Who We Are

The membership of California Garden Clubs, Inc. consists of 5 classes that include garden clubs, associate plant societies, affiliates, life members and all categories of youth gardeners.

A garden club, associate plant society, affiliate, or category of youth gardeners having one or more of the objectives of CGCI is eligible for membership providing no sectarian, racial, or political test for membership is required. Bylaws of each membership class shall not conflict with the bylaws of CGCI. Voting memberships are garden clubs, associate plant societies and affiliates. Non-voting memberships are all categories of youth gardeners and life members. Each category of youth gardener’s is sponsored by a member garden club or district, and shall have all privileges of CGCI except the right to vote and hold office.

California Garden Clubs, Inc. is governed by a Board of Directors.

CGCI Executive Committee

President: Julie West
1st Vice-President: Rita Desilets
2nd Vice-President: Sue Bennett
3rd Vice-President: Pat Clayes
Recording Secretary: Margaret Strachan

Corresponding Secretary: Joelle Holford

Treasurer: Joan Patten
Financial Secretary: Shane Looper

Parliamentarian: Greg Pokorski

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District Directors
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Arboretum District Director, Shirley Stewart
San Gabriel foothills in Los Angeles County to Whittier, including Glendale, to Orange and San Bernardino Counties.

Bay Bridges District Director, George Perko
Alameda and Contra Costa Counties west of the Berkeley-Oakland Hills including the cities of Pinole and Fremont.

Bay Ocean District Director, Nancy Mc Dougal
All of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties including the entire City of Palo Alto.

Buttes District Director, Krystal Migliore
Counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter (except for the Rio Oso Area in the southern portion) and Yuba (except for the Wheatland area on the southern border).

Cascade District Director, Carolyn Hoyum & Anne Capes
Counties of Shasta, Tehama and Trinity.

Central Coast Counties  - Counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito.

Channel Islands District Director, Beverly Switzer
Counties of Ventura and Santa Barbara except that portion of Santa Barbara County west and north of a line drawn from Gaviota to the junction of Highways 33 and 166 near the northeastern corner of the county.

Costa Verde District Director, Lorraine Ornelas
Southwestern Los Angeles County south of Manchester Avenue - Firestone Boulevard (State Highway 42) to Interstate 5 and Orange County line.

Desert Empire District Director, Linda Latimer
Kern County east of cities of Tehachapi and Kernville, Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County northwest of Interstate 15 to Interstate 40, including Barstow, north of Interstate 40 and all of Inyo county.

Diablo Foothills District Director, Jane Berger and Mona Dunlap
Contra Costa and Alameda Counties east of Berkeley-Oakland Hills including the Highway I-680 corridor.

Golden Foothills District Director, Josie Goodenow
Counties of El Dorado, Nevada, and Placer and Organic Gardening Club of Sacramento County.

Greater Los Angeles,  Position Open  - Coastal and central Los Angeles County north of Manchester Boulevard; Malibu and Hollywood.     

     
Humboldt District Director Janean Guest - Counties of Humboldt and Del Norte.

Luther Burbank District Director, Bev Davies
Counties of Sonoma, Napa and Marin.

Mendo-Lake District Director, Virginia Stranske
Counties of Mendocino and Lake.

Montana de Oro District Director, Linda Hicks
All of San Luis Obispo County plus the portion of Santa Barbara County, which lies north and west of a line drawn from Gaviota to the junction of Highways 33 and 166 near the northeastern corner of the county.

Orange County District Director, Launa Gould
Orange County.

Palms to Pines District Directors, Dann Dunst
Western San Bernardino and Riverside Counties; to northern and eastern boundaries of San Bernardino National Forest area, excluding Temecula Valley Garden Club.

Palomar District Director, George Speer
Counties of San Diego and Imperial and including Temecula Valley Garden Club.

Plumas Lassen District - Counties of Plumas, Lassen and Sierra.

Roadrunner District Director, Myra Andrest
Eastern San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, east from Interstate 15, and San Bernardino National Forest area; north to Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 excluding Barstow. Also excluding The Palms Garden Club.

Sacramento River Valley District Director,  Judy Smith
Counties of Sacramento, Solano, Yolo, Sutter and one club in the state of Nevada.

San Fernando Valley District Director, Pat Zarnowski
Northwestern Los Angeles City and County from the north face of the Santa Monica Mountains through San Fernando Valley, excluding Antelope Valley.

Santa Clara Valley District Director, Roseann Costabile
Santa Clara County excluding the City of Palo Alto.

Sequoia Foothills District Director, Diane Lane
Counties of Fresno, Kings, Tulare and western Kern County, including the cities of Tehachapi and Kernville.

Top O' The State Secretary:  Loraine Ramshaw 
Counties of Siskiyou and Modoc.

Valley Lode District Director, Bob Taylor
Counties of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne.

Yosemite Gateway District Director, Kathy Moran - Counties of Madera, Mariposa and Merced

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CGCI Circle of Poppies
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The Circle of Poppies was established in 2005 to honor those who have given extraordinary length of service to CGCI; membership confers a permanent position on the Board of Directors. Nominees to the Circle must be recommended by the Executive Committee and approved by the Board at any state meeting. Members are not prohibited from holding chairmanships.

        Helen Gates
        Angela Michaels
        Gertrude Paul
        Martha Ann Walter
        Rosalie Hooper
       

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CGCI Chairmen of Standing Committees
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Advisory Council: Maryanne Lucas: mmlucas@mac.com
Bylaws & Policy: Rita Desilets: rita@neteze.com
Board of Trustees: Joan Craid: jpetals@charter.net
Endowment Committee: Bob Gordon: sloflwrs4u@aol.com
Nominating Committee: Kathy Bramhall: jandkbramhall@snowcrest.net
Budget & Finance: Shane Looper: slooper@sbcglobal.net

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CGCI Special Committee Chairmen
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Amenities/Protocol: Marjorie Johnson: mdjosos@prodigy.net
Arbor Day: Jane Johnson: cagardener@cox.net
Arboreta & Botanic Gardens: Harry Dedini: peggydedini@yahoo.com

Associate Plant Societies Liaison: Sue Bennett: sue_c_bennett@att.net
Awards: Pat Clayes: patclayes@aol.com

Awards Finance: Win Archibald: winaarch@aol.com
Awards Photography: Deanna Ridolfi: rosewolfdj@aol.com
Backyard Habitat: Carolyn Vili: caronv@sti.net
Banner Orders: Rita Desilets: rita@neteze.com
Bees, Butterflies  Insects: Carole K Lung: cklung@verizon.net
Birds: Donna Beronda: donnaberonda@comcast.net
Blue Star Memorials: (Mail to Sandy Rogers): bronceC@aol.com &
Blue Star Memorials, George Unrine bluestar@cagardenclubs.org
Board Meetings & Conventions: Rita Desilets: rita@neteze.com
Business Commendations Chrmn./Discount Coordinator: LaVerne Harms: HarmsL@verizon.net
CGCI Calendar Chairman, Dorothy Dempsey: calendar@cagardenclubs.org 
CGCI Fall 2011 Board Meeting Chrmn: Chelsea Wilson: gardenlark@yahoo.com
CGCI Winter 2012 Board Meeting Chrmn: Nancy Johnson: nanJ93442@yahoo.com
CGCI 2012 Convention Chrmn: Ron Byrd: ronandcc@comcast.net
CGCI 2012 Fall Board Meeting Co-Chrmn: Donna Haddock: haddockd@suddenlink.net
CGCI 2010 Fall Board Meeting Co-Chrmn: Pat Chaney: patricia4144@suddenlink.net
CGCI 2013 Winter Board Meeting Chrmn:
CGCI 2013 Convention Chrmn: Jane McKee: JMckee1276@aol.com
CGCI Flower Show Judges Council: Maria Townsend: marciadeane@vcweb.org
CGCI Official Calendar: Rita Desilets: rita@@neteze.com
Calfiornia Natives: Margaret Strachan: uklady@roadrunner.com
Certificates: Lynne Hansen: LYNNEH10@aol.com
Chairman Coordinator: Robin Pokorski: RobinP@juno.com
Civic Development: Jerry Thirloway: jerrythirloway@roadrunner.com
Courtesy Resolutions: Joan Craig: jpetals@charter.net
District Director Coordinator: George Speer: speercgcimbrshp@aol.com
District Director Mailbox: Deedee Speer: jbspeer@aol.com
Educational Schools Finance: Elisabeth Tufo: elisto@earthlink.net
eNewsletter:  Pat Clayes:  patclayes@aol.com
Environmental Studies School: Shane Looper: slooper@sbcglobal.net
Financial Advisor: George Perko: gperko@msn.com
Flower Show Awards: Susan Coolidge: susancoolidge07@gmail.com
Flower Show Design Education: Pauline Sechi: psechi@dishmail.net
Flower Show Judges Credentials: athy Bramhall: jnkbramhall@snowcrest.net
Flower Show Schedules: Lorna Bonham: bonhamLorna@att.net
Flower Show Schools: Dolores Moffat: doloresmoffat@hotmail.com
Flower Show Symposia Chairman, Laura Crenshaw: symposiachair@cagardenclubs.org
Garden Patch Pointers: Robert Schuler: rhschuler@frontier.com
Garden Therapy: Bonnie Wagner: bpwagner1@verizon.net
Gardening Consultant, Myrtle Findley: myrtle@exwire.com
Gardening Study Schools: GregPokorski: gregpokorski@earthlink.net
Golden Gardens Angels & Holiday Greetings: Carol Mayo: cmayoangelsnsg@sbcglobal.net
Golden Gardens Circulation: Robin Pokorski:  RobinP@juno.com

Golden Gardens Editor: Julie West: julieawest@aol.com

Golden Gardens Feature Editor-Conservation:  Donna Thomas:  awyatt@ridgenet.net

Golden Gardens Feature Editor-Horticulture:  Dana Lozano:  danalozano@att.net

Golden Gardens Feature Editor-Design:  Pauline Sechi:  psechi@dishmail.net

Golden Gardens Feature Editor-Youth:  Kris Ethington:  monarchs@morebutterflies.com
GGNPC Project Mission Blue: Shane Looper: slooper@sbcglobal.net
Home Grown: Myrtle Findley: myrtle@exwire.com
Honor Books: Joelle Holford:  showmums@wildblue.net
Hotel Contracts: Dave West: jdavidwest@aol.com
IRS NonProfit Group Exemption: Mary-Jo Noth: irsnonprofitgroup@cagardenclubs.org
Landscape Design Council: Patricia Clayes: patclayes@aol.com
Landscape Design Schools: Alexis Slafer: aslafer@ca.rr.com
Legislation/Government: Chuck Goodwin: LegislationGovt@cagardenclubs.org
Liability Insurance: Gloria Aminian: cgciinsurance@bak.rr.com
Life Memberships, Carlotta Wixon: lifemember@cagardenclubs.org 
Master Gardener Liaison: Hoberly Schuler: hoberlys@frontier.com
Member Award of Distinction: Lynne Hansen: LYNNEH10@aol.com
Membership: Sue Bennett: sue_c_bennett@att.net
Membership Zip Code Club Finder Services: George Speer: speercgcimbrshp@aol.com
Memorial Gardens: Judy Laird: jjL4600@sbcglobal.net
NGC Liaison/President's Projects: Marilyn Oberti: marilynoberti@comcast.net
National Garden Week: Helen Gregory: helenmg@att.net
National Resources: Dwight Holford: dwightholford@yahoo.com
New Cultivars: Judy Powers: judyap45@yahoo.com
Operation Wildflower: Wanda Hewett & Merilee Ray: tmray@ridgenet.net
Pacific Region Convention 2013: Dave West: jdavidwest@aol.com
Penny Pines: Pat York: phyork1932@aol.com
Permanent Files: Rita Desilets: rita@neteze.com
President's Project: Ruth Browning: ruthbrowning@sbcglobal.net
President's Project: Linda Simonds: LJKsimonds@yahoo.com
Principal Grants Program: principalgrants@cagardenclubs.org
Publicity, Emily Chase Bueermann: emilychase@aol.com
Reforestation & Restoration: Judy Unrine: Judysgarden01@gmail.com
Roses: Kathy Pifari: win.n.roses@dishmail.net
San Francisco Flower & Garden Show 2013 Advisor: Gwen Nansen
Scholarships: Evelyn Boraddus & Albert Chang: afchangusa@gmail.com
Sempervirens Fund: Rosa Radicchi: radicchi@aol.com
Shrubs/Trees: Linda Smith: mike.linda.smith@gmail.com
Smoky Bear/ Woodsy Owl Poster Contest: Denise Davis: jadmd3@sbcglobal.net
Stamps: Doris Nagy: doriszn@aol.com
State Parks: Janet Eyre: david_eyre@mail.com
State Pins & Misc. Sales: Gail & Hank Vanderhorst: gg411@pacbell.net
Timekeeper: Victoria Lucido: vlucido@comcast.net
Tours: Bob Gordon: sloflwrs4u@aol.com
Vegetables/Herbs: Karen Mahshi: guiltedherb@earthlink.net
Website: Ed Dempsey: webmaster@cagardenclubs.org
Website Calendar: Dorothy Dempsey: calendar@cagardenclubs.org
Website Club Liaison: Anne C Barrett: Abarrett@skywayconsulting.com
Yearbook Team Coordinator: Carmen Black: carmrosa@comcast.net
Youth Activities Chairman, Maryanne Lucas: cgciyac@cagardenclubs.org
Youth Assistant & Awards: Linda Riddle: ridfam@sisp.net
Youth Girl Scouts Liaison, Pat Tjosaas: cgcigirlscouts@cagardenclubs.org
Youth Poetry/Essay Conest: Joyce Reid: joycrita@aol.com