Kate Mapes
Company
Quad City Botanical Center
Job Title
Team Support and Special Projects
Accomplishments
- Worked in the Living with the Land greenhouses at Walt Disney World and learned about plant presentation, showmanship, attention to detail and how to provide guests the best experience possible.
- Along with the head gardener, is responsible for maintaining the plants in the facility’s Children’s Garden and ensuring they are interesting and relevant to kids, including a fully functioning mock-up of the Mississippi River.
Extracurricular
Black and White Menagerie: Kate has a love of black and white animals, including cows, pandas, orcas and especially penguins. She even got to meet a penguin at Sea World last year.
Fun Facts
Dairy Contrariety: Her father, Bob DePauw, is a lactose-intolerant dairy farmer who cannot consume his own product. He raises Dutch Belted Cattle, which are black with a white band around the middle.
More 40 Under 40
Video Library 
GPN recognizes 40 industry professionals under the age of 40 who are helping to determine the future of the horticulture industry. These individuals are today’s movers and shakers who are already setting the pace for tomorrow.
