By MG Linda Barrett
It was great to see about 100 Master Gardeners and interns at our December 7, 2025 potluck Holiday Party and awards ceremony. We honored six exceptional MGs for 15 or more years of dedication to the mission of the Montgomery County Master Gardener program through the Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, we recognized 21 people for outstanding service to the MCMG mission in the past year.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Recipients of this award have served as a board member or chairperson of a committee, had active participation within one or more committees, and/or performed outstanding service in a special task or role.
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| Pictured left to right: MGs Joe Ginther (for Ida Wallenmeyer), Sandy Occhipinti, Lisa Diamond, Joyce Martin Photo: Dean Evangelista |
MG Lisa Diamond
Lisa became a Master Gardener in 2010. As an intern, Lisa volunteered at the Brookside Gardens Plant Clinic and the Derwood Demonstration Garden. She joined Therapeutic Horticulture (TH) in 2010 at Brooke Grove Retirement Village in Sandy Spring and became TH co-lead with MG Wendy Band in 2015. Lisa is passionate about working with seniors. She enjoys conducting monthly programs at Bartholomew House and Raphael House Assisted Living, which include an educational component along with music and stories, poetry, or Americana. The monthly programs allow Lisa to be very creative.
She meets with TH volunteers for informational and learning sessions, materials exchanges, and intern/new member training. She has endless energy and a giant heart, providing much enthusiasm and warmth in her programs. For the past two years, Lisa and Wendy have taken MGs Eleni Clark and Carol Logun under their wings to prepare them to become TH chairs in 2026. We thank Lisa for creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for interns, MGs, and assisted living residents.
MG LeeAnne Gelletly
LeeAnne has single-handedly chaired the Public Relations (PR) Committee for many years, serving as the creative force behind our organization’s outreach efforts. Working closely with MCMG Coordinator Steve Dubik and the board of directors, she has conceptualized, designed, and produced signage, flyers, and promotional materials that have elevated our events and strengthened our public presence. LeeAnne’s contributions extend beyond creating materials for individual programs, as she has developed a resource library that MGs can use to support the Extension and MCMG mission to educate the public. Her talents in writing, layout, and design, combined with her generous dedication of time and creativity, have been instrumental in building our reputation throughout the community.
In addition, LeeAnne revived the Bay-Wise Committee in 2021 by encouraging 30 MGs to take 12 hours of advanced training and creating the new committee. She researched and created all the necessary documents and PR materials for the committee, and developed the Bay-Wise PowerPoint presentation that is delivered by the Speakers Bureau. LeeAnne recruited new members for both the PR and Bay-Wise Committees, ensuring that her work will continue to benefit the MCMG organization for years to come.
MG Pam Martella
For 15 years, Pam has dedicated herself to the Garden Educators program, inspiring not only fellow MGs but also the next generation of gardeners with her tireless energy and unwavering commitment. She has a remarkable combination of enthusiasm and hard work. She’s consistently among the first to pitch in, readily tackling any task. She’s a dependable and capable volunteer who we’ve always been able to count on for our kids.
Her dedication goes beyond the expected, as demonstrated when bad weather forced us to move the program from outdoors in the garden to the school as an indoor field trip. Without hesitation, Pam adapted to the new environment, working seamlessly with our team to bring the joy of gardening into the classroom. She taught children how to make seed baby necklaces and oversaw MyPlate nutrition games, all with her characteristic passion and flexibility.
In 2025, Pam stepped up to run the Garden Educator program solo. She ran the program flawlessly, demonstrating initiative, leadership, and a deep-seated commitment to the program’s success.
MG Joyce Martin
Joyce has volunteered with Therapeutic Horticulture for 15 years. Her floral designs are whimsical and bring smiles to residents. She cares for residents and succeeds in making sure they have something beautiful to take to their rooms. Joyce’s projects are well thought out and appropriate for the audience.
During the pandemic, Joyce was in the garage with her group making floral arrangements to be taken to two assisted living facilities that were in lockdown. She taught other MGs how to make beautiful arrangements that would withstand being transported and volunteered to deliver the arrangements. The group constructed arrangements over many months until they could return in person.
Joyce was also instrumental in setting up a new program at Bartholomew House Assisted Living, which is now thriving. She is a role model both for those entering TH and those who have been volunteering for a while.
MG Sandy Occhipinti
Since becoming an MG in 2010, Sandy has worked extensively at both the National Library of Medicine Herb Garden at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Derwood Demo Garden. Before the pandemic, Sandy managed the garden beds at Derwood that serve the Montgomery County Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children. Children come weekly during the growing season with adult helpers. Sandy organized their time in the garden, helping them grow vegetables and flowers. Some of the vegetables won prizes at the Montgomery County Fair!
For the past two years, Sandy has chaired the National Library of Medicine Herb Garden, which is a relaxing oasis for federal workers visiting during the day. She worked tirelessly to overcome the challenges of governmental defunding at NIH. Sandy is a dedicated, patient, and knowledgeable leader who has enriched gardening experiences for MGs and visitors alike.
Ida Wallenmeyer (awarded posthumously)
Ida was the consummate gardener from her first day as an MG and a dedicated volunteer in several activities. As a member of the Herb Society of America, she volunteered at the National Library of Medicine Herb Garden at NIH long before that activity qualified for MG hours. She and other volunteers helped establish the garden and provide the basis for the garden we see today.
For a number of years, Ida, as a solo volunteer, tended the herb garden at the rear of the Beall-Dawson House in Rockville. She did this work alone, after trying unsuccessfully to get other MGs involved. She received no MG credit for gardening at Beall-Dawson; currently, six MGs receive volunteer hours credit for the same work.
At the Derwood Demo Garden, Ida established and cared for the kitchen garden, most of the time working by herself. On Tuesday workdays, she arrived before anyone else and stayed until her work was done. If something required special work, she would do it on a non-workday. She filled the garden with herbs, kitchen crops, and medicinal plants. She introduced us to Malabar spinach, which most of us had never heard of. The present kitchen garden is now in a different area, but the Malabar spinach is still being grown on the fence where she first planted it.
Along with her gardening, Ida was a teacher. She was always glad to explain what she was growing, why she grew it, what it was used for, and why it was important in the history of kitchen gardens.
Outstanding Service Award
The following MGs were recognized for outstanding service to the MG mission in 2025:
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| Front row L-R: MGs Betsy Wooster, Wendy Thomas, David Stopak, Peggy Stanford, Carol Roman, Linda Rieger, Meipo Martin, Sue Kuklewicz Stanford, Carol Roman, Linda Rieger, Meipo Martin, and Sue Kuklewicz Back row L-R: MGs Carol Kosary, Alison Edwards, Mary Jo Eagen, Leslie Furlong, Matt Bates, Maxine Glazer, Ann Claxton, Wendy Band, Joe Andrews Photo: Len Friedman |
Joe Andrews – Close Encounters with Agriculture, leading the “Ag products Relay”
Wendy Band – Co-chair of Therapeutic Horticulture
Matt Bates, Lesley-Anne Furlong, and Maxine Glazer – Derwood Demo Garden compost team
Ann Claxton – Co-chair of Plant Clinics, Urban Gardening, and Bay-Wise
Mary Jo Eagen – Co-chair of the Derwood Demo Garden
Alison Edwards – Editor of The Seed
Carol Kosary – Co-chair of Garden Educators
Mikhail Kozlov – Stores and transports the tent, weights, and tables for Urban Gardening
Sue Kuklewicz – Chair of Community Events
Hilary Longo – Co-chair of Public Relations
Meipo Martin – Speakers Bureau
Joel Patton – Co-chair of the Gaithersburg Plant Clinic, chair of the Speakers Bureau, and co-chair of the Spring Sprouts event
Belinda Radko – Derwood Demo Garden’s conservation garden
Linda Rieger – Derwood Demo Garden’s conservation garden
Carol Roman – Kensington Plant Clinic and Bay-Wise intern
Peggy Stanford – Derwood Demo Garden’s butterfly garden
David Stopak – Leader for the Derwood Demo Garden’s vegetable program
Wendy Thomas – Co-chair of the Derwood Demo Garden
Betsy Wooster – MCMG Communications Style Guide
