Annual Report 2022

Ambassador Program Celebrates 30 Years!

In the fall of 1992 Steve Dobbs, who was the garden manager and host for Oklahoma Gardening at the time, decided to start a volunteer program. When asked why he said, “Because, I needed help!” The gardens were expanding and there was a lot of work to be done.

He modeled his volunteer initiative on the Master Gardener program where docents are taught horticulture in exchange for volunteer hours, in this case volunteer hours spent in the garden, and he called his new volunteers Ambassadors. Eleven people signed up for that first class and the Ambassador program was born.

The amazing part of this story is that 30 years later the Ambassador program is still thriving. Even more amazing is that Teresa Thomas, Olen Thomas, and Lynn Hughes were members of the first class and 30 years later they are all still active in the Ambassador program and valued members of our team!

For approximately 20 of those 30 years Laura Payne managed the Ambassador program, setting up monthly meetings and getting speakers to keep the educational program going for the Ambassadors.

At the Ambassador Appreciation Banquet in November, we honored Teresa Thomas, Olen Thomas, Lynn Hughes, Steve Dobbs, and Laura Payne for their dedication to the garden and to the Ambassador program. As a thank you, they were each given a beautiful print by Moh’d Bilbeisi of the sycamore allée at The Botanic Garden.

We are grateful to Steve and Laura for their stewardship of the Ambassador program, and we are honored that Teresa, Olen, and Lynn have chosen to give so much of their time and talents to The Botanic Garden at OSU!

Also honored at the banquet for years of service were: Willie Kendrick, 25 years; Vince Gianotti, 20 years; Laura Shaw and Les Conner, 15 years; and Linda Lucas, 10 years.

We value our volunteers and encourage you to join in the fun!

Highlights 2022

Image	Caption
	Barbara Burrow Pledges Estate for Scholarship Fund After working many years as a licensed electrician, Barbara Burrow decided to return to college as a horticulture student. While she attended OSU she worked at The Botanic Garden under the tutelage of Jane Carter. Barbara has fond memories of working with Jane, learning a tremendous amount, and enjoying her time at TBG. She also remembers commuting to school in a truck where the heater sometimes didn’t work, and other challenges associated with being a non-traditional student. Those fond memories and challenges have inspired her to pledge her estate for a scholarship fund. When asked about the scholarship Barbara said, “It is my honor to assist students as they surmount the hardships and struggles of life and as they pursue their passions and become noble stewards of our beautiful natural world.” We thank Barbara for her tremendous generosity and know it will someday help other non-traditional students overcome obstacles.
	Connor Schmitz is New Garden Manager! Garden manager Lynda Carrier moved across the street in September of 2022 to manage the new OSU Student Farm. We thank her for the two years she spent as garden manager of TBG. She still stops by to help us at the garden occasionally and we wish her all the best in her new position. Taking over for Lynda is Connor Schmitz. Connor is a graduate student in horticulture working on his master’s degree and we are thrilled to have him on board. Connor has great design skills, and he has been the lead on the painted hay bales on display at the garden these past few years. We look forward to seeing Connor’s creative ideas for the garden come to life!

Image

Caption

Barbara Burrow Pledges Estate for Scholarship Fund

After working many years as a licensed electrician, Barbara Burrow decided to return to college as a horticulture student. While she attended OSU she worked at The Botanic Garden under the tutelage of Jane Carter.

Barbara has fond memories of working with Jane, learning a tremendous amount, and enjoying her time at TBG. She also remembers commuting to school in a truck where the heater sometimes didn’t work, and other challenges associated with being a non-traditional student.

Those fond memories and challenges have inspired her to pledge her estate for a scholarship fund. When asked about the scholarship Barbara said, “It is my honor to assist students as they surmount the hardships and struggles of life and as they pursue their passions and become noble stewards of our beautiful natural world.”

We thank Barbara for her tremendous generosity and know it will someday help other non-traditional students overcome obstacles.

Connor Schmit standing in front of a shelf of plants.

Connor Schmitz is New Garden Manager!

Garden manager Lynda Carrier moved across the street in September of 2022 to manage the new OSU Student Farm.

We thank her for the two years she spent as garden manager of TBG. She still stops by to help us at the garden occasionally and we wish her all the best in her new position.

Taking over for Lynda is Connor Schmitz. Connor is a graduate student in horticulture working on his master’s degree and we are thrilled to have him on board.

Connor has great design skills, and he has been the lead on the painted hay bales on display at the garden these past few years.

We look forward to seeing Connor’s creative ideas for the garden come to life!

We Thank the Following for their Support!

Garden Benefactor
- Marsha & Bob Adams
- Linda & Donald Allen
- Shelley & Lou Anella
- Jim & Ann Berry
- Bluepeak
- Ray Campbell
- Tabitha Doesher & Josh Wiener
- Evebell Dunham
- Roger Gose
- Greenleaf Nursery Company
- Ann & Jim Halligan
- Bobby Hayes
- Lynn Hughes
- Elena & Lynn Miler
- Lynne Miller
- Doug & Jackie Needham
- Barbara A. Pass Endowment
- Shamas Family Foundation
- Southwood Nursery
- Laura & Mike Shaw
- Beth Thornton
- LaJean & Carl Whitcomb
- Wondertorium
Garden Sponsor
- Jennifer & Luke Anthony
- Cathie & Ronald Barney
- Frank & Linda Blum
- Margaret Ewing
- Kathy & Doug Hall
- Tom & Krystal Hennessey
- Traci & Jimmy Morris
- Dolores Lemon, Real Estate
- Professionals & Assoc. Inc.
- Heidi & Elliott Williams
Garden Patron
- Ramon & Tiffany Aranda
- Dana & Barry Bessinger
- Dayna & James Boggs
- Yvonne & Jared Collett
- Tom & Rhonda Coon
- Melissa DeLacerda
- Keith & Christine Garbutt
- Michael & Kimberly Holmes
- Gerald Klingaman, Graduate 1969
- Diana Watson-Maile & Craig Maile
- Richard & Norma Payne
- Cynthia Thornton
Sustaining
- Merry Alexander
- Anonymous
- Drew & Aerial Anthony
- Linda & Calvin Anthony
- Dennis & Loretta Bertholf
- Peter & Linda Clark
- Damona Doye
- Tony & Alice Echelle
- Karen & Tommy Edgar
- Virginia Eggers
- Holly Ewing
- Dick & Malinda Fischer
- Tammy & Robert Graves
- Fred & Linda Guthery
- Nancy & Fred Helms
- Sunderesh & Rita Heragu
- Larry & Judy Hoberock
- Larry & Kayo Jones
- Kappa Kappa Iota Tulsa Council
- Meg & Darrel Kletke
- Penny Lane
- Alan & Sheila Lovelace
- Jean & Paul McMullen
- Anne & Leonard McMurtry
- Barbara & John Mintmire
- Shelley Phillips
- Carol Ann Powell
- Kyndal Roark
- Jim Rutledge
- Connie & Lanny Sells
- Donna Smith
- Celeste & Al Taber
- Liz & Ron Tarbutton
- Ann & Eddie Watkins
- Elizabeth Williams & Robert Mayer
Contributing
- Kim & Kathryn Anderson
- Susan & David Chastain
- Joyce Hise
- Skip & Priscilla Iba
- Jeanne Mapes
- Ann & Jim Mitchell
- Pamela Porter
- Natascha Riedinger
- John & Sandy Rooney
- Marlene & Odell Walker
Concert Series Sponsors 2022
Platinum
- Jim and Ann Halligan
- Look Properties
- Pizza West
Gold
- Allergy Partners of Oklahoma
- Bancfirst
- Hideaway Pizza
- Lost Creek Self Storage
- OSU Office of the President
- Simmons Bank
Silver
- B & L Heat and Air Conditioning
- The Bank N.A.
- Daddy O's Music
- Elizabeth's in Memory of Jim Burtschi
- Grannt's Kitchen
- Kicker
- Oklahoma Ageredit

Many of you knew Jim Halligan as President of OSU, but to us he was the husband of our board member Ann Halligan, and a longtime supporter of TBG. Each fall he would load mums in his pickup truck and help Ann deliver them to new members. We will miss our favorite delivery guy, and we send our condolences to Ann and the Halligan family.

We Also Thank

The Ferguson College of Agriculture at OSU, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma Gardening, their staff and sponsors, our Ambassadors (volunteers), who have provided so much to us for 30 years!

We thank the following wonderful students who worked with us in 2022 for their hard work and wonderful spirit: Layne Johnson, Parker Lastovica, Peyton Osborne, Jay Pirtle, Gabby Ratzlaff, and Haven Trunzo.hrman