Kim became a Master Gardener in 1998, and was the Windham County MG Coordinator from 1999-2011.

During this time, she started the Junior Master Gardener program and helped initiate the Advanced Master Gardener program.

She joined the CMGA Board of Directors in 2012, and has been a symposium organizer since 2013.

Diane is a professional interior landscape designer who became a Master Gardener in 2003. One of our longest serving members, she was a CMGA volunteer and Board Member from 2004-2018. She served as Vice President in 2012 and 2013, and planned many CMGA events, including the popular Wine and Roses event in Elizabeth Park. She was also the CMGA liaison member of the Bushnell Park Foundation.

Diane’s greatest contributions were to the annual symposium, serving as Symposium Chairperson and co-chair in 2015 and 2016. She held many positions on the committee, including twice as registrar, and she designed the flyers, programs and our beautiful CMGA symposium banner.

Debbye became a certified master gardener in 2000. She has volunteered her extensive knowledge and experience with the following gardening projects:

• Worked with Habitat for Humanity, teaching new homeowners the basics of outside home maintenance. She helped develop a manual for Habitat to use with new families.

• Worked with a local elementary school to plant a spring garden.

• Volunteered in perennial garden at Elizabeth Park in Hartford.

• Helped found the Friends of Fernridge Park in West Hartford. This group works with local officials on long term planning and seasonal maintenance of the Park.

• Debbye is also on the CMGA Board of Directors, and was Treasurer in 2014 and 2015. She also serves on the symposium planning committee, and was the Vendor and Society liaison for many years.

• As a Registered Nurse, Debbye came out of retirement and returned to work with her fellow healthcare heroes during the 2020 COVID19 pandemic.

An avid gardener and professional groundskeeper, Richard (Dick) became a Master Gardener in 1999 and an Advanced Master Gardener in 2003. During his years with CMGA he served on the Board of Directors; regularly contributed to The Laurel, (including an extensive Calendar section) and also served on the symposium planning committee, where he took charge of the symposium signage.

In addition, Dick spent countless hours volunteering at Elizabeth Park in Hartford, and for many other gardening organizations. He received the first annual Elizabeth Park Volunteer Award for his longtime commitment to the Shade Garden.

He passed away on June 26, 2015. CMGA contributed funds to a park bench and plaque in his honor, in the Elizabeth Park Shade Garden.

Jamie has been an active Master Gardener in Middlesex county for many years and supervises the Demonstration Garden at the Middlesex County Extension office.

She has served as the Symposium Food Chairman since 2012, and manages the food service at other CMGA events as well.

Tracy served on the CMGA Board of Directors from 2010-2017 and has held many positions on the Executive Committee.

She was President from 2014-2017 and Symposium Chair in 2016 and 2017. She attained her Ruby AMG award in 2013.

Chantal has been an active Master Gardener in Middlesex County for many years.

She has served on the Symposium Food Committee since 2012 and provides food service at other CMGA events as well. She attained her Advanced Master Gardener Bronze level in 2013.

A lifetime membership awarded to Maureen who has been a tireless and dedicated volunteer for CMGA for many years serving in a variety of key areas, including CMGA President, Vice-President and Treasurer.

Her many contributions to CMGA include making the organization technologically relevant, including a new website, which in turn helped us be more organized, reduced our costs and helped us provide more services to our members.

Almost every member of CMGA at some point has spoken to, heard from and/or worked with Maureen. CMGA piloted several new fundraising initiatives – Spearhead Spade, CMGA Nursery Day, CMGA Commemorative Daylily Sale with daylilies hybridized in Wallingford CT and registered with the American Hemerocallis Society.

Billy Baxter received the award at the 2015 Symposium.

He served on the Board for many years and has been active volunteering in the MG Program and chaired many committees as well as serving as an Officer.

A special moment at the 2015 Annual meeting was awarding Lifetime Membership to Marge Bingham.

Marge has secured speakers for the Symposium for over a decade, tirelessly traveling countless miles to do so, and we expect her to keep going for countless miles more.

John received the award at the 2014 Annual Meeting. He served on the Board for many years and has been active volunteering in the MG Program.

He has chaired many committees as well as serving as an Officer.

Paul Grimmeisen received the award in 2013 at the ninth annual Summer Safari (which he created and has chaired since inception).

He served on the Board for many years and has been active volunteering in the MG Program. He has chaired many committees as well as serving as an Officer.

Ellen Morse, Enid Sherman and Bob Sherman received Lifetime Awards at the Nov 3, 2012 Annual Meeting.

Ellen was a longtime board member who was the speaker chair for the 1998 regional and who has had various roles within the CMGA as head of the bylaws committee and member of the grants committee. She has served the CMGA in a number of ways.

Bob recalled the first meeting of CMGA held in Haddam 25 years ago. Bob was one of the CMGA founding members, a past President and a speaker at the Regional MG Conference. Bob also received a letter from Kathy Dame, Assistant Director of the Connecticut College Arboretum lauding Bob on his efforts as an Arboretum docent and the efforts of Master Gardener volunteers at the Arboretum.

Bob and Enid both mentioned, in their order of importance, that which makes CMGA what it has become: Education, Service, Sharing, Social. We are sad to report that Bob Sherman passed away Oct 6, 2014 at age 90.

Marie received the second award at the Annual Meeting held in Haddam/Middlesex Extension Center on Nov 5, 2011. The organizational meeting for CMGA was held 24 years earlier in the same room where Marie received her award!

Marie was a member of the first MG Class, which graduated in 1978. She was instrumental in both the formation of CMGA and in the MG program, working for UConn. Marie was the "CMGA Historian" for many years, and the boxes of records she retained and has now passed on to the 25th Anniversary Committee will be a valuable resource in helping us create a trip down Memory Lane for 2012 celebration.

John Neff (left) received the first award at the first annual Board/MG Coordinator Potluck Luncheon in spring 2011.

John was active on the CMGA Board for many years, filling many critical roles, including creating our membership database.