Stan Shayer and Jeffrey Romano

Every gift to The Huntington makes a difference, enabling individuals to connect with the humanities, nature, and one another. Stan Shayer and Jeffrey Romano are longtime members of The Huntington community. Here, Stan discusses their love of the institution’s awe-inspiring collections, programs, and gardens, and how their values align with the institution’s mission.

Tell us a bit about your Huntington story.
Growing up and having our careers in the San Francisco Bay Area, we were not aware of The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Then one Christmas, Jeffrey’s mother, Jewell, gifted him with a Huntington desk calendar. We added The Huntington to our list of places to visit, and soon thereafter made a trip to Southern California. The Huntington immediately captured a special place in our hearts, especially the gardens and spectacular Rose Garden. We became members shortly after our initial visit.

You have become more involved over the years, including joining the Arabella and Henry Huntington Heritage Society and the Society of Fellows, and making a gift to the Rose Garden Tea Room renovation project. Why?
Recognizing the importance and invaluable research and collections that The Huntington provides, and its beautiful, tranquil, and peaceful gardens, has guided our decision to become more involved. By relocating to Santa Monica after we both retired from our careers at Chevron Corporation, we now can visit and appreciate The Huntington throughout the year—and experience the change in seasons in the gardens. Another significant reason we have become more engaged with The Huntington are the relationships we developed with the Society of Fellows directors, the late Judy Plunkett and current director Pamela Hearn. Judy invited us to The Huntington’s first “An Evening Among the Roses” [The Huntington’s annual event recognizing and celebrating the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community] in 2014. This is where we had the pleasure to meet Cris Lutz, assistant vice president of gift planning.

We are delighted you have included The Huntington in your estate plans, which will provide future support for the institution’s educational mission. What compelled you to make this thoughtful commitment?
It is critical to provide resources for the preservation and maintenance of The Huntington’s collections and gardens for future generations. In today’s fast-paced and instant environment, it is more important than ever to pause and reflect in nature. The Huntington offers a perfect place to pause, reflect, and reset. We made the decision to add The Huntington to our estate plans in 2014 to help support and preserve these efforts.