Alexandria leaders are praising NOVA Parks Executive Director Paul Gilbert, who recently announced that he will step down by December.
Gilbert has led the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority for 20 years. In Alexandria, his organization acquired the Winkler Botanical Preserve in 2022, and owns and operates Cameron Run Regional Park and Carlyle House Historic Park.
What do the Bradlee Shopping Center, Winkler Botanical Preserve, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office all have in common?
Well, the headline sort of gives away the answer, but: all three were among locations in Alexandria honored in last week’s 2024 Beautification Awards.
If you’ve never heard of or been to Winkler Botanical Preserve, you’re not alone.
In a 2021 poll, over 55% of ALXnow readers had never heard of the Winkler Botanical Preserve and nearly 20% had heard of it but never gone there. A little over 5% said they go to the park frequently.
