Personnel

October 26, 2022

Chairman Catherine Whitham, Three Chopt Garden Club

A staffing assessment from Warren Whitney & Sherwood completed in summer 2010 pointed to the need for a new management model for the GCV — one with a strong Executive Director to coordinate the many volunteer-driven committees. Lynn McCashin came on board in this capacity on September 8, 2010, and has hardly caught her breath since. She immediately began attending committee meetings, working closely with chairmen and officers and visiting restoration sites.

The WW&S assessment had also pointed out the need to review Best Practices for Nonprofits, which included moving certain tasks from volunteers to staff. Acting in anticipation of such recommendations, and upon the advice of an accounting firm, the GCV hired a part-time bookkeeper, Kathy Knollmann, who manages all the cost centers.

Leonard Booker was hired in summer of 2010, as Kent-Valentine House custodian to fill Theresa Blackwell’s position, left vacant in late summer. Leonard is the nephew of William Booker, a longtime friend of the GCV whom many will remember assisted in extra cleaning and set up at the Kent-Valentine House until his retirement several years ago.

The next step in the staffing plan was to create a part-time position to manage the daily operations of the GCV website, including online event registration and communication with clubs and members. Nina Mustard had been serving as both webmaster and technical assistant for the past five years with ever increasing responsibilities. Lynn McCashin was asked to develop a job description for a Communications Coordinator which addressed the multiple areas Nina had been handling, as well as other key communications responsibilities.

Two significant events took place in the fall of 2010: Ann Heller was hired part-time in December 2010 as Communications Coordinator, and Suzanne Munson announced her retirement effective June 30, 2011. Ann  was given responsibility for setting up and managing all GCV event registrations, coordinating with club liaisons on a multitude of matters, editing and designing information for the website, managing the online meeting calendar, as well as a host of other communications-related activities.

Karen Miller was hired as Director of Historic Garden Week and began on April 18, 2011, working closely with Suzanne Munson through the 2011 tour logistics.

HGW Assistant Christine Harris resigned in October of 2011, and London Ray was hired to work part-time until the Guidebook went to press.

Ongoing tasks before the Personnel Committee included revising the Employee Handbook and putting in place a more formal procedure for reviewing staff and recommending salary increases.