Team

GET TO KNOW THE TALENTED
PEOPLE WHO FUEL OUR MISSION

Board of Directors

Kathryn Acerbo-Bachmann, Acton, MA
Doug Barker, Washington, DC
Skipp Calvert, Alexandria, VA
Tim Conlon, Dubuque, IA
Dr. Larry Deaven, Los Alamos, NM
Dr. James Folsom, Eastpoint, FL
Amy Golden, Falls Church, VA
Panayoti Kelaidis, Denver, CO
Scott Plein, Board Chair, Falls Church, VA
Christian Primeau, Cortlandt Manor, NY
Holly Shimizu, Glen Echo, MD
Bryant Smith, Baltimore, MD
Philip Tabas, Arlington, VA
Suzanne Laporte, President and CEO, ex-officio, Chevy Chase, MD

Staff

White Birch tree. Summer forest. Nature background. Green leaves

Courtney Allen

Director of National Programs

Favorite Plant: White Birch (Betula papyrifera)

A dark red Common Poppy featuring large, showy flowers with four crinkly petals and a light yellow center

Shannon Ayres

Communications Associate

Favorite Plant: Common poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

Cosmos atrosanguineus, commonly called chocolate cosmos, is a tuberous-rooted perennial that features brownish-red (or dark purple) flowers with a chocolate scent atop slender stems from summer to autumn. It is also commonly called black cosmos.

Mercedes Bryant

Director of Travel Studies

Favorite Plant: Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus)

Salvia 'Black and Blue' showcasing strking blue-purple flowers with dark, almost black calyces against a lush green backdrop

Tammy Burke

Horticulturist, River Farm
Favorite Plant: ‘Black and Blue’ Salvia (Salvia guarantica)

a display of tall purple/pink foxgloves with their tall, striking spires of dozens of cascading finger-shaped booms in a natural woodlands setting

Kate Cordle

Events and Rentals Manager, River Farm
Favorite Plant: Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

a vibrant orange daffodil, featuring a trumpet-shaped corona surrounded by six petal-like tepals

Leslie Fetty

Associate Membership Manager
Favorite Plant: Daffodil (Narcissus)

A vibrant yellow Foxtail Lily (Eremurus robustus), featuring a tall, cylindrical flower spike densely packed with small, star-shaped flowers, rising above a rosette of strap-shaped leaves.

Rochelle Greayer

Editor of American Gardener
Favorite Plant: Foxtail lily (Eremurus robustus)

A potted Monstera deliciosa set against a dramatic black background with bright green leaves illuminated by stage lighting

Jack Greenfield

Grounds Manager, River Farm
Favorite Plant: Monstera (Monstera deliciosa)

pink lilac flowers in full bloom, showcasing their delicate petals and sweet fragrance

Suzanne Laporte

President and CEO
Favorite Plant: Common lilac (Syringia vulgaris)

A peach-colored dahlia, featuring delicate, layered petals with hints of orange and pink, showcasing the intricate beauty and vibrant color of this popular flower

Jane Morrison

General & Events Receptionist, River Farm

Favorite Plant: Dahlia (Dahlia)

Giant Allium (Allium giganteum) with a large, globe-shaped cluster of tiny, lilac-purple flowers atop a sturdy stem

Caitlin Metzger

Assistant Manager, Development
Favorite Plant: Giant allium (Allium giganteum)

A sugar maple tree with metal buckets or sap collection vessels attached around its trunk to collect maple syrup, set against a winter landscape with snow covering the ground.

Philip Saville

Manager of Membership Operations
Favorite Plant: Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

Vibrant orange and yellow bird of paradise flower with purple accents in a closeup view, showcasing intricate details of the bloom and its exotic, ornamental beauty.

Claire A. Splan

Associate Editor of American Gardener
Favorite Plant: Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

a bright green Dwarf Hinoki Cypress shrub

Peter Tajat

Managing Director, Property Operations
Favorite Plant: Dwarf Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

An elderberry tree in full bloom, set against a natural background, featuring large, flat clusters of creamy-white, highly fragrant flowers with five petals.

Sheri Thorpe

Director of Finance
Favorite Plant: Common Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

clusters of ripe, juicy blueberries hanging from the branches of a blueberry bush, surrounded by lush green foliage

Katie Tukey

Director of Development and Engagement
Favorite Plant: Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

Acanthus mollis perennial plants with white and purple flowers. Summer nature.

Daniel Vincent

Director of Membership and Communications
Favorite Plant: Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus spinosus)

A pink rose, a perennial flowering shrub or vine from the genus Rosa within the Rosaceae family, featuring showy, fragrant flowers typically with five petals, and often adorned with thorns.

Mary Yee

Managing Editor & Art Director of American Gardener
Favorite Plant: Rose (Rosa)

a flowering date palm with bunches of red date fruits

Kiran Yousaf

Programs Assistant

Favorite Plant: Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

Consulting Staff

Robert Kuhlman, Digital Editor
Matt Mattus, Senior Director of Horticulture
Rebecca McMackin, Director of Horticultural Communications

Horticultural Advisory Council

Dr. Jim Folsom, Eastpoint, FL
William McNamara, Truckee, CA
Dr. Mary Hockenberry Meyer, Plymouth, MN
Claire Sawyers, Swarthmore, PA
Keith Tomlinson, Arlington, VA

American Gardener Editorial Advisory Board

Lorene Edwards Forkner, Seattle, WA
Panayoti Kelaidis, Denver, CO
Daria McKelvey, St. Louis, MO
Susan Morrison, Concord, CA
Charlie Nardozzi, Chair, Burlington, VT
Kelly D. Norris, Des Moines, IA
Jessica Walliser, Pittsburgh, PA

TEAM