I started studying urban planning. As I walked around campus, I didn’t like what I saw. So I went to the student government and got a meeting with the president and formed a facilities committee. We did a big report on the state of the campus, from the buildings to the landscape, and the school newspaper did a big exposé with our findings. The school president asked me to help with a master plan for the school and, long story short, it just received recognition as one of Forbes’ “Top 10” most beautiful campuses.
PGN: Where did you go after graduation? DB: I went to DePaul University in Chicago for a master’s degree in public administration. I got an internship with Mayor Daley, which culminated with a position as chief of staff for the Park District and assistant to the mayor. We started a greening initiative that has become a model for cities across the country. I also came out and met my partner Eric, who I’ve been with for 15 years.
PGN: You “blossomed” in Chicago. How did you come out to the family? DB: My mom was visiting and I took her out to dinner, a little Italian restaurant named Filippo’s. I was so nervous. I blurted it out after chugging a glass of wine. She knew and we had a good discussion.
PGN: And you were also with the Department of Cultural Affairs and the manager of finance for the Board of Education. Explain. DB: One of the things I found working in government is to figure out where the money comes from, understand the budget. I’m not great at math but I have a head for keeping track of things. I can tell you at any time what’s going on in my accounts, checking, savings: I know exactly what the numbers are. Mayor Daley was a big proponent of making sure you learned all aspects of government.
PGN: After D.C., you headed the New York Restoration Project, founded by Bette Midler. What was she like? DB: She was wonderful — one of the best people I’ve ever worked for or with. Her passion for greening is unsurpassed and she doesn’t get as much credit as she should. She’s put a lot of her own money into making New York a better place to live.
PGN: What was the craziest thing she did? DB: We have a big fundraising event at the Waldorf Astoria each year, our “Hulaween Party.” One year, 10 minutes before we were supposed to let the guests in, she decided she didn’t like the tablecloths, so we had to change them all. But that’s why she’s Bette and it really did make a difference. The room looked and felt better.
PGN: How does it make you feel when you do these projects? DB: It lifts me up when I see other people do things. In Chicago, we didn’t have a big budget to start with. I pretty much planted all the trees along the river walk with a bunch of friends. We got a lot of praise, but even if you don’t hear anything, you know it makes a difference to people. Landscaping is the biggest bang for the buck and the biggest, smallest investment you can make in a city.
PGN: Early signs you were gay? DB: It’s so cliché, but I was really into fashion. I was voted best dressed in high school. But I was also into sports. I played soccer and varsity golf.
PGN: Most interesting course in school? DB: I took an urban-planning class with a teacher who made us learn about cities in a really unconventional fashion. For example, he’d make us study trains and research why one city excelled in transportation over another and how it impacted the city.
PGN: Other than gardening, any talents? DB: I draw a lot. Cityscapes. I’ll start with a small crossroad and then expand it until it becomes this whole intricate metropolis with stoplights and turning lanes. I’ve had some of them framed.
PGN: What is on the horizon for PHS? DB: I want us to grow the Flower Show into a real powerhouse. I want the Flower Show to do for Philadelphia what Fashion Week does for New York. There’s not another show like this anywhere else. I want us to be a showcase for new products, new techniques and introducing new designers. The Flower Show introduced the chrysanthemum and the poinsettia years ago, so we need to get back to that, showcasing things people haven’t seen. I want to focus on green infrastructure and education.
PGN: And outside of the Flower Show? DB: We manage a lot of public spaces, like Logan’s Square and Penn’s Landing, and I want to really take a look at upping the ante when it comes to planning and planting those areas. I want people to come to Philadelphia and say, “Wow!” PHS is already nationally known, but we should be the national leaders of green infrastructure.
PGN: Expound on infrastructure … DB: Green roofing means a roof covered with vegetation, not just a roof painted green! It helps absorb rainwater, provides insulation and helps to lower urban air temperatures. Stormwater management, tree planting, things like that. Trees are not just for beauty; they help purify air quality, control water runoff, provide natural cooling, so many things.
PGN: And a Barbara Walters question. If you were a tree, what kind would you be? DB: A birch tree. They’re not too shady, so unlike other trees, they don’t kill off everything under them by blocking the sunlight. The bark is beautiful. And they change with each season and stay just as lovely.
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