• Master's degree from University of Michigan

• Bachelor's degree from Hope College, Holland, Michigan

• Certification from Michigan State University’s Agricultural Technology Institute in Landscape Management

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• Retired (2019) from Kalamazoo County MSU Extension as a Consumer Horticulture Educator and Coordinator of Master Gardener Volunteer Program

• Owner of Secret Gardens LLC, landscape consulting business

• Member of Kalamazoo In Bloom Board of Directors, Portage District Library Board of Trustees, and Kalamazoo Master Gardener Association Board

• Certified MSU Extension Advanced Master Gardener volunteer with specializations in Landscape Design, Smart Gardening, and Pollinator Champion

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Pre-retirement:

• Worked extensively in Integrated Pest Management, plant identification and diagnostics, food crops, aquatic invasive species, and volunteer management.

• Certified Green Industry Professional through Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association

• Recipient of eXtension's national award, Working Differently in Extension

• Recipient of Star Award for Volunteer Service in Kalamazoo, Michigan

 

Interests:

• Nature photography

• Protecting and enjoying natural resources

• Lifelong gardener (first teachers were my grandmother and father)

• Traveling. I especially enjoy visiting gardens wherever I travel