A recent press release from the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens said a new executive team was taking over.  The last paragraph mentioned that Bill Cullina was leaving and thanked him for his service.

“That looks like standard language for someone who was fired,” a former senior hospital executive said.

“No, no no,” said Cullina. “I know the press release was a little awkward. I absolutely didn't get canned. The board has been supportive as has the great staff,” he said.

They should be. Under Cullina's leadership, CMBG attendance jumped from 38,000 in 2007 to 227,000 last year, in part due to the Christmas season lights project called Gardens Aglow. It also grew new buildings and parking facilities as part of a $40 million expansion project.

But for CMBG and Cullina, it was not a comfortable journey. For at least three years, neighbors, state regulators, town officials, and others opposed their expansion. Recently, state environmental regulators imposed an $18,000 fine for certain construction violations. The bitter battle has left a bad taste in the mouth of many local opponents.

Cullina acknowledged the opposition and predicted it would take time for people to adjust to change.

On the other hand, he said the expansion project has boosted the regional economy.

“CMBG provides huge value in tourism and business. We have a $5 million operating budget, and it goes to staff. We have spent some $18 million in construction and only hire Maine contractors. When you add it up, we inject 70 to 75 million dollars into the regional economy,” he said.

As the director of one of the nation's most extensive botanical gardens, Cullina has earned a national reputation. He said he gets a dozen or so calls from headhunters (executive recruiters) every year. They want to know how they did it and how they could duplicate CMBG's success.

The low key man who, for the last 11 years, quarterbacked the CMBG onto the national stage, is thrilled about his new gig, and he was glad to explain why.

Cullina will leave his post in July. On Aug. 5, he will take over as the executive director of the Morris Arboretum located on what was an old estate in suburban Philadelphia. The Morris falls under the umbrella of the University of Pennsylvania.

As part of the family move, Melissa Cullina, who is a research botanist for the gardens, will take time off from her professional career to help settle their twins, Maeve and Ronan, both 11.

And there was another reason to accept the offer. “The best part of the new job is it comes with a house. This means we don't have to sell our Edgecomb home,” he said. “We will still be able to come up during summers and be with our friends here,” he said.

In addition to the house, his son Liam, 16, is on course to graduate from Lincoln Academy this year and has been accepted at Penn. He has held a student lobster license since he was 12 and plans to study marine biology and public policy.

Now that Cullina will work for the university, does that mean the Cullina family might benefit from a break on his college tuition? He smiled, then said “maybe.”

The Morris has a larger operating budget ($9 million) and staff. It saw 141,000 visitors last year.

The idea of taking a new job at age 55 is invigorating, he said. It is good for the organization, too.

When he describes his tenure, he uses the word magic. “The magic was in 2002. Bob Boyd laid out a plan and told us what to do. We started with an old subdivision, a good board and a good plan to serve our community. My job was to raise money and build a good staff.”

Why did it work? He explained they had the right people at the right time. He mentioned Boyd and Claire Hunt, John Giles, Maureen Heffernan (the first director), and others. “We just followed the plan and magic happened.”

While the gardens boast striking topographic features, from hills dotted with rugged granite ledges to the calm waters of Back River, Cullina says one of the best features is invisible. It is the calming effect of the gardens. “People come here all stressed out, and after walking around, many say they are calmed,” he said.

Then he revealed another secret to their success.

“Our gardens attract lots of birds, and they eat a lot of ticks (CMBG does not spray for ticks).

“There are lots of folks who are very wary of ticks. A lot of people say they are afraid to go into the woods because of them. We have very few of them. This is a place where grandparents can bring their grandkids and feel safe,” he said.