Search for Excellence - Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator

The intense public demand for information about plant problems in Seattle, Washington, created the Master Gardener program in 1972. David Gibby and Bill Scheer, area Extension Agents in King and Pierce Counties, met and explored avenues to address the backyard gardener's needs effectively. Among approaches considered was the concept of recruiting and training volunteers to serve the urban audience. This appeared to be the most feasible option to meet the high demand for urban horticulture and gardening advice.

The horticulture "Master" volunteer concept has become so influential that other Extension disciplines have adopted it. There are now Master Food Preserver, Master Well Owner, and Master Watershed Steward volunteer programs.

Extension Master Gardeners are specially trained volunteers who serve alongside their local Extension Specialists to educate residents on environmental horticulture and sustainable gardening practices. They work on volunteer projects like farm-to-school programs. They organize educational events like gardening symposiums, seed swaps, and horticultural workshops. When new volunteers are accepted into a Master Gardener program, they receive training by Cooperative Extension, university, and local industry specialists in a wide variety of subjects. The topics include taxonomy, plant pathology, soil health, entomology, cultural growing requirements, sustainable gardening, nuisance wildlife management, and integrated pest management. After completing training, Master Gardener volunteers serve their communities by providing science-based guidance. Awards are regularly presented to Master Gardeners for community service, innovative programs, and other topics.

Every two years, the International Master Gardener Conference (IMGC) convenes. It provides an opportunity for thousands of Extension Master Gardeners and Extension Specialists to come together and expand their knowledge. They also hold committee meetings and exchange ideas and concerns. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IMGC 2021 will be held virtually from September 12 through 17, 2021. Virginia Extension Master Gardener program organized six days of virtual networking, workshops, and education. An essential part of IMGC is the David Gibby Search for Excellence Award, named to honor the founder of the Master Gardener Program. This award recognizes the outstanding volunteer work of Extension Master Gardeners and Volunteer Coordinators throughout the United States, Canada, and South Korea.

The 2021 Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator award goes to Suann Leighow. Suann has been a Penn State Extension Master Gardener volunteer since 1995. In 2016, her peers persuaded Suann to take on the volunteer leadership for Columbia County. Suann's people skills became apparent as she cultivated relationships with the volunteers, which in turn multiplied the projects and programming. She was asked to apply her leadership skills to two other county programs, Montour and Northumberland. She accepted the challenge, and they have flourished with Suann at the helm. Suann could have combined the three counties into one program, but instead, with care and commitment, she nurtured and preserved each to become a thriving, individual county program.

Suann's three counties cooperate and frequently partner with adjacent counties to develop large projects. Suann actively promotes a team spirit. She accomplished all this while working a demanding full-time groundskeeper/maintenance position at a local medical center. Suann also juggles an additional part-time job, social activities, and family responsibilities. Suann's dedication to the Master Gardener program has been exemplary, often racking up hundreds of volunteer hours in one year despite her full life.

Congratulations to Suann Leighow on achieving this extraordinary honor and achievement.