2016 Convention People and Activities

Photos courtesy of Bob Clark, Winston Goretsky, Mel Grice, Stephen Maciejewski, Julie Mavity-Hudson, Ron Myhr, Jim Roberts, Peter Shalit and Paul Susi

2016 Convention Poster

The DoubleTree Downtown Wilmington Hotel

Checking in for the trip to Longwood Gardens

Elizabeth Varley discusses Longwood Gardens

The Conservatory at Longwood Gardens

The group gathers outside the Conservatory

Inside the Longwood Conservatory

Chrysothemis as bedding plants

Jay Sespico, Jon Dixon and Maureen Mark

Andrew Norris and Bill Price

Julie Mavity-Hudson, Carol Ann Bonner and Randy Baron

The Water Lily Garden

Doris Brownlie, Bill Price, Gil and Joan Wood

Victoria Water Lilies

Betsy Gottshall, Jay Sespico, Maureen Mark and Julie Mavity-Hudson

Dale Martens, Molly Schneider and Michael Riley

Levin Tilghman

Casual group dinner Monday night

Monday Social

Jay Sespico and Paul Lee

Dick and Wanda Macnair and Irina Nicholson

Group waiting for the Winterthur house tour

Outside the house

Docent discussing the history of the house

The main spiral staircase

A whimsical fountain on the grounds

Hong Xin and Wen Fang navigating the grounds

Winterthur

Waiting for the tram

Carolyn Ripps, Anne Vidaver and Barb Festenstein

Susan Grose, Eileen McGrath, Bob Clark and Peter Shalit on the tram

Sally Robinson, Elizabeth Varley, Bob Clark, Austin Grevious, Mel Grice and Paul Susi

The annual meeting of the Board of Directors

Sally Robinson (Parliamentarian), Julie Mavity-Hudson (President) and Leonard Re (Recording Secretary) at the board meeting

The board deliberating

Wen Fang, Leonard Re and Stephen Maciejewski

Eileen McGrath

Paul Lee, Jo Anne Martinez and Gussie Farrice

Mary Schaeffer, Local Convention Chairperson

Jo Anne Martinez, Society Convention Chairperson

Tom Finnigan with Barb Borleske, Flower Show co-chairperson

Mel Grice and M J Tyler

Dee and Bob Stewart and Judy Becker

Jim Roberts, Bill Price and Winston Goretsky

Sylvia Svitak and Marilyn Heinrich

Steve Kerr and Barb Festenstein

Wen Fang (center) introduces Fan Zhi-Wei to Paul Susi

The Conservation meeting

Stephen Maciejewski and Jeremy Keene, Conservation Committee Co-chairs

Wen Fang presents an update on the Gesneriad Conservation Center of China

Hong Xin discusses his latest conservation work

Judging School Workshop

Workshop Attendees

Paul Kroll, co-facilitator of the workshop

Intermediate Judging School led by Mel Grice

Novice Judging School led by Arleen Dewell

Jeremy Keene introduces Nancy Kast

Nancy Kast speaks on growing humidity loving plants in Florida

Ron Myhr welcomes Gary Hunter of Gary's Specialty Plants

Practice judging in the afternoon: Doris Brownlie, Brett Flewelling and Robert Hall

Karyn Cichocki, Cindy Eastman and Gussie Farrice

Brandon Erikson and Mel Grice

Gary Vellenzer, Irina Nicholson and Norah Otto

Norah Otto at the luncheon honoring chapters and affiliates

Marilyn Heinrich, Randy Baron, Carolyn Ripps and Mike Horton enjoy a casual dinner

Celebrating Hong Xin's birthday

Speaker David Neill and Student Grant Committee Co-Chair Jeanne Katzenstein

Dale Martens presides at the GHA meeting

Celebrating GHA's first 40 years

Diantha and Albert Buell

Enjoying the GHA presentation

Rob and Olive Ma Robinson

Nancy Moerer and Jay Sespico

Tom Bruning, the GHA raffle man

Ben Paternoster 2016 Flower Show Co-Chair and Tom Bruning the 2017 Flower Show Chair

Entries Chair Karyn Cichocki and Awards Chair Paul Susi

Nancy Kast prepping her entries

Rosemary Platz, Flower Show Placement Chair

Judy Becker inspects Mary Schaeffer's plants

The designers busy at work

Doris Carson accepting auction donations

Student Grant Commmittee and Speakers Co-Chair Sephen Maciejewski

Students discuss their trip to Ecuador with John L. Clark

David Neill discusses plant exploration in Ecuador

Student Grant Recipients Claire Garcia, Megan Kucker, Hong Xin

The Annual Membership Meeting presided over by President Julie Mavity-Hudson

Annual Membership Meeting Dinner

Award of Appreciation recipients Becky Fontes and Bob Clark with committee chairperson Molly Schneider (recipient Anton Weber not present)

A special presentation on Conrad Gessner was prepared by Anton Weber

Dr. Weber's presentation was delivered by Ron Myhr

Leonard Re guards the sales room

Betsy Gottshall and Maureen Mark have plant sales fever

The plant sales room

Julie Mavity-Hudson, Stephen Maciejewski and Nancy Kast

Mary Schaeffer stocks up

Dolly Yeh inspects a purchase

Betsy Branson isn't rushing

The sales checkout team: Becky Fontes, Michael Riley and Mike Horton

The merchandise sales team: Carol Ann Bonner, Jeremy Keene, Fay Wagman and Sylvia Svitak

Susan Grose gives instructions to the judges and clerks

The judges and clerks breakfast

The Flower Show is open!

The Horticulture Division

The Arts and Artistic Divisions

Ray Ruger, Packet co-Chair, in front of the Educational Division exhibits

Photography Committee Chairperson Julie Mavity-Hudson at work

Some of the show photographers and assistants

Betsy Gottshall discusses miniature sinningias

Betsy Gottshall

Betsy Gottshall, Anne Vidaver and Loris Purtzer

Johnnie Berry and Barb Borleske peruse the mini-sinningia offerings

Francisco Correa, Molly Schneider, Michael Riley, Elizabeth Varley and Jon Dixon

Mary Schaeffer and Bobbie LaFashia, Convention Treasurer

Peter Shalit, Classification Chair, and Judy Becker

Maureen Mark, Irina Nicholson and Vilma Dalllas

Kathy Spissman, Johnnie Berry, Molly Schneider, Carol Ann Bonner and Julie Mavity-Hudson

Doris Carson, Auction Co-Chair

Susan Bradford

Jeanne Katzenstein, Nancy Kast, Marcela Mora and Jerry Kast

Marcia and Wayne Kilpatrick

Jeremy Keene and Karen Allen

Edie Chapman and Judith Smith

Laura Buckner and Barb Festenstein

Sylvia Svitak and Alan LaVergne

Wallace Wells

Liberty Bell Chapter members Russ Strover, Jeff Chapman, Tom Finnigan. Levin Tilghman, Judith Smith, Stephen Maciejewski and Betsy Branson

(from left) Maria Walueff, Wen Fang, Dolly Yeh, Lan Jiun Wu, Fan Zhi-Wei, Olive Ma and Ralph Robinson and Bobbie LaFashia

Eileen McGrath, Norah Otto, Peter Shalit, Bob Clark, Terry Celano, Betsy Gottshall, Sally Robinson and M J Tyler

Jeff and Deb Smith, Carol Brown and Edna Alexander

Best in Show recipient Ron Myhr and Paul Susi, Awards Chairperson

Runner up to Best in Show recipient Nancy Kast

Horticultural Sweepstakes winner Bobbie LaFashia

Artistic Sweepstakes winner Barbara Stewart

Horticultural Sweepstakes runner up and runner up to Best in the Arts winner Brandon Erikson

Artistic Sweepstakes runner up Paul Kroll

Best and runner up to Best in Artistic winner Steve Kerr

Best in the Arts winner Lan Jiun Wu

Multi-Division Sweepstakes and Best in Education winner Stephen Maciejweski

Paul Lee presents Paul Susi with the runner up to Best in Education award

Arleen Dewell leads the show critique for judges and clerks

Arleen Dewell, Alan LaVergne, Eileen McGrath, Paul Susi and Joan Wood discuss a judging issue

The Streptocarpus presentation by Karen Allen

Karen Allen

The audience at the strep presentation

Checking out the strep giveaways

Presentation by Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith speaking on species saintpaulia

Cindy Eastman and Barbara Stewart check out the saintpaulia giveaways

Bill Price, Auctioneer, and Tom Bruning, Auction Co-Chair

Joan Wood entices bidders

Auction bidding

Francisco Correa with original Conrad Gesner woodcut

Brandon Erikson, 2017 Convention Co-Chair, invites everyone to Omaha for the 2017 Convention

Auction settlement with Becky Fontes, Doris Brownlie, Molly Schneider and Elizabeth Varley

The Phytosanitary inspection

The Flower Show breakdown

The Flower Show is over

On the way to Timothy's Restaurant

Dinner at Timothy's on the Riverfront

Celebrating 200 years of gesneriads

(from left) Fan Zhi-Wei, Winston Goretsky, Bill Price, Dave Zaitlin, Leonard Re, Jeremy Keene, Wen Fang and Hong Xin

(from front left) Dale Martens, Mary Schaeffer, Gary Hunter, Quentin Schlieder, Dee and Bob Stewart, Judy Becker and Marilyn Heinrich

Mel Grice, Steve Kerr, Gussie Farrice, Fay Wagman, Barb Festenstein, Doris Brownlie and Sylvia Svitak

Kathy Spissman, Johnnie Berry, Carolyn Ripps, Mike Horton, Ronnie and Barbara Stewart, Randy Baron and Paul Susi

(from left) Albert and Linda Hall, Nancy Weinberger, Susan Bradford, Cindy Eastman and Ron Heisler

Jim Roberts, Speakers Co-Chair, presents "Hoarding-One Man's Attempt To Grow It All"

Drew Norris contributes to Jim's presentation

Gussie Farrice and Quentin Schlieder

Jeanne Katzenstein, Jo Anne Martinez, Betsy Gotshall, and Austin Grevious

Judith Smith, Jeff and Edie Chapman

The view from Timothy's after the thunderstorm

Back to the hotel

Jerry and Nancy Kast, Jim Roberts and Jeremy Keene

Wen Fang and Karyn Cichocki

Doris Brownlie, Judy Zinni and Jay Sespico

Until Next Year