Vanessa McKenzie

Vanessa McKenzie is the Creative Content Director at PHS, where she oversees design, brand cohesion, visual identity, multimedia, and content. With a focus on honest, nuanced storytelling and genuine engagement, she shapes how the organization shows up in the world. Grounded in a background of community organizing, Vanessa centers the work of the PHS creative team on educating audiences and encouraging them to use gardening as a tool for connection, collaboration, and empowerment. She relies on keen editorial judgment and strong curatorial instincts to ensure a rich content program that highlights not only the impact of PHS’s history, but also its necessity within the current societal landscape and the future of the Philadelphia region.

In addition to a distinct creative vision, Vanessa brings nearly 20 years of professional experience to PHS. Her career began in editorial design and brand identity, developing concepts and executing work across print and digital media. She later expanded these principles into exhibition and industrial design and wayfinding, partnering with cultural institutions nationwide, including the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Walters Art Museum, the Princeton University Art Museum, Asia Society, and Japan Society. Her experiential work also spans internationally recognized brands, most notably McDonald’s, Jack Daniel’s, the Sundance Film Festival, and WeTransfer.

Outside of work, Vanessa spends her time making, observing, and daydreaming about art of all kinds, exploring the Mid-Atlantic, and training her mostly respectable puppy, Raisin.