Board Blurb: April 2025
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
4/09/25
Prepared by Laurel Watt (2025 RCMG Secretary)
Summary for the April RCMG Board of Directors Meeting
The RCMG Board of Directors Meeting was held on April 8, 2025 on Zoom. The next Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. There will be no May meeting because of the Plant Sale preparations.
Committee Updates
Plant Sale Committee Update – Cheryl Brady & Molly O'Rourke
No report.
Communications Committee Update – Stacy Sola & Nanette Boudreau
The committee continues to work on the 2025 Barn Garden Signage Project and Plant Sale materials.
Curators are busy tagging over 6,000 photos in Flickr.
Photographers are needed for public events, and several interns expressed interest at the recent Volunteer Project Fair in joining the committee.
Nanette noted that “open rates” for our monthly newsletter are down, so please encourage fellow members and interns to read the newsletter.
Please share the committee’s social media posts promoting the Plant Sale.
Education Committee Update – Gene Ranieri & Sue Mason
The April program topic is “Emerging and Established Plants in the Landscape Trade” by speaker Justin Townsend, Ramsey County Environmental Resources Specialist and Weed Management Area Coordinator.
The Team has scheduled a visit to the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden May 3rd at 1:00 pm. There is also a Garden Gate scheduled for May 4. Please look for the Sign-Up Genius emails for these events. A visit/tour to Tangletown Farms in Plato, MN is being considered for June.
The location of the joint meeting in August with Washington County Master Gardeners has been moved to St. Andrew’s Church in Mahtomedi; the speaker is Mark Seeley. Space will be limited, so sign up early!
Finance Committee Update – Laura Savin
The RCMG Purchasing Policy Draft was tabled for the June meeting. Next on their agenda is to create a financial aid policy.
Membership Committee Update – Tiffa Foster & Susie DeShon
Susie reported that the Volunteer Project Fair was a great success. 45 interns attended. Travis Sandlund has already agreed to join the committee in 2026 as a Co-Chair.
Leadership Updates
Secretary Update – Laurel Watt
The March Board Minutes were approved.
Treasurer Update– Kristina Hughes
The March Treasurer Report was approved.
Program Coordinator Update – Darren Lochner
On March 24th, an update on the Extension Horticulture Volunteer Program (i.e., Ramsey County Master Gardener Volunteer Program) was provided to the Ramsey County Extension Committee. This committee, which includes members of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, meets quarterly at the Ramsey County Extension Office.
The new state database implementation is delayed. Continue to record volunteer hours on your own in the short term!
Darren is following up with 2025 interns who have not made progress with the Core Course and/or created an account on the RCMG website.
The Resource Center at the Extension Office (aka the Diagnostic Clinic/Milkhouse) will be adding shelving in April to allow for better storage/access to program materials.
Chair and Vice-Chair Report
Vice-Chair Report – Beth Fritcher
No update for April.
Chair Report – Kay Wimer
The second meeting with the Extension team regarding the relationship between Extension and the non-profit (Strategic Plan Goal 3) took place on Monday, March 24, with Julie Bechtold and Kay Wimer representing the non-profit. Tim Kenny, Diane Griewe and Darren Lochner represented Extension with Karen Randall as facilitator.
The discussion covered the non-profit’s RASCI (a document that defines roles), using feedback from the Extension team to update it.
Future meetings will address finances and membership.
New Business
Speakers Bureau Payments
The Board approved a motion for the RCMG non-profit to continue to accept payments from Speakers Bureau partners who are contracted with the RCMG non-profit through the remainder of 2025. These funds will then be deposited into the University of Minnesota Foundation - Ramsey County Fund in support of financial aid for our Interns.
Arts Us Funding
The Arts Us program leaders have requested up to $500.00 in financial support for continuing its redevelopment of new raised beds and other improvements created in 2024 at the site in St. Paul near Central High School. A motion to approve was tabled in order to be considered at next week’s Finance Committee meeting with recommendations to be given to the Board soon after next week’s meeting.
Old Business
Darren will meet with the Finance Committee next week to discuss the U of MN Foundation’s Ramsey County Master Gardener fund and share monthly statements for 2024 and 2025 in response to the committee’s request for greater transparency in how the MG State Team manages these funds that we raise and contribute for financial aid for our interns.
2025 Board Leadership: Kay Wimer (Chair), Beth Fritcher (Vice-Chair), Laurel Watt (Secretary), Kristina Hughes, (Treasurer), Gene Ranieri (Education Chair), Susan Mason (Education Co-Chair), Tiffa Foster (Membership Chair), Susie DeShon (Membership Co-Chair), Nanette Boudreau (Communication Chair), Stacy Sola (Communication Co-Chair), Laura Savin (Finance Chair), Darren Lochner (Program Coordinator).