The work of the Michigan Master Gardener Association is provided by an all-volunteer board and volunteer committees that help guide the organization's communications, membership development and finances.   For more on the structure of the board and the bylaws of the organization, please click here.

To learn more about the organization and opportunities for you to volunteer please contact one of the board members or email us at info@michiganmastergardener.org.

Executive Committee Members

NAME AND MMGA POSITIONS: Jackie Manchester-Kempke, President, Communication Committee, Leadership Committee, Membership Committee

PROFESSION: Spanish teacher, retired.

HOBBIES: After years of choral singing and some theatre, my voice has aged out so I stay active volunteering, walking, writing, taking photos of nature to make cards, and gardening.

FAVORITE TRAVEL LOCATION: I really enjoyed visiting Iceland, seeing the Van Gogh and Rodin museums in Amsterdam and Paris, also the Family of Man Museum in Luxembourg curated by Edward Steichen. (He lived in the Keweenaw for a short time as a boy.) Hard to top Lake Superior, though, for relaxation and beauty.

FAVORITE DRINK: I enjoyed mojitos and G&T’s but now a ginger peach rooibos tea latte is my favorite.

WHAT I LIKE TO GROW: I start calendulas and nasturtiums every year, winter over geraniums, and encourage the spread of the hollyhocks; however, my focus is on natives after reading Doug Tallamy’s books.

WHY I GARDEN: My mother passed on her love of growing things to my two sisters and me. My plan is to keep the garden gloves on but I always end up with soil-encrusted nails. Hauling interesting rocks home and using them in the garden is very satisfying. Seeing seedlings finally emerge is exciting. Adding sprigs of thyme, savory, oregano, sage, rosemary, and tarragon to chicken for roasting makes it taste amazing. The garden is a creative yet peaceful place.

NAME AND MMGA POSITIONS: Vicky Diehl, Treasurer

HOMETOWN: Mt. Morris, Michigan

PROFESSION - Infection Prevention Nurse, previously a surgery nurse. Works at the Gladwin and West Branch Hospitals of MyMichigan Health.

PETS: A golden retriever named Higgins.

FAVORITE TRAVEL LOCATION: My favorites have been a great once in a lifetime trip to Italy and a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to see the solar eclipse of 2017. I frequently visit my brother and sister-in-law’s winery, Stonewall Creek in Tiger, Georgia. It's in a beautiful valley with grapes growing everywhere.

HOBBIES: Gardening and crafts of all kinds.

WHAT I LIKE TO GROW - I love a cottage style Garden with all the old fashioned flowers and am a huge fan of Dahlias and flowering bushes. Herbs are also a passion. I’ve taken ribbons for my dahlias and herbs at the Ogemaw County Fair.

SOMETHING I DON’T CARE FOR: Baseball. It’s ironic the streets in my neighborhood are named after the Detroit Tigers from the 1968 World Series - Freehan, Stanley, Lolich and McLain

FAVORIE DRINK: Iced tea

LOCAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION: Sunrise Side

WHY I GARDEN: It’s a great stress reliever. I love the quiet and the feeling I get when I look over my shoulder at all the pretty flowers. It's not work! It's pure joy!

NAME AND MMGA POSITIONS: Stephanie Bahorski, Secretary, Communication Committee, and Membership Committee

HOMETOWN: Sterling Heights, MI

LOCAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION: Macomb County Master Gardener Association

PETS: Twinkie (cat), Gremlin (cat), and Chani (dog)

PROFESSION: Project manager in tobacco regulatory research

HOBBIES: Beekeeping, volunteering with a local cat rescue, fostering kittens, running a Garden Club for high school students, and gardening

FAVORITE TRAVEL LOCATION: Anywhere in the UP!

WHAT I LIKE TO GROW: Any native flowers, shrubs, and trees. I also love to grow tomatoes and fruits like raspberries, blueberries, and aronia berries. I’m adding to my perennial fruit garden every year!

WHY I GARDEN: It’s a therapeutic and creative outlet for me. Being a Master Gardener also allows me to connect with and give back to my community. I’m passionate about increasing biodiversity in our yards, gardening to create quality habitat for insects, birds, and pollinators, and addressing invasive plants in our landscapes. Even adding one or two native plants to our yards can make a difference, and that’s something I want to encourage others to do.

NAME AND MMGA POSITIONS: Heather Klein, TBD

HOMETOWN: Macomb, Michigan

PROFESSION: Reservations Coordinator, Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills Mi

PETS: A Border Collie named Schatze (German for sweetheart). A kitten named Cena and a 20-pound Sulcata tortoise named Merlin. I would have more but fortunately, my husband keeps me from being the local crazy-lady with too many pets.

FAVORITE TRAVEL LOCATION: My favorites have been a trip to Maui with my husband and a trip to the Tennessee Smokey Mountains with my children and grandchildren. I’m planning to add new favorites in 2024 with an upcoming trip to visit family in Bavaria Germany.

HOBBIES: Hunting with my husband at our cabin in West Branch, Mi. Having time to sit quietly in the woods, watching the sun rise over the morning mist is the best therapy. Of course there is also gardening, and occasionally completing one of the many half-finished crafts I have going on at any one time.

WHAT I LIKE TO GROW - I enjoy rescuing plants from clearance racks at local nurseries then finding the right place in my gardens for them to flourish. My current project is exploring native plants that will attract Monarch butterflies and creating a Monarch waystation. Patio herbs are also a favorite. It’s nice to have fresh herbs available for outdoor cooking.

SOMETHING I DON’T CARE FOR: Cold, rainy days. Those are the days that you’ll find me under a blanket with a kitten in my lap, a cup of hot tea and binging movies.

FAVORIE DRINK: Water

LOCAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION: Octagon House in Washington Township and Cranbrook Gardening Association

WHY I GARDEN: When I was a small girl, I would visit my grandparents and their gardens. To this day, I love marigolds because I can remember sitting on the ground at my grandfather’s side while, as he gardened and told me why they were his favorite. I have been fascinated by all the things that come out of the ground – in gardens or the forest - since childhood.

NAME AND MMGA POSITIONS:  Norman Scherr, Past President, Membership Committee, Finance Committee

HOMETOWN:  Ann Arbor MI

PROFESSION/OCCUPATION:  Engineer (Electrical and Software)

HOBBIES:  Flying aircraft (models and real), volunteering, golfing

FAVORITE TRAVEL LOCATION:  All points USA with the kids and grandkids

FAVORITE DRINK:  Iced tea (real, unsweetened with lemon from Long Island)

WHAT I LIKE TO GROW:  veggies (all kinds), orchids, roses, bonsai

WHY I GARDEN:  I like to be at ground level sometimes.

SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU:  I like to visit East Lansing to see the Green

MMGA COMMITTEE MEMBERS

NAME AND POSITIONS: Melville Kennedy, Communication and Membership Committees

PROFESSION: Retired Military

HOBBIES: traveling, camping, volunteering and golfing

FAVORITE TRAVEL LOCATION: all points USA

FAVORITE DRINK: iced tea (real, unsweetened with lemon) and sparkling water

WHAT I LIKE TO GROW: Tree fruit and small fruit

WHY I GARDEN: relaxation and learning

NAME AND MMGA POSITION:  Ruth Steele Walker, Communications Committee (Chair)

HOMETOWN: Omena, MI

PROFESSION/OCCUPATION: Marketing Communications Consultant.  I retired as Advertising Manager of Farmers Insurance Company and promptly flunked retirement.

LOCAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION:  Master Gardener Association of Northwest Michigan

HOBBIES: Reading murder mysteries and thrillers and lots of gardening books, walking our puppy Mac, sewing, knitting and stomping out invasive species like Autumn Olive and Tree of Heaven.

FAVORITE TRAVEL LOCATION: Australia

FAVORITE DRINK: Wine, water and coffee, not necessarily in that order

WHAT I LIKE TO GROW: Perennials - native and adaptable.  I love color in my garden and lots of blooms at all seasons!  I also love to grow culinary herbs and occasionally try my hand at topiary and bonsai.

WHY I GARDEN:  It's part of my heritage.  My farmer father grew fruit - cherries, apples and prunes while my city-born and bred mother mowed about an acre of orchard grass for lawn and surrounded that with seven flower beds and her "naturalized garden" which would be called a native garden today.  Some of the earliest photos of me are in her gardens!

SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU:  I once had the opportunity to interview Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. 

Liaison to the board:  
Dr. Sarah Rautio, State Coordinator
Michigan State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program