I heard your parents fled Cambodia when you were 1 year old during one of history's worst cases of genocide under Pol Pot's regime. How did their experience shape the way they raised you in United States? When I think of that, I think of what my parents went through when traveling through Cambodia … trying to avoid getting killed. They were traveling with, at that time, four kids. So the experience my parents went through, as far as the struggles [and] seeing all of that happening…they give me strength. They talked about what they went through-they talked about the happy times…they talked about the sad times. They talk about where we are today and how blessed we are … we don't take anything for granted. Note: Mao's parents had nine children. Four died of starvation and illness in Cambodia before they made it to the United States.
Thirty-three years ago, Fort Worth became your new home once your family left the refugee camp in Thailand. What do you like about Fort Worth as the place you grew up and still live? The openness of the community-they opened up their hearts and their arms. When we first came to Fort Worth, we had a family that lived in the community in River Oaks that pretty much took us in. We didn't know the language, we didn't know the culture, and for somebody in Fort Worth to take a family from another country, a third-world country, that couldn't even speak English, you know … with open arms. They helped my dad get a job. They helped my mom with us kids.
Fondest memories? The culture. I remember growing up in Fort Worth … we went to the Stockyards, we went to Benbrook Lake, we went to Trinity Park, we went to the Botanic Garden. That is all free. My parents didn't have any money … but we were still able to do so much. It was the greatest thing in the world. We never got to go to Six Flags because my parents couldn't afford that. The things that were free in Fort Worth, we were able to enjoy. [And] the things that Fort Worth has that I experienced as a child we still have today, so now I can give it back to my kids.
At 34 years old, I heard you're the youngest president of the Fort Worth Botanical Society. How did you become the president? Three years ago the executive director [of the Botanical Society] came into my office when I worked for another bank. I went the extra mile for that customer service, and she was impressed with it, so she asked me, "Hey, would you like to come and see what the Botanical Society does?" And I was like, "sure." When I got there, the board opened up to me. It was like "oh my ga, she's young and exciting." When I said I was going to do something, I did it. I joined the society […and] anytime that was my down time, I volunteered in the gardens. It kind of shocked the board members because they were like "Wow, she's serious, she's wasn't just trying to put this on her resume." But they didn't realize what the garden had done for my family in the past. It's like "Wow, now I see why Rattana is involved in this garden." It was a lot of hard work. It wasn't overnight. I was a board member for three years … and I didn't miss any meetings. And then I got the phone call [last March] asking me to be the president … It was surreal.
What is your vision at the Botanic Garden, and what are some things you've already put into place? I've got two visions. The first vision is to reconnect the three organizations within the garden right now-the Garden Club, BRIT and the Botanical Society. To partner together and have that, what's that word I'm trying to think of … power in numbers. I think they lost it years ago … they became their own organizations. They were doing different things. [But] it takes a village.
And the second vision is to be able to provide this wonderful venue for all of the nonprofits to be able to use so that their people can enjoy it too. For example, to have the Catholic Charities" [foster children] come out and enjoy the gardens.
[Also], adding the young professionals [and] having the young people to the board [to bring] their excitement. We're putting in new committees and having the young and old work together.
We are also about to break ground with the $2.2 million Rock Springs project.
Note: The Rock Springs broke ground Aug. 2, 2013, and should be finished sometime mid-year 2014.
That includes the four lakes, new pathways and what else? Yes, and the bridges. When the money came to the society, we wanted to give it back to the gardens. I was already on the board and knew the money was coming.
Why is it important for you to want to give back to Fort Worth in the way that you do? Because Fort Worth is my home, and like any home, you have to have love, help and [donate] time. Where is Fort Worth going to be if you don't have anybody to care for it, right?
