Get to Know Our JCCW Master Gardener Association Board for 2025
Our new leadership team took office in January, with a combined 81 years of Master Gardening experience to guide them in leading our organization this year. Most have been gardening since childhood and bring tremendous knowledge and practical experience to their work as Master Gardeners.
Please get to know these outstanding individuals who have stepped up to positions of leadership this year. You may learn a few new things about old friends and colleagues from their interviews. Many hands make light work, and our leadership team will need every member’s support and assistance to make 2025 an outstanding year of service to our greater community.
Dave Kleppinger, photo courtesy of Odd Moxie
Dave Kleppinger, President
A Master Gardener since 2016 and Tree Steward since 2023
Also, I serve on the Ford’s Colony Roads and Project Maintenance Committee and benefit from the insights of its Landscape Design Subcommittee and the landscape staff.
I have loved gardening since I gardened and landscaped as a kid growing up in the Garden State.
I became a Master Gardener because I’ve enjoyed landscaping and landscape design my entire adult life. I studied commercial landscape design in graduate school, which opened my eyes to how plant material can meaningfully impact the physical and visible environment. As a result, I’ve always enjoyed identifying optimal right plant – right place options.
Highlights of my service as a Master Gardener include interfacing with the public both on home visits and while leading CW Arboretum tours.
My favorite projects and proudest accomplishments: I am most proud of the opportunity I’ve had to work with a team of talented Master Gardener Tree Stewards creating and growing the CW Arboretum. And what I’ve learned on this project enabled me to lead a team of Tree Stewards to create the accredited Ford’s Colony Arboretum. I also enjoy helping homeowners overcome the issues they have with their lawns and landscaping. For decades I struggled with having something better than the worst looking lawn on the street. This motivated me to understand how best to cultivate a healthy crop of turf while minimizing adverse environmental impacts. Today I’m the lead “Lawn Ranger,” although my own lawn is just 1000 sq.ft. in size.
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer include: to optimize every EMG’s experience as a VCE volunteer by improving the quality of our projects.
Beyond gardening: I grew up in the Delaware Valley so I’m an avid Philadelphia sports fan….Go Birds! I enjoy golfing with friends, doing genealogical research, traveling the world with Fran and participating in service projects with my Rotary club. I also like to escape inside historical fiction set in medieval times. Despite having lived in Virginia since 1980, I’m still a wisecracking, cheese steak eating Philly street corner guy.
Anne Hunt, President-Elect
Anne Hunt, photo courtesy of Anne Hunt
A Master Gardener since 2015 in Tucson Arizona, transferred to JCCW in 2023
Currently enrolled in the Tree Steward Program
Also, I was a Board Member of the Tucson Community Gardens, which was a great passion of mine.
I have loved gardening from a very early age, and I loved gardening alongside my grandparents here in Williamsburg. I learned to properly dig a hole, what time of year to prune, and the joy of sitting back at day’s end looking out on nature in its glory. I am most interested in native plants and trees, a passion I developed in depth in Tucson and am now focusing on here in Williamsburg. Garden design is also an area of interest as I develop our garden here at my home in Williamsburg.
Highlights of my service as a Master Gardener are the great friendships I’ve made through the Master Gardener Program, and the feeling of working together with fellow gardeners on projects that in most cases take years is extremely rewarding. Knowing that those projects help educate and inspire our community is the common bond we all share. Moving to Williamsburg and immediately finding new friends in the JCCW group made me truly feel back home. I look forward to meeting more fellow gardeners in the coming years.
My favorite projects and proudest accomplishments: I love applying my organizational, technical, and creative skills to MG projects big and small. My proudest, and most fun project with the Tucson MG Program was leading the team to take our “in-person” Plant Clinic online during the pandemic. We were able to help literally thousands of residents with their gardening questions and challenges, while at the same time capturing all the data for research purposes. Our team worked together to build an online Plant Clinic program that continues today.
At the same time, I was the leader of the Xeriscape Garden at the Pima County Master Gardener public gardens for 4 years. Here, I enjoyed a fabulous team that expanded the garden, added plant materials and design elements, designed passive water retention features, and more. Here in Williamsburg, I’ve enjoyed being a part of the Communications Team. It has helped me see the scope of the great work done here and develop a desire to do get more deeply involved.
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer include working with Dave and the Board to learn how our organization works and how the Board can support our many important projects. I plan to develop hands-on knowledge of each of our projects. I look forward to connecting with JCCW Master Gardeners in the coming year as the people doing the work are so much a part of what I enjoy about our program. It is important to me to accomplish our mission as an educational gardening program in such a way that we as a group are strengthened just as we help strengthen our community. I feel fortunate to be a part of such an incredible group. Seeing how widespread our touch is in this community is inspiring and uplifting.
Beyond gardening: I love reading, art, movies, jigsaw puzzles, walking my dog, my family, and life in general. Professionally, I was a marketing professional and interior designer. I have found that these talents serve me well in all my endeavors. Throughout my life I’ve been a ‘hands-on’ home renovator, and I am applying those skills to our new ‘old house’ here in Williamsburg. It was once the Raleigh Tavern Kitchen before being moved from CW to the Burns Lane neighborhood in 1949.
Wayne Koenig, Secretary
Wayne Koenig, photo courtesy of Marion Guthrie
I have loved gardening since childhood growing up on a farm in the Texas Panhandle, where we and our neighbors grew our own vegetables and fruits. Now, my particular interest is in landscape and flower gardening.
My favorite projects and proudest accomplishments: I enjoy volunteering on the Communications Committee and working with all the great master gardener volunteers associated with it. I have enjoyed the technical and mental challenge of learning how to administer the JCCWMG website and all the other aspects of our social media platforms. I also enjoy volunteering at the Brickyard Landing Riparian Buffer Garden because it is a new and growing project. It’s fun to be involved in establishing a new garden, planting new plants, and watching them grow while knowing what they will eventually grow into.
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer include: 1. To continue to be involved in and learn about our Association’s mission and projects because there is so much to learn and do. 2. To continue to work within the organization to provide our master gardeners with social media tools and platforms to communicate with each other and with our gardening public.
Beyond gardening: I enjoy woodworking and working around my house and garden. I am enjoying my retirement from working with training and education program requirements for the Army by doing things I enjoy and having fun doing them.
Linda Neilson, Treasurer
Linda Neilson, photo courtesy of Odd Moxie
A Master Gardener since 2018
I have loved gardening since enjoying my mother’s beautiful gardens and am inspired by those memories. My mother had such a “green thumb” that she could make anything grow.
I became a Master Gardener to gain knowledge and work with people who enjoy gardening.
Highlights of my service as a Master Gardener: Water Wise Garden activities and plant sales over the years
My favorite projects include: Landscape Love, Turf Love, Therapeutic Gardening, and the Water Wise Demonstration Garden. As a Master Gardener, I’m especially interested in native plant species and the history of specific plant groups. I’m looking forward to contributing to our local efforts to promote biodiversity and native plants in home gardens
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer include finding ways to streamline the budget and requisition processes.
Beyond gardening, I enjoy reading, golfing, genealogy, and digging into British history from Alfred the Great to King Charles III. My professional background is in information technology along with expertise in Microsoft products used for budgeting and cash flow processes. This experience helps in my role as Treasurer.
Dot Finnegan, VP Administration
Dot Finnegan, photo courtesy of Odd Moxie
A Master Gardener since 2020
Also, a member of: The World Wildlife Foundation, Doctors without Borders, and The Cornell Ornithology Lab, participating in its annual Feeder Watch.
I have loved gardening since I began digging weeds at home when I was 7 years old.
I became a Master Gardener to gain more of an understanding of gardening, especially the plants in my garden as well as what might also flourish there. I also wanted to gain knowledge that might assist neighbors through my volunteering with various projects.
My favorite project is the plant sale. I have enjoyed helping with organizing, sharing plants, and assisting with the sale. It publicizes our endeavors and brings joy to so many folks in our area, while also financially supporting our other projects. One of the things that I appreciate about our unit is that members may contribute in a variety of ways according to their own interests and abilities, without judgment.
My goals for 2025 and beyond include: 1. To continue to engage in the pruning clinic and the plant sale. 2. To document our meetings as well as participate in the stewardship of the organization. 3. To continue to send cards to members who are sick or who have lost loved ones. 4. To communicate our endeavors to the public through local media.
Beyond gardening: I taught the history of higher education and have knowledge of the land-grant movement out of which came the Extension Service. I am interested in continuing my academic research. I enjoy The Cornell Ornithology Lab and its annual Feeder Watch, reading, and playing pool with friends.
Gary Griffith, VP Projects
A Master Gardener since 2014, in Manhattan, Kansas. A member of the JCCW MGA since 2022.
Gary Griffith, photo courtesy of Odd Moxie
I have loved gardening since working in my father’s nursery and growing vegetables when I was a kid. My interest is in biology, especially botany. I love the beauty, variety, and complexity of plants and their importance in our lives.
Highlights of my service as a Master Gardener include working with the elementary school students at Clara Byrd Baker in the school garden, seeing their delight at being in the garden and with growing veggies.
My favorite projects and proudest accomplishments: Restarting the garden club and rebuilding the garden at Clara Byrd Baker after it was closed down during Covid.
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer include: 1. To continue administrative support for the projects. 2. To help Project leaders where needed. and 3. To begin implementing relevant recommendations that have been made with the 2024 surveys.
Beyond gardening: I have a degree in biochemistry and 11 years of professional laboratory experience in soil testing. I taught Microbiology in Malaysia before returning to Kansas State University for thirty years of professional service in lab management and research. My wife of 48 years and I moved to the Williamsburg area in 2019. I enjoy helping and encouraging others, creative wood projects, household repairs, playing the guitar, and Bible study.
Crystal Skeeter-Davis, VP Internal Education
A Master Gardener since 2023
Crystal Skeeter-Davis
I have loved gardening since I was a little girl. My grandparents were instrumental in sparking my interest in horticulture. I gardened each summer with them and have beautiful childhood memories of their vegetable gardens. I’ll never forget eating tomatoes and grapes off the vine, riding on my grandpa’s tractor, and watching my grandmother trade flowers with family and neighbors. I am most interested in vegetable gardening and food forests. I enjoy experimenting with new plants in the garden and love to explore how to make gardening more accessible to people of all physical abilities and skill levels. I truly believe gardening is activity that can bring joy for a lifetime.
Highlights of my service as a Master Gardener have been working in the “communication garden,” and enjoying the sense of community I’ve experienced working with other EMGs. As a member of the communications team, I have the opportunity to experience a little of all the gardens. It’s an honor to help projects educate the public and share their beautiful gardens with other EMGs and our community.
My favorite projects and proudest accomplishments: I’m most proud of the work I’ve done on the MGA’s Youtube channel. The videos provide education to the community, place a spotlight on our beautiful gardens, and highlight the talents and expertise of EMGs.
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer include bringing meaningful educational programs to the MGA membership and to the public. I also want to visit each of the projects and help them share what is special about their garden with our friends and neighbors. It is important to share the love of gardening with the public and encourage young people to plant something, even if it is just a little pot on a windowsill.
Beyond gardening, I’m married to the love of my life and the mother of a son and daughter. I’ve been privileged to serve as the Director of multiple victim services programs and maintain an interest in advocacy. After over 20 years of public service, my husband and I established Parenting SCIL. Our business provides dispute resolution services and parent education for parties involved with Juvenile & Domestic Relation courts across the 9th judicial district. In my free time I enjoy crafting, reading and learning about holistic wellness.
Marion Guthrie , VP Communications
Marion Guthrie, photo courtesy of Odd Moxie
A Master Gardener since 2019 and Tree Steward since 2020
I have loved gardening since childhood when I worked in the family’s garden with my dad who raised roses. I became a Master Gardener because I wanted to be a better, more knowledgeable gardener. Also, I had just retired to Williamsburg and wanted to make new friends.
Highlights of my service as a Master Gardener include the day I got my certification, and when I received the Board’s approval to form and manage the Communication Team.
My favorite projects and proudest accomplishments: I’m most proud of the formation and the work of the Communications Team. We manage our Association’s communications to over 200 members as well as disseminating gardening education to the public in the greater Williamsburg area. The team creates and distributes content on our monthly newsletter, on Better Impact, and on our website (JCCWMGA.org) which includes original blog posts, and regular social media posts. We also handle the creation and distribution of YouTube videos, Association news releases, and publicity for special events.
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer are to continue to improve the delivery of gardening information and educate the greater Williamsburg gardening public about best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship. Beyond gardening: I’m interested in entomology, recycling, climate change, and art. I had a great business career in marketing and sales holding senior executive posts primarily for financial services companies while raising my three daughters before retiring to Williamsburg where I enjoy my new friends and being a Master Gardener.
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer include improving the delivery of gardening information to the greater Williamsburg gardening public to educate the local gardeners about best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship.
Beyond gardening: I’m interested in entomology, recycling, climate change, and art. I had a great business career in marketing and sales holding senior executive posts primarily for financial services companies while raising my three daughters before retiring to Williamsburg where I enjoy my new friends and being a Master Gardener.
Marilyn Riddle, VMGA Representative
Marilyn Riddle, photo courtesy of Odd Moxie
A Master Gardener since 2001
Also, a member of The American Horticultural Society and a life member of the VMGA, our state counterpart.
I have loved gardening since watching my mother and paternal grandfather garden and then eating those delicious veggies that they grew! My mother and both grandfathers maintained their vegetable gardens as a point of pride in their small Southern towns, and they used them to reduce the food bills in all three family’s households. Today, I continue that interest by knowing where the best farmer’s markets are located within a 50-mile radius of home.
I became a Master Gardener because I wanted to expand on the knowledge that I acquired watching and helping my mother work in our family vegetable garden of my youth.
My favorite projects and proudest accomplishments: I enjoyed working in the initial horticultural therapy program at The Williamsburg Landing while I was an intern, under the guidance of Dr. Diane Relf, the first MG coordinator for Virginia. Barbara Gustafson ably assisted her. We won a national award as a result.
I also enjoyed the Orr Garden, when it was the Reid Garden at Colonial Williamsburg, both as a worker and as the project coordinator. I served as chair of two CW Gardens for three years. I prepared and conducted a tour there for USDA officials who were conferencing at the Williamsburg Inn, with one day’s notice. Their questions, during the tour or through emails afterward, were lessons I used going forward with that project.
Most recently, I have enjoyed serving as the VMGA representative. It has also been a very educational experience as well as a social one.
My goals for 2025 as an MGA officer include increasing the membership of VMGA by continuing to tell the story of that group’s impact on state issues. The VMGA has sponsored some particularly successful programs.
Beyond gardening: I am the proud mother of two sons, both Virginia Tech graduates, and one daughter, a UVA graduate.
I am a retired high school math teacher and an advocate for public education. I am a member of both the VEA-R and NEA-R. I am involved at all three levels as a state leader in DKG and a past state president in this women teacher’s honorary organization, where I continue in an advisory role.
As a member of P.E.O., I chair an interview team that seeks doctoral candidates for our national scholarships. We have been successful twice in the last four years and await results again in this competition. I am also a state officer in NARFE (active and retired federal employees) which includes being a liaison to Congressman Wittman from the state board of NARFE. We are the only advocate organization for this group.
I am a regular advocate for JCCWMGA to VMGA, and I serve as Early Greeter Chairman at Williamsburg UMC.
Vickie Rockwell, Past-President
Vickie Rockwell, photo courtesy of Odd Moxie
A Master Gardener since 2019
I have loved gardening since childhood. My grandparents always had a space in their gardens for me to plant lettuce, carrots, and radishes.
I became a Master Gardener to be part of the community and share my love of gardening. I want to be up-to-date and knowledgeable regarding the latest information and trends for the garden.
My favorite projects and proudest accomplishments: I really have enjoyed all the projects that I have worked on: Waterwise, The Colonial Williamsburg gardens, WBG, ARC, and Jamestown. The camaraderie of working with our Master Gardeners makes the work fun and the results beautify the environment.
Beyond gardening: Special interests include working with my professional society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, to foster STEM education and reading. My professional background is board and organizational governance, and I worked for the City of Houston Tax Incremental Reinvestment Zone 1.
Luke Gladden
Luke Gladden, VCE ANR Agent
[email protected], or [email protected]
Has worked with the JCCW Master Gardeners since 2024
Also, the Appointed Extension Director for the Colonial Water and Soil Conservation District.
I have loved gardening as a byproduct of my love for nature and have long had an interest in gardening and horticulture. My mother is an avid gardener, and that exposure helped introduce me to the plant world. I have enjoyed several horticulture and plant-based courses in college that furthered my insight and interest in horticulture, especially plant nutrition and disease diagnosis.
My goals for 2025 as the VCE agent include: To become more involved and knowledgeable about the numerous projects that the Master Gardeners undertake. I wish to provide assistance to the MGA Board and to the group as a whole. I am excited to work with you all and get to know you better!
Beyond gardening: I love to read; literature is a passion of mine. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a focus in Entomology. Entomology is my special interest, and I can be a little bit of a nerd about insects. I have done research on the impact of trash on local waterways, eco-anxiety, and fertilizer nutrient impact on plants. Since I majored in Environmental Science in college, a variety of topics related to sustainability, renewable energy, and water are of interest to me. Music has also been a large part of my life, both listening to it and playing instruments myself. I can play the trumpet, mellophone, French horn, and piano.