JARS v58n4 - From The Executive Director

From The Executive Director
Laura Grant
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Back in the '80s, when I first joined the Society, I never imagined that I would be sitting here writing to you as the newly appointed Executive Director of the American Rhododendron Society.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of visiting so many of your carefully tended gardens and have been fortunate to have met so many fellow rhododendron enthusiasts. It's been clear to me for a long time that we have a very special network of passionate horticulturalists who value the environment of sharing and camaraderie that has been cultivated at the ARS.

Over the past seven years, Dee Daneri has kept the complicated business of the ARS operations running at full efficiency and has cheerfully kept the lines of communication open, implemented fundraising initiatives and pursued new memberships. Dee is truly devoted to the cause of the ARS and its mission, and she will be one tough act to follow.

It is my hope that we will continue to build upon the existing momentum as well as branch out in some new directions. With the help of our membership, I believe we can achieve a great deal.

I look forward to getting to know many of you better and hope to meet many more of you at our convention next year in Victoria, British Columbia.