Forty Under 40: Sarah E. King

Sarah King, 34, always knew she wanted to work in the field of community service. She volunteered for various organizations throughout her adolescence in Springdale, and landed a job at a non-profit after graduating from Hendrix College in 1997.

She later went on to get her master’s in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin.

When she returned to Northwest Arkansas to be near her grandmother, King began volunteering at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. After six months, she was offered a full-time job as the director of community programs.

King said she is proud to be a part of the team responsible for developing the garden’s membership program.

There were 330 members when she came to work at the garden and as of July there were 13,040.

“I’m really proud of that increase,” she said. “No matter where I end up, to be able to look back and say I was a part of the garden when it opened is something I’ll always be proud of.”

Seeing people of all ages participate in and enjoy the events and activities at the botanical garden has been the most rewarding part of her job, King said.

“It pleases me to see people really engage and discover something new,” she said.

“When I see the inspiration that the garden can bring to people, I find that to be very motivating.”