On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA September - October 2017 | Page 5

P R E S I D E N T ’S M E S S AG E
• • •
ST. LYNN’S PRESS, WILFRED J. JUNG
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL
The Jung Service Medal is awarded to an
Allied Member who has contributed significant-
ly to the promotion of home gardening and
garden communications. One award winner
may be named each year.
• • •
KATIE ELZER-PETERS, EMERGENT
COMMUNICATOR
This award recognizes a member under the
age of 40 who has demonstrated exceptionally
high degrees of skill, professional ethics and
dedication to the GWA mission and values.
Self-nominations are welcome. One award
wi nner may be named each year.
• • •
LINDA CHALKER-SCOTT, CYNTHIA
WESTCOTT SCIENTIFIC WRITING AWARD
Cynthia Westcott (1898-1983), a renowned
horticulturist and prolific author, was inducted
into the GWA Hall of Fame in 1983. This new
award recognizes individuals with doctoral de-
grees who communicate new ideas, concepts
or scientific findings related to horticulture and
gardening in terms that are easily understood
by laypersons.
• • •
PAUL TUKEY, GREEN MEDAL
SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
This is a new award that recognizes the
accomplishments of individuals or Allied Mem-
bers working to address wise and respectful use
of the land. Self-nominations are welcome.
Members are invited to nominate GWA
colleagues and others for these distinguished
awards. Nomination forms and details of each
award can be found on the GWA website.
Members are invited to nominate GWA
colleagues and others for these
distinguished awards. Nominations for
2018 Honors and Awards will open early
next year. Visit the GWA website for
details.
KIRK R. BROWN
Looking Back: It Took a Village
Winnie the Pooh said it
best: “How lucky I am to have
something that makes saying
‘Goodbye’ so hard.”
I started a list of all the
individuals that I wanted to thank
for assisting me with my two
years as President of the newly
rebranded GWA: The Association
of Garden Communicators. It
became unmanageable; I would
surely miss someone. I will just
assume that you know who you
are. Also know that my gratitude
overwhelms me. I encourage every
member to think about ways to
take advantage of the shifting
paradigm of this new organization.
How can GWA help you grow
your communicating skills, your level of industry
awareness and your economy?
I realized that most of the credit for what has
happened to this organization on its recent road
to the 21st century goes to the many individuals
who mentored me when we were known as
GWAA: Garden Writers Association of America.
That list reads like a Who’s Who of everyone you
ever read in a weekly gardening column, top 10
book-of-the-gardening world, glossy magazine
and influential media script. If the world has
changed since print, film and live broadcast got
recast, and then it’s because of this luminous
group of creators. We need to constantly strive to
be the influencers of good gardening practices
for the newest generation.
A GARDENER GROWING
Along the way, I’ve grown as a gardener. I still
sit spellbound in dark rooms while one of our
number talks about the latest and the greatest
anything. I have become a plant geek or nerd or
hortiholic on a 12-step program because of what
I’ve been taught. I thank the photographers who
made me consider the composition of the shot
when we were limited to the number of images
on a roll of 35mm film. I would be tending a
barren landscape were it not for the hundreds
of samples sent or given as trials by the great
industry hybridizers, plant hunters, vendors,
nurseries, growers, garden centers and friends.
There are hundreds of public and private gardens
that have opened their gates and allowed me
to experience the best that nature can display
through the elements and principles of design.
These are the greatest gifts that can be treasured
by membership in this organization.
I need to thank the other industry associations
for providing me models against which GWA
could develop its own benchmarks. Business
skills trump passionate volunteers almost any
day of the week. So, I owe Kellen and Travis, Peter,
Alexandra, Ralph, Maria, Ashley, Caitlin, Alexa and
Sandy for their extravagant support and superior
facilitation. You make the digital universe of
database management come alive. I will tell any
prospective member that our association has one
of the most dynamic and integrated databases
within the green industry. It is my challenge to
use it to its fullest capacity!
And lastly to the one woman who stuck by me,
stayed with me, and supported me throughout
many black nights and brilliant days along the last
50 years of our travels together. Sara is owed a
beach vacation or 10 for all that she has brokered,
bothered about, bit her lip over and balked at
during 40 regional meetings, national expos,
board retreats and weekend getaways that always
turned into working vacations. The next one will
be exclusively for you.
Thanks always. That’s a wrap.
Look for President Becky Heath’s message in the next
issue of On the QT.
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