Committees
Descriptions, Chairs, and Members
NOTE: This is the WORKING LIST, updated as of 6/26. It includes all the requests made on the 2026-2027 renewal forms. NOTE: It may include some members from last year who do not want to continue. Each committee chair needs to check her members, and let Tova at tovanarrett@aol.com and Sue at syoung@ibisnetwork.com know of any deletions or other changes.
Click on a committee button, or scroll down to read about them all.
Avis Campbell Gardens
Maria Matesanz, Chair; Kem Louie, Vice Chair; Barbara Meyer, Rose Chair
Members 2026-2027: Guita Behbin, Olga Bequillard, Pru Borland, Karen Carter, Ellen Colton, Michael De Castro, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Donna Karanja, Ana Moore, Deborah Moran, Betty Murphy, Sarah Olson, Helene Peck, Angel Pollack, Celia Radek, Patricia Rodio, Maggie Rothman, Grete Scheidl, Lisa Schweitzer, Elizabeth Seebode-Zazzali, Pat Sullivan-Perry, Valerie Slamka, Maureen Sprong, Amy South, Michele Trevenen, Michele Tomasik, Pamela Turre, Donna Uher, Jane Wallace, Susan Yu, Loren Zodel, and Provisionals.
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The Avis Campbell Gardens and Grounds Committee maintains the grounds and the display gardens located behind 60 S Fullerton Ave. The gardens are open to the public. Designed by landscape architect and Garden Club member Avis Campbell and installed in 1952, the gardens are inspired by the Wheel of Life and feature a pedestal fountain surrounded by roses and beds of flowering perennials and annuals. The grounds include a memorial to Essex County residents who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Volunteers are welcome to join committee members who garden every Tuesday morning from April through mid-November.
Awards
Chair TBD
Members 2026-2027: TBD
This group of members is responsible for managing which members receive Garden Club awards. Click here for the full list of awards and recipients since 1980.​ Member of this committee are appointed.
Botanical Arts
Florence Leyssène, Chair; Debbie Moran, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Fran Ackerly, Barbara Baletti, Karen DeLuca, Karen Fricke, Victoria Herrera, Debbie Moran, Heidi Muschick, Floss O’Sullivan, Marilyn Zaret.
Recently joining the line-up of Club activities, Botanical Arts (BA) offers additional opportunity for creative expression and presentation of other types of horticulture, design and exhibits. Included under the BA umbrella are Botanical Horticulture, Botanical Design, Artistic Crafts, and Photography.
Church Street Gardens (formerly Triangle Gardens)
Sue Young, Chair; Kathy Bachmann, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Charlene Connolly, Michael De Castro, Nancy Foster, Deborah Hirsch, Anna Lee, Betty Murphy, Sara Olson, Janet Oscar, Helene Peck, Angel Pollack, Celia Radek, Maggie Rothman, Lisa Schweitzer, Kathy Sorkin, Wendy Stahl, Nancy Stroud, Patt Sullivan-Perry, Pamela Torre, Jane Wallace.
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Church Street Gardens include the raised planting beds along Church Street and the traffic circle at the corner of Valley Road, planted in the summer of 2025. Active and provisional Members plant in the spring and maintain through the summer and fall, turning downtown Montclair into an oasis that residents take for granted. The Business Improvement District partners with the club, supplying funds and maintenance assistance during the growing season.
Civic/Environment
Sarah Olson, Chair; Deborah Hirsch, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Kathy Bachmann, Guita Behbin, Meredith Bergmann, Barbara Baletti, Karen Carter, Jacoba Coes, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Karen Kadus, Anna Lee, Maria Matesanz, Sydney Milliken, Sheila Oakes, Imke Oster, Helene Peck, Susan Straten, Jane Wallace, Sue Young.
This Committee's mission centers on creating an Act of Restorative Kindness to our earth within our community. Members work to restore, improve, and protect the quality of our environment with like-minded community partners. This involves embracing new knowledge and science to the field of conservation and restoration as well as challenging current standards of beauty and landscape-care habits.
Communications/Publicity
Celia Radek, Chair; Sue Young, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Janice Benton, Karen DeLuca, Deborah Hirsch, Tova Narrett, Amy South.
Not only do we need to inform members of all our activities, but we need to reach out to new gardeners. This committee runs this website, blasts out social media, updates our history online and with an annual printable Yearbook, communicates with blog updates and emails, and links with the public and press through social media and event notifications. It also helps all committees with publicity and other communications requirements.
Facilities
Karen Whitehaus, Chair, Deborah Hirsch, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: No current members
Members of this committee oversee the very important maintenance of the Club’s physical plant. They are responsible for maintaining the Club's meeting rooms, whether at 60 South Fullerton Avenue or elsewhere.
Finance
Bob Chapman, Chair; Vice Chair TBD
Members 2026-2027: Class of 2027—Lissa Barrett, Karen Kadus; President (ex officio)—Fran Ackerly. Class of 2028—TBD
As in any organization, this committee is responsible for collecting dues, creating and managing a budget, and ensuring we meet all legal and ethical standards concerning our finances. Members of this committee are appointed.
Flower Design
Barbara Baletti, Chair; Florence Leyssène, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Guita Behbin, Susan Brady, Carol Callahan, Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Karen Fricke, Alexandra Kilduff, Tova Narrett, Deborah Moran, Floss O'Sullivan, Amy Poster, Michele Quinn, Cheryl Slutzky, Sarah Stransky,
Flower Design is an integral component of the Garden Club. Monthly competitions provide opportunities for new and experienced designers to showcase their designs, receive feedback from judges, and earn ribbons and design credits. By attending the many workshops offered each year by our expert designers, members can improve their design skills, learn about the different design types, staging, and mechanics.
Garden Boutique
Susan Benner, Chair
Members 2026-2027: Susan Benner, Susan Brady, Ellen Colton, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Dorothy Meissner, Sara Olson, Brigitte Padberg, Nancy Stroud.
Assist Chair in maintaining store. Help set up off-site Boutique events twice a year and perform other duties as needed.
Garden Therapy
Olga Bequillard, Chair; Sheila Oakes, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Fran Ackerly, Guita Behbin, Susan Benner, Betsy Burgess, Ellen Colton, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Clare Kuch, Anna Lee, Maria Matesanz, Betty Murphy, Sheila Oakes, Sara Olson, Imke Oster, Patricia Rodio, Lisa Schweitzer, Denise Silverman, Cheryl Slutzky, Amy South, Wendy Stahl, Michele Tomasik, Michele Trevenen, Jane Wallace.
The Garden Therapy Committee brings nature, creativity, and connection together through a variety of engaging programs, including Aromatherapy, Floral Design, Botanical Arts, and hands-on rooftop gardening. These initiatives offer a meaningful way to give back to the community through visits to Oasis in Paterson and the Montclair Public Library, where we will inspire and engage participants from Life Long Montclair’s dementia program. Through the healing power of plants and the arts, we cultivate moments of joy, discovery, and well-being.”
Horticulture
Kathy Bachmann, Chair; Heidi Muschick, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Jacoba Coes, Celia Radek, Denise Silverman, Susan Straten.
Horticulture involves the cultivation of fruits, flowering plants, vegetables, and ornamental plants with opportunities for members to exhibit specimens from their gardens or potted plants from their homes.
Hospitality
Florence Sinofsky, Chair; Janet Oscar, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Betsy Burgess, Carol Callahan, Charlene Connolly, Karen DeLuca, Karen Kadus, Dorothy Meissner, Betty Murphy, Amy Poster, Michele Quinn, Elizabeth Seebode-Zazzali, Cheryl Slutzky, Patt Sullivan-Perry, Cheryl Slutzky.
One of our three goals is "Fellowship," and the Hospitality Committee ensures that it is never far from any Club event. Our members look forward to the tradition of delicious lunches, teas, and all kinds of comforting fare conjured — apparently — out of nowhere.
Membership
Tova Narrett, Chair; Susan Dumont, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Olga Bequillard, Susan Brady, Deborah Fitzpatrick, Anne Kerr, Clare Kuch, Sarah Olson, Brigitte Padberg, Celia Radek, Cheryl Slutzky, Kathy Sorkin, Nancy Stroud, Pam Turre, Judy Voccola, Virginia Woo, Sue Young, Susan Yu.
This committee is responsible for recruiting and welcoming new members and managing all aspects of membership in the Club.
Programs
Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Chair; Karen Fricke, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Barbara Baletti, Deborah Fitzpatrick, Deborah Hirsch, Karen Kadus, Sydney Milliken, Amy Poster, Sarah Stransky
Program meetings are held monthly from September to April for members and guests. Speakers come with an extensive knowledge of gardening, flower design and horticulture as well as topics as varied as the history of Essex County parks, color theory, tree therapy, and the relationship of the fashion industry to gardening.
Workshops
Lisa Schweitzer, Chair; Karen DeLuca, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Barbara Baletti, Susan Brady, Susan Dumont, Karen Fricke, Alexandra Kilduff, Clare Kuch, Florence Leyssène, Dorothy Meissner, Barbara Meyer, Heidi Muschick
Workshops are organized throughout the year to help members — provisionals in particular — learn about flower design, cultivating and exhibiting horticulture specimens, as well as other topics related to gardening.
Youth
Jacoba Coes, Chair; Susan Yu, Vice Chair
Members 2026-2027: Nancy Foster, Donna Karanja, Ali Kilduff, Sarah Olson, Helene Peck, Susan Straten, Sue Young.
The Youth Committee offers members the opportunity to spark that “green enthusiasm” that brought us to join the Garden Club in younger generations. We introduce young people to gardening, design, ecology, and conservation. The enjoyment of our program participants and their pride in their gardening accomplishments touch our hearts. We know they will continue to appreciate gardens in the future!