2015 Convention People and Activities
Photos Courtesy of Jeanne Katzenstein, Tommy Liu, Stephen Maciejewski, Dale Martens, Julie Mavity-Hudson, Peter Shalit, Paul Susi and Hong Xin
Poster for Convention 2015 in Oakland, California
Our convention hotel – The Marriott Oakland City Center
Gathering in the side lobby for the pre-convention trip
Checking in before boarding the bus
Group on the bus for the pre-convention trip
Arrival at the San Francisco Botanical Garden
Individual group visits to the Japanese Garden
Group touring the garden
Japanese Garden traditional buildings
Tour Planners Tommy Liu and TehShan Lee
The San Francisco Botanical Garden map to help plan our visit
Individual small group tours dodging the sprinklers in the garden
Finding and photographing the Mitraria shrubs in the garden
Mitraria coccinea in flower and fruit
Group gathered back at the entrance for our formal tour
Host Don Mahoney describing the garden's history
Visiting the propagation greenhouses
Shopping for gesneriads at the greenhouses
Buying gesneriads
Enjoying boxed lunches in the garden before leaving
Photo stop at the Golden Gate Bridge
Arriving at Annie's Annuals
Group intro before visiting the nursery
Shopping for plants
Some aeschynanthus plants for sale
After arriving back in Oakland, group enjoying dinner out
Informal gathering that evening
Enjoying wine and gesneriad talk at the end of the day
Tuesday morning Board of Directors meeting
Opening of Convention Registration
Promotional apparel for sale
Registrants from China arriving at the hotel for check-in
Boarding the bus for the afternoon trip
Arrival at the Ruth Bancroft Garden
Tour of the garden
Another group touring the garden
Tour guide discussing the garden
Garden vista
Group at the garden pond
Checking out the sales area
Back for the opening dinner on the top floor of the hotel with a view
Meeting new gesneriad friends at the opening dinner
Chatting with old friends at the opening dinner
Local Convention Chair Alan LaVergne welcoming everyone to Convention 2015
Society Convention Chair Jo Anne Martinez
Sunset view after the opening dinner and welcomes
Audience waiting for the Growers Forum to start
Alan LaVergne hosting the "Tuber Talk"
Growers Forum panel: Bill Price, Ruth Coulson, Peter Shalit, Dale Martens
Late-night planning meeting for future Convention 2016
Wednesday morning Judges Photography Workshop with Dale Martens
Continuing Photography Workshop with Paul Susi
More on photography with Winston Goretsky
Chatting before the Intermediate Judging School begins
Norah Otto calling out the role at the luncheon honoring the chapters
Attendees at lunch between the judging school sessions
Lunch group
Afternoon judging school session
Discussing the plants that were judged by each team
Judging teams of three at the afternoon judging session
Practice judging team discussing their results
Alain Chautems presents his updates on Brazilian gesneriads
Afternoon break in the lobby with more time to chat
Dinner group enjoying a meal at a local restaurant
Dale Martens hosting the Gesneriad Hybridizers Association Program
Making selections of giveaways at the GHA meeting
Plenty of giveaways for everyone
Conservation program host Stephen Maciejewski
Wei Yi-Gang presenting a report on the GCC of China
Conservation updates by Hong Xin, Mary Jo Modica, Mauro Peixoto, Melissa Johnson
Entries Chair Debra LaVergne and Classification Co-Chair Bob Stewart
Classification Co-Chairs Bob & Dee Stewart assisted by Ron Myhr
Ron Myhr inspecting Hung Nguyen's entries
Lan Wu grooming her entries
Placement Co-Chair Paul Susi assisted by Hong Xin
Placement Co-Chair Leonard Re about to place Alan LaVergne's entries
Auction Co-Chairs Doris Brownlie and Tom Bruning accepting a donation from Hung Nguyen
Students Hong Xin, Jason Martin, Laura Clavijo, François Lambert, Melissa Johnson
Laura Clavijo presenting her program on the genus Drymonia
Jason Martin presenting his program on Resia and Cremospermopsis
François Lambert presenting his program on Gesneria species
Afternoon lecture by Ron Parsons on botanical adventures in Colombia and Ecuador
Dinner buffet before the Annual Meeting
Attendees in the buffet line
Annual Meeting with President Paul Susi presiding
Board members at the head table
Carolyn Ripps presenting Bob & Dee Stewart the award for most seed donations in 2014
This year's Award of Appreciation recipients Mel Grice and Alan LaVergne
Convention attendees standing who have received Awards of Appreciation over the years
Evening lecture on Gesneriads with a Swedish Accent by Lena Klintberg
Attendees from Sweden: Ingrid Lindskog, Lena Klintberg, Maike Lundberg
Nancy Kast offering Mauro Peixoto publications for sale
Fay Wagman and Carol Ann Bonner selling promotional apparel
First-in-line for plant sales
Others awaiting opening of plant sales
Making selections from the many plants for sale
Attendees making their decisions on what to buy
Lots of plant material to choose from
Rob & Olive Robinson and Mary Wang chat while shopping
Seed Fund Co-Chair Carolyn Ripps discussing seed with Keith Dabney
Michael Riley and Mike Horton cashiering at plant sales
Barb Clark and Winston Goretsky helping at check out
Judges Chair Bob Clark giving judging instructions at the breakfast
Judging team at work
Judging teams at work
Photographing the collections
Photo team at work
Student Melissa Johnson presenting her program on Cyrtandra in the Fijian Islands
Student Hong Xin presenting his program on Primulina in South China
Afternoon opening of the Flower Show
Board meeting with newly elected directors and officers
Incoming president Julie Mavity-Hudson and outgoing president Paul Susi
Chapter Presidents meeting
Auction items discussion
Socializing at the cocktail hour
More socializing
Alan LaVergne and Michael Kartuz
More socializing
François Lambert, Leonard Re, Irina Nicholson, Kenji Hirose
Maike Lundberg, Lena Klintberg, Ingrid and Sven Lindskog
Gil and Joan Wood, Jacquie and Dennis Eisenhut
Vivian Liu, Dolly Yeh, Dale Martens, Lan Wu
Michael Kartuz, MC at the awards banquet
Paul Lee presenting Bill Price with his awards, including Sweepstakes in Horticulture
Awards Chair Paul Lee presenting Laura Buckner with Sweepstakes in Artistic
Another look at the show room and the award winners after the banquet
Open time for photographing the flower show
Judges critique led by Arleen Dewell
Dale Martens discussing the photography section at the critique
Julie Mavity-Hudson presenting her program on photography
Mauro Peixoto presenting his program on gesneriads in Brazil
Mel Grice and Mike Horton nearing the closing of plant sales
Attendees at the luncheon
Bill Price leading the live auction proceedings
Bill Price with his Best in Show Collection
At the close of the show, Bill sharing cuttings from his entries
Bill packing up what's left of his entries
Cindy Eastman packing up her petrocosmea entries
Bill Price and helpers packing plants back into his car
The Saturday evening social hosted by the San Francisco Chapter
Continuing discussions at the social
Enjoying the food at the social
Local chapter members winding down at the social
Waiting for the Fourth of July fireworks to start
Others enjoying the food at the social
More food and drink and socializing
Chapter members finally relaxing at the end of the big event
The Society convention team relaxing at the end of the event
Fay Wagman watching the end of the fireworks on Saturday night
Susan Grose ready to leave convention
Paul Susi waving goodbye till next year when friends meet again
Debra and Alan LaVergne
Hung Nguyen, Paulo Castello da Costa
Tommy Liu, TehShan Lee
Al Silva, Sharifa Jan-Silva
Mike Kartuz, John Molnar, Gary Turner
Jason Martin, Laura Clavijo, François Lambert
Julie Mavity-Hudson, Winston Goretsky
Mauro Peixoto, Alain Chautems
Sven and Ingrid Lindskog, Michael Riley
Dolly Yeh, Olive Robinson, Kenji Hirose, Vivian Liu, Lan Wu
Paul Susi, Paul Kroll
Gussie Farrice, Nancy Kast, Melissa Johnson
Carolyn Ripps, Kenji Hirose
Mauro Peixoto, Alain Chautems, Hong Xin, Melissa Johnson, Wei Yi-Gang
Elizabeth Varley, Francisco Correa, Michael Riley, Molly Schneider
Irina Nicholson, Leonard Re
Maike Lundberg, Lena Klintberg, Keith Dabney
Becky Fontes, Michael Riley
Irwin Wagman, Norah Otto, Mary Jo Modica
Barb and Steve Borleske, Mary Schaeffer
Carol Ann Bonner, Francisco Correa
François Lambert, Nancy Kast
Sven and Ingrid Lindskog, Betty Fenerty, Norma Kunzel
Doris Brownlie, Mel Grice, Judy Zinni, Carol Ann Bonner, Paul Lee
Bob Clark, Peter Shalit
Li Cong, Hong Xin, Mary Jo Modica
Austin Grevious, Michael Medved
Tom Bruning, Elaine Stutt, Elizabeth Varley
Cindy Eastman, Barbara Elkin, Joan Wood
Melissa Johnson, Gene Sussli
Gussie Farrice, Paul Chazan, Bruce Boyd
Barbara Festenstein, Hung Nguyen, Dale Martens
Irina Nicholson, Rohm Gustafson, Mollie Howell, Betsy Gottshall
Mel Grice, Vilma Dallas, M.J. Tyler
Stephen Maciejewski, Julie Mavity-Hudson, Carol Ann Bonner
Dariane Joshlin, Debra LaVergne, TehShan Lee
Nancy and Jerry Kast
Debra LaVergne, Susan Grose
Bill Price, Connie Leifeste, Mary Schaeffer
Gary Turner, Jon Dixon
Carol Ann Bonner, Vilma Dallas, Dell Sherk
David Pierce, Sally Robinson
Cindy Eastman, Kenji Hirose
Michael Kartuz
M.J. Tyler, Vilma Dallas, Bill Price, Maureen Mark
Carol Ann Bonner, Molly Schneider, Julie Mavity-Hudson
Goodbye to Gesneriads by the Golden Gate … till next year in Delaware
When Jay Sespico, Sylvia Svitak and others will again welcome everyone