Jeff Reimer earned his BS in Forestry and MS in Urban Forestry from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where he works in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department. Jeff is passionate about the need for education and accurate information relating to trees and their appropriate selection. He actively develops and maintains the online Urban Forest Ecosystems site, is certified by the Society of American Foresters, and serves on the California Urban
Forestry Advisory Committee.

Jennifer Nelson has a MS in Environmental Science from the University of Illinois. She is the Outreach, Volunteer, and Education Program Manager for the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, where she connects with the public at events and classes as well as on the District website at www.swcd.net and on and various social media channels (Facebook/tualatinswcd, Twitter @tswcd). Jennifer enjoys working through the challenges of her own backyard native gardening project.

Mary McKenna has a BS in Biology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a MA from UC Davis in Microbiology. She taught Biology at Gavilan College in Gilroy, California from 1979 to 2011 when she retired a bit early to go on a trek in Nepal. Since then, Mary has worked to help to establish the Ray Williams Arboretum at Gavilan. She lives, hikes, and gardens in Aptos, California, with her husband, Jim, and their dogs, cats, chickens, and horses.

Jim Gersbach has been involved in planting, planning, and caring for Portland’s urban forest for 25 years. He created the Parklane Global Forest in east Portland in 1999, and the Linear Arboretum in northeast Portland in 2005. Catch up with Jim at one of his topical tree tours at Hoyt Arboretum and in various Portland parks and neighborhoods, or at one of his public presentations on urban tree diversity for the Northwest.

Devaki Bhaya grew up in India and was an undergraduate at Presidency College, Calcutta. She got her PhD in Biochemistry from Cornell University before returning to India as a founding faculty at the Centre for Biotechnology JNU, Delhi. She is currently a Staff Member at the Carnegie Institution for Science and a Courtesy Professor in the Department of Biology at Stanford University. Her research interests are in understanding how microbes respond and evolve in a
changing environment.

Deborah Phare is a graduate of the Edmonds Community College Horticulture program. She is a former volunteer at the Rose Garden at Woodland Park, and in January 2010 she completed the Master Forester program for Carkeek Park. Currently, Deborah is Lead Steward at the Demonstration Gardens in Carkeek Park. Before entering horticulture, Deborah worked in the medical field for 25 years.

Mary Ann Payne  was tapped to be Interim Executive Director at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in June 2011, and asked to stay after a couple of months. She brings years of experience in higher education management and not-for-profit fundraising, along with a passion for plants and gardening. Mary Anne is currently creating her dream garden on 10 acres on a hilltop in the Anderson Valley.

Jeff Moore has been a succulent enthusiast for more than thirty years. As the owner/operator of Solana Succulents since 1992 he has supplied those in search of rare succulents, as well enabled those newly bitten by the succulent bug. Jeff is known for his installations of undersea-themed succulent gardens as well as more traditional succulent landscapes in Southern California. Jeff resides in Solana Beach, California, with his wife and two sons.

Wendy Lagozzino became a Master Gardener inspired by her lifelong interest in gardening. Following her training, Wendy left a nursing career to begin Gardening with Flowers, a design/maintenance business where she puts her expertise and interests to work helping others to enhance their gardens. She has published articles for the Master Gardeners, Northwest Perennial Alliance, and Plant Amnesty. Wendy regularly opens her garden to share with others.