By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

Before nearly 400 of Chester County’s most prominent elected officials, business leaders and stakeholders, Paul B. Redman, the president and chief executive officer for Longwood Gardens, was inducted into the Chester County Hall of Fame in ceremonies held at the famed public gardens on May 29.

The award, given annually to a prominent county leader by the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC), was given to Redman for his steerage of Longwood Gardens from the time he was appointed in 2006 to now, a nearly 20-year period that has seen the number of annual visitors double to almost 1.6 million and membership soar from 17,000 to 83,000.

Under Redman’s leadership, Longwood Gardens’ recent investments include refurbishing of the Main Fountain Garden, the creation of Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience, the Cascade Garden, the 1906 restaurant and the acquisition of Granogue, a 505-acre property in northern New Castle County.   

“The honor was a total surprise, and I was completely caught off guard,” Redman said of his Hall of Fame election. “It’s always very humbling to be recognized, and it’s rarely about me. It’s about Longwood and from that perspective, it’s even more special. It’s a recognition of Longwood Gardens and its role in the community.” 

“Paul Redman is a public steward of Chester County’s legacy and its treasured heirloom,” said CCEDC Chief Executive Officer Gary Smith. “When you think about Longwood Gardens, its founder Pierre S. du Pont took the responsibility of creating this lifestyle for himself and the people of this community, so that they could see and observe the beauty of God’s creation. Longwood Gardens is Chester County’s Garden of Eden, and Paul not only is a great steward of this special place, but he also has a servant’s heart through his serving of others.

“These are trademarks of successful people – to give back to his community and to encourage his colleagues at Longwood Gardens to grow with him.” 

“In addition to what he has done for Longwood Gardens from the standpoint of design and breadth of vision, Paul has created a forum and a venue for businesses to spend time here and host corporate events,” said CCEDC Board Chairman Bill Stedman. “He has created a symbiotic relationship with the community, and that has been by design. His vision is a collective one – it’s not just his but it is everyone’s – and what he has done very successfully is to solicit people who have vision that want to contribute to the overall direction of Longwood Gardens. The strategic plan that he has laid out is large, audacious and achievable, and he is not going to rest until he achieves all of it.”

In a short video tribute to Redman that was shown at the ceremony, he said that he was inspired as child by horticulture from growing vegetables on his family farm in Oklahoma.

“Early on I was connected to my passion for horticulture without realizing it could be a career, and Longwood Gardens has given me the opportunity to feed that passion,” he said. “Chester County and CCEDC have been great partners because they naturally understood the benefits to the community, and their talented staff and expertise were very important to this project. The value they bring to the table helped ensure that the majority of the work contracted for this project stayed within Chester County, which is a key to our ongoing success.” 

Presented annually since 1996, the Hall of Fame award recognizes not only the individual’s resourcefulness and willingness to achieve excellence, it also honors and celebrates those who appreciate the importance of collaboration and measured risk-taking, and who are committed to helping others in their effort to build positive change that benefits all county residents.

With his induction, Redman now joins an elite group of prominent county leaders who have received Hall of Fame honors. Recent inductees include West Chester University President Christoper M. Fiorentino (2024, Patti Brennan of Key Financial, Inc. (2023), Chris Annas of Meridian Bank (2022), James E. McErlane of Lamb McErlane, PC (2021), Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet of Victory Brewing Company (2020), Michael L. Pia of South Mill Champs (2019), Claudia P. Hellebush of United Way of Chester County (2018), Dr. Jerry Parker of Delaware County Community College and W. Thomas Musser of The Tri-M Group, LLC (2016).

For the past six decades, the Chester County Economic Development Council has promoted smart growth in Chester County by developing business partnerships and entrepreneurial collaboration. For more information, visit http://www.ccedcpa.com

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].