NGA President

Mike Metallo
With more than 25 years of nonprofit management experience, Mike is the President and CEO of the National Gardening Association and directs the activities of the 3 million dollar non-profit. His expertise includes effectively focusing mission objectives, expanding youth gardening opportunities across the U.S., maximizing asset value and outreach, focusing mission and brand, maintaining financial stability, as well as contributing to strategic organizational development and growth. He has successfully managed NGA and directed its mission for over 6 years. In the past he has served as Executive Director for both trade and educational mission-driven organizations, including the National Gallery of Art, the Parks & History Association, and the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association.

During his tenure at the National Gardening Association, Mike has redefined the scope and mission of the organization to better serve two key markets: Adult gardeners (at all skill levels) and youth educators. His work developing garden.org includes innovations in the areas of gardening how-to, content presentation, social media, new market research, and corporate support. With kidsgardening.org he has revitalized the publications division, boosted catalog circulation, and increased grant programs to achieve a Garden in Every School. Educational gardening programs, how-to’s, curriculum and hands-on materials are designed to highlight the diverse benefits of youth gardening, including improving critical test scores and instilling experiential understanding and advancement in the core sciences, and crossing the curriculum into nutrition, exercise, math, social studies, environment, conservation, ecology, cultural exchange, leadership, and more.

Mike is a magna cum laude graduate of Gordon College with a bachelor's degree in Economics and a minor in Psychology. He serves on the Advisory Panel of the National Forum on Children and Nature, the USDA People's Garden Forum, the Learning for Life Skilled Trades Committee, and is on the Advisory Board of the Housekeeping Channel. He has served as an advisor to notable institutions such as the White House First Lady’s office, USDA, and the CDC, as well as providing his expertise to magazines, newspapers, television reporters and a host of for-profit and nonprofit organizations on the subject of adult and youth gardening and nonprofit management.
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