Echinacea purpurea, native perennial

Louisa Extension Master Gardeners Honored by the Virginia House of Delegates for 30 Years of Service

LOUISA, VA — August 11, 2026 — The Louisa Extension Master Gardeners were honored with Virginia House Resolution 359 (HR 359), presented by Delegate Amy Laufer, representing Virginia’s 55th District, in recognition of 30 years of service to Louisa County.

While this honor belongs to the entire Louisa Master Gardener membership, the resolution was presented to Richard Hinde, President Emeritus; Jane Bono, Vice President/Backyard Gardening; and LEMG Project Leads, including Kimberly Randall, Bracketts Farm Charitable Garden; Tess Verheyen, Garden Expo with Seed Share; Tina Chaleki, Plant Clinics; Pat Page, Frame Shop; Liz Cusell, Speakers' Bureau; and Cochran Garnett, Betty Queen.

Additional Projects/Project Leads recognized but not present were Sharon Stiefel, current LEMG President/Backyard Gardening Kids/Help Desk; and Project Leads Ann Mahoney, VCE Office Gardens; Coreen

Gelber, Memorial Garden/Plant Sale; and Michael Gelber, Master Gardener Education/Classes.

For three decades, Louisa Extension Master Gardeners have shared their time, knowledge, and love of gardening through projects including the Bracketts Farm Charitable Garden, Annual Garden Expo with Seed Share, weekly Plant Clinics at the Mineral Farmers Market, Backyard Gardening and Backyard Gardening for Kids, Frame Shop, hands-on gardening education for seniors at the Betty Queen Center, the Speakers' Bureau, and the Louisa VCE Office Garden and new Memorial Pollinator Garden.

A special thank you goes to Jack Maus, President of the Elisabeth Aiken Nolting Charitable Foundation/Bracketts Farm, who initiated the request to Delegate Laufer for this special recognition.

The Louisa Extension Master Gardeners also gratefully recognize Jenny Thompson, Louisa 4-H Unit Coordinator/Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE); John Thompson, Northwest Director, VCE; and Dr. Lonnie Johnson, Senior Associate Director for Operations, VCE, for participating in the presentation and for their continued support of the Louisa Extension Master Gardeners and their work throughout the community. We also recognize Louisa VCE Extension Agent Charles Rosson for his continued support and leadership of the entire

Louisa VCE office and Master Gardener unit.

Most importantly, this honor belongs to the many Louisa Extension Master Gardener volunteers—past and present—who have given their time, talents, and countless hours of service to Louisa County over the past 30

years.

Left to right: John Thompson, Northwest Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension; Dr. Lonnie Johnson, Sr. Associate Director for Operations, Virginia Cooperative Extension; Richard Hinde, President Emeritus, Louisa Extension Master Gardeners (LEMG); Jane Bono, Vice President, LEMG; Kimberly Randall, Louisa Extension Master Gardener; Delegate Amy Laufer, Virginia House of Delegates; Jack Maus, President, Elisabeth A. Nolting Charitable Foundation/Bracketts Farm; and Jenny Thompson, 4-H Unit Coordinator/Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Left to right: Louisa Extension Master Gardener Project Leads Tina Chaleki, Liz Cusell, Pat Page, Jane Bono, Kimberly Randall, Delegate Amy Laufer, and Master Gardener Project Leads Cochran Garnett and Tess Verheyen. Back row, right: Richard Hinde, President Emeritus, Louisa Extension Master Gardeners.

Click here to view the HR359 document

Master Gardener Spotlight

At our November Membership Meeting, Master Gardener Emeritus Richard Hinde and Master Gardener Emeritus Tina Chaleki were recognized for their dedication and service to the residents of Louisa County. Jenny Thompson, VCE Senior Extension Agent, and John Thompson, VCE Northwest District Manager presented certificates to Richard and Tina. Both Tina and Richard have provided over 5,000 hours of volunteer efforts in and around Louisa County and they are still very active members of LEMG.

Jenny Thompson, Tina Chaleki, Richard Hinde & John Thompson

Tina Chaleki

Tina joined the Louisa Master Gardeners in 2005 after retiring from her position as a nurse practitioner with the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC and moving to Lake Anna. She is best known in the Louisa Master Gardener unit for helping start and run the ‘Ask a Master Gardener Booth’. The booth was originally part of a small Farmers Market in a strip mall in the town of Louisa. It then moved several times and eventually ended up as one of the original booths at the Mineral Farmer’s Market in the town of Mineral beginning in May 2009. Tina has been setting up the booth, training interns and manning the booth ever since. Stop by the market any Saturday morning from May through October and you will very likely be greeted warmly by Tina.

Tina also is also the Louisa County representative for the statewide Virginia Master Gardener Association.

Tina is an active volunteer with several other organizations in Louisa including the Louisa Arts Center, a board member at the Sargeant Museum of Louisa County History and is a founding member of the Louisa Quilts of Valor organization. She also maintains a native plant garden at her home.

Richard Hinde

Richard joined the Louisa Master Gardeners in 2008 and has had a hand in many of the unit’s activities ever since. He has built raised garden beds at various elementary schools, coordinated Master Gardener booths at the Monticello Harvest Festivals, held rain barrel workshops and much more. He has also been a liaison with the Louisa County Fair for many years.

He was most recently the President of the LEMG for 10 years from 2013 to 2023. He currently is an active member of the Board filling the Past President role. He is an amazing source of information regarding many aspects of VCE, the Master Gardener program, the history of our unit, and has extensive relationships with many organizations and people in and around Louisa County. And he assists several friends with their gardens while continuing to expand his own beds on his property.

To quote a Louisa County Extension Agent in his congratulatory email to Richard, “You have been a fixture in MG for so many years and so much of the program success is because of your constant drive, commitment and leadership."