The President's Post

This is the eighth and final of a series of quarterly posts from your current President about the Norfolk Master Gardeners.

     My term as President of the NMGA is at the end, and as it is the holiday season I would like to say a few Thank Yous and Congratulations. First, thank you so much for the honor and privilege to serve as your president, and for your confidence in me and support. These last two years have been a great journey for me, lots of fun and very interesting. One of the goals of the leader of any organization is to leave the organization in a little bit better place than when you started, and I think that goal has been accomplished, acknowledging of course that the bar was pretty low as we were just emerging from Covid. We do have Anna Thurmond to thank for getting us through those very difficult two years.

     This position requires a lot of help, so I want to thank the Steering Committee members from the last two years (Kim Swecker, Mitch Swecker, Barb Wilson, Joey Rothgery, Susan Dudley, Paulette Crawford, Peter Hatchard, Jackie Haywood, Kathryn Bush and Kim Stewart, as well as our departed friends Maggie Brown and Vicki Trexler) for their dedicated help and support. I also want to thank all the Project Leads and Committee Chairs who make our organization go, they do an outstanding job. Special thanks to Donna Van Keuren, Kate Melhuish and Anna Thurmond (our past three Presidents) for their support and wise advice. I also want to give a big shout out to Kate Melhuish for stepping into the role as our defacto agent when our Agent Chris Epes left in June 2022 (we still have no agent – 1.5 years without one!!!!). What could have been disastrous has turned out just fine thanks to Kate. The fact that we turned out much better than just ok is also a reflection of what a great group we are – folks who believe in our mission and want to make our community a better place. So please keep up the great work that all of you do for our wonderful association. We do make a positive difference in our community, and that is an extraordinary and powerful thing.

     Here are other folks to whom we all should say Thank You and Congratulations:

     First, to the 2023 winners of the Keystone Award for their exceptional dedication, service, and leadership in our association: Donna Van Keuren and Barb Wilson.

     Second, to the wonderful classes of 2022 and 2023, who have added to and made our Master Gardener Program stronger. All but four from the Class of 2023 have already completed their hours requirements and are now Master Gardeners.

     Third, to those Master Gardeners who accumulated 250 hours by the end of 2022: Ginny Alberts, Karen Barrett, Susan Bohache, Susan Boice, Judy Davis, Nancy DelVecchio, Deborah Freeman, Sally Hartman, Lucia Herndon, Dottie McKenzie, Cathy Owen, Ben Potts, Vickie Reid, and Mitch Swecker.

     Fourth, to those Master Gardeners who accumulated 500 hours by the end of 2022: Jim Affeldt, Ann Miller, Chris Schweitzer, Kim Stewart, and Kim Swecker.

     Fifth, to those Master Gardeners who accumulated 1000 hours by the end of 2022: Michael Cole, Olena Peterson, and Lorraine Schreiber.

     Sixth, to those Master Gardeners who accumulated 4000 hours by the end of 2022: Joey Rothgery, Donna Van Keuren and Paul Ziegler.

     Seventh, to those Master Gardeners who accumulated 7000 hours by the end of 2022: Barb Wilson and Kate Melhuish.

     Eighth, to the Master Gardener who accumulated 8000 hours by the end of 2022: Debora Mosher.

     Ninth, to those Master Gardeners who received the inaugural 10 year Longevity Award (they have been Master Gardeners for at least 10 years): Gayle Donovan, Gayle Greene, Karen Wilson, Kay Egan, Kedron Jenkins, Tom Kent, Donna Van Keuren, Martha Holmes, Cecil Smithson, Paulette Crawford, Cathee Giagnacovo, Jackie Haywood, Victor Howard, Al King, Joey Rothgery, and Paul Ziegler.

     Tenth, to those Master Gardeners who received the inaugural 15 year Longevity Award: Bill Gerhardt, Kate Melhuish, Marcia Oubre, Cathy Peyton, Linda Ahlgrim, Anne Calcagni, Michelle Fuller, Ginger Mayer, Susan Dudley, Peg Fitzgerald, Joanne Tocce, Barb Wilson, Susan Burnett, Harriette Frost, Betrice Hovey, Debora Mosher, and Blanch Wise.

     Eleventh, to those Master Gardeners who received the inaugural 20 year Longevity Award: Tim Mansfield and Karen Owens.

     Twelfth, to the Master Gardener who received the inaugural 25 year Longevity Award: Maria Parker.

     Thirteenth (lucky number and perhaps most impressively) to the Master Gardener who received the inaugural 30 year Longevity Award: Gill Gillespie.

CONGRATULATIONS, THANK YOU ALL, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!