This has been nearly a year in the making. Because this is the first effort of its kind within OSU Extension, we took the time to build it thoughtfully—and to do it right. We partnered with Overture Promotions, an OSU-approved vendor authorized to produce items using OSU branding. (That matters, because products featuring the OSU name and Master Gardener identity must be created through approved channels.)
Just as importantly, we wanted these to be items you’d actually want to wear and use—not throwaway promotional pieces, but well-made products that hold up in the garden, in your daily life and out in the community.
And in this milestone year, it felt especially important to do it now. As we celebrate 50 years of the Master Gardener Program, volunteers finally have the opportunity to wear and share the 50th anniversary mark with pride.
What you’ll find in the store
The current collection includes:
50th anniversary t-shirts and sweatshirts
Official OSU Master Gardener fleece vest and jacket (including Columbia Sportswear options)
Three different hat styles
Tumblers, tote bags, and a denim apron
You’ll also find designs inspired by our work and values, including Garden Future and native plants.
Coming later this month:
50th anniversary patches and magnets
Sticker packs
We’ll continue to introduce new items throughout the year, including seasonal designs and limited-edition t-shirts.
Why it matters
Every purchase supports the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program—helping sustain training, outreach and community education across Oregon.
These items are a way to:
Represent the program in your community
Start conversations about gardening
Celebrate your role as a volunteer
Share your passion with others
You might wear your gear alongside your volunteer badge at an event, or use it at home in your own garden. Either way, it’s a visible way to show what this program means to you.
Share it and shape it
The store is open to the public, so we encourage you to share it widely with your networks: beav.es/gardening
We also want this to reflect the creativity of this community. If you have ideas for products or designs, we’d love to hear them: mastergardener@oregonstate.edu
For Master Gardener Associations, this may also be an opportunity to support your members—consider purchasing items like stickers or magnets to share with your volunteers.
And if you’ve ever stood behind a table at an event, you already know: a good apron goes a long way. Having your own means you can use it both at home and while volunteering.
Thank you for being part of this program—and for helping grow it into what it is today.
Today is Dam Proud Day, and I’m asking you to make a gift of any amount to support the statewide OSU Extension Master Gardener Program.
This year, we are one of only three Extension programs selected to be featured. In our 50th anniversary year, that is both an honor and a powerful opportunity to show how much this program matters across Oregon.
Every gift helps fund the statewide work that strengthens county programs and supports volunteers like you — including the Master Gardener training course, Garden Future, Seed to Supper and the tools, resources and support that help coordinators and volunteers serve their communities.
One great example is Seed to Supper.
This year, we launched a new activity library with updated hands-on learning tools designed for adult learners, along with a new container gardening component in direct response to what participants asked for most. The full curriculum has also been revised and modernized and is now moving through OSU’s peer review process.
Meanwhile, classes are going strong across Oregon.
In Umatilla County, Rocio Arias Hansen volunteered to bring the first Spanish-language Seed to Supper class to her community and recently completed the region’s first Spanish-language course with 15 participants from Hermiston, Umatilla and the Tri-Cities area.
She recently shared with us:
“This is just the beginning of something very important for our Hispanic community. Participants asked for more hands-on classes, more time together and even a second course offering. They also asked if we could offer food preservation classes. They clearly demonstrated both interest and need, which motivates me to continue this work.
To keep the group’s enthusiasm going, we are arranging space in a community garden where participants can continue meeting, practice what we learned and ask questions outside the formal program. In our culture, gathering and spending time together is deeply valued, and this will be a great opportunity to strengthen connection and foster unity within the group.”
That is exactly what this program does best — it creates knowledge, confidence and community.
Across Oregon, Master Gardener volunteers show up. You answer questions, teach neighbors, support local food systems, care for gardens and help communities become more resilient.
Today is our chance to show the broader OSU community what we already know: this program matters.
Dam Proud Day is about collective action. It is about many people giving what they can, all in one day, to support something they believe in. I hope you will join me today by making a gift and helping us continue this work for the next 50 years. Let’s show what Master Gardener volunteers can do when we grow together.
Warmly,
Leslie Madsen Statewide Program Manager OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer program
Pat Patterson was one of the original OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers when the program started in Oregon in 1976. Photos by Lynn Ketchum.
From chance to legacy: original Master Gardener marks 50 years
When the Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener Program launched in 1976, Pat Patterson wasn’t the one in her family who planned to sign up.
Her husband, Robert, was.
“He was going to take the course,” Patterson said. “We were both graduate assistants at the University of Oregon and his classes conflicted, and so I just walked in and took his place. Talk about fate.”
That moment set Patterson on a path that has spanned five decades. Now 87, she remains the program’s longest-serving volunteer — still answering gardening questions from her home on a 10-acre farm near Noti.
The Master Gardener Program educates Oregonians about the art and science of growing and caring for plants. Operating in 27 counties, Oregon State University Extension Service trains thousands of volunteers who serve as educators, neighbors and on-the-ground researchers in their communities.
Master Gardener volunteers provide science-based, sustainable gardening information through plant clinics, workshops and community projects — helping Oregonians grow food, steward natural resources and make informed decisions in a changing environment.
The program began in 1976 in Lane County and the Portland metro area with just a few dozen participants. Today, it is a statewide network connecting university research with communities across Oregon.
From the start, Patterson said, the program was different than a garden club.
“A garden club is a social club basically made up of gardeners who swap their stories, do garden sales and so forth,” she said. “Ours requires constant retraining every year. We must recertify, because science changes. It was like going to college. So, it was a very, very deep learning curve, even though I had been gardening for most of my life. I had not been gardening scientifically.”
Early days: meeting a growing need
Patterson was part of a cohort of about 20 volunteers in Lane County. There were no fees, and much of the instruction came from university faculty as OSU Extension built the program from the ground up.
After training, volunteers didn’t staff formal clinics. Instead, they set up wherever they could.
“We would go to any venue that would give us a table,” Patterson said. “We’d sit there with our manuals, and people would come ask us questions. It was kind of scary at first.”
At the time, demand for reliable gardening information was high.
“There was a huge amount of information out there that was not good,” she said.
That need continues today, Patterson said, as gardeners navigate misinformation online, climate variability and evolving best practices.
Inside the Extension office, the program quickly formed strong connections across disciplines.
“It became a very close family,” Patterson said. “We were connected to forestry, to home economics and 4-H — everything.”
From generalists to specialists
As the program evolved, so did its approach to education.
“What we are now is a club of specialists,” Patterson said. “That wasn’t before. We were all generalists before; now we’re all specialists.”
Patterson’s own role expanded over time. After completing the program, she was hired as a horticulture assistant in Lane County, a position she held until 2006.
“I retired being in the office as a paid person,” she said, smiling.
Her volunteer work never stopped.
Through the online “Ask Extension” service, Patterson has answered more than 23,000 gardening questions — part of what she estimates are tens of thousands of volunteer hours.
That kind of service, replicated by volunteers across the state, represents a significant public value: extending university expertise into communities, often at no cost to residents.
“Pat is an amazing person and has always been a joy to work with,” said Erica Chernoh, OSU Extension horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for Lane County. “She has jumped into just about every volunteer role out there, from teaching classes to leading committees to hosting a radio show.
“She has a wealth of horticultural knowledge, and her commitment to teaching and community building has strengthened our program and built long-lasting partnerships that continue to this day,” Chernoh said.
Gardening for everyone
One of Patterson’s most lasting contributions has been her work in adaptive gardening.
A longtime member of the Lane County Master Gardener Association’s adaptive gardening committee, she has helped make gardening more accessible to people with a wide range of abilities — from physical limitations to time and space constraints.
“I felt it was really important to allow people to garden no matter what,” she said. “No matter what their physical abilities were, no matter what their mental abilities were, no matter what their time abilities were — there was a way to get around it.”
Her approach reflects broader changes in gardening science and practice, including a shift toward sustainability and working with natural systems instead of relying on chemicals.
“I’m happy to say that science has changed,” Patterson said.
Instead, she emphasizes practices that support soil health, biodiversity and long-term resilience.
“Garden smarter, not harder,” she said.
A lifelong connection
Patterson’s knowledge of plants stretches back decades, shaped by a lifetime of gardening and learning. She has taught classes, contributed to plant clinics and remained active in the gardening community even in retirement.
“Gardening is so great,” she said. “There’s always something you don’t know.”
Of the original Lane County cohort, Patterson was one of three who remained active for decades. She and fellow volunteers Juanita Manley and Phoebe Staples referred to themselves as the “Three Musketeers.”
Today, Patterson is the last surviving member of that original group — and the Master Gardener with the most years of service in the program’s history.
Why it matters now
As the Master Gardener Program marks its 50th anniversary, its role continues to grow in importance.
Across Oregon, residents are turning to gardening for food security, environmental stewardship and personal well-being. At the same time, they face new challenges — from climate change to invasive pests — that require reliable, science-based information.
Master Gardener volunteers help meet that need, serving as a bridge between university research and everyday practice.
For Patterson, that mission has been deeply personal.
“This has been my life and my family,” she said.
“I’m amazed at how much Extension has changed over those 50 years,” she said. “It has grown in ways that we would never have guessed.”
Still, the core remains the same: helping people succeed, one garden at a time.
From her farm outside Noti, Patterson continues that work — answering questions, sharing knowledge and staying engaged.
“Use it or lose it,” she said. “The more you’re challenged, the better chance you have of staying engaged.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program. If you are or ever have been a Master Gardener volunteer, we’d love to hear from you. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory
Note: early giving is open for Dam Proud Day! Please help support the program today, but first, be inspired by Colleen’s story….
When Colleen of Milwaukie became a Master Gardener, she found more than a community of fellow plant lovers. She found a way to partner with her community — connecting with local groups, city leaders and neighbors around a shared purpose. What started with learning about native plants grew into something bigger: helping launch the Milwaukie Pollinator Pathway and advocating for Milwaukie to become a Bee City USA affiliate.
“I would not have started the Pollinator Pathway and Bee City journey without the Master Gardener program.” Photo by Kelby Whittington
“The best part of being a Master Gardener is the people I meet and the community I have come to know.
Starting the Milwaukie Pollinator Pathway and advocating for the city of Milwaukie to become a Bee City USA affiliate is something I am especially excited and proud of.
Through that work, I have connected with local gardening groups, neighborhood district associations, the Rotary Club of Milwaukie, City Council and city staff, as well as the city of Beaverton.
I became a Master Gardener in 2019, and 2020 became a time to delve more deeply into the resources available to us. I kept coming back to the benefits of native plants. It was also a time to get outdoors for the sake of my physical and mental health, both of which I greatly needed.
Our hikes strengthened our family bonds. They gave us a greater appreciation for the land around us and the trees and plants that grew there. Those hikes strengthened us, both physically and mentally.
Growing plants and food gives us a sense of accomplishment and ownership. It grounds us, so to speak. It is peaceful and satisfying to see something grow.
I would not have started the Pollinator Pathway and Bee City journey without first being introduced to the Master Gardener program. In that first year, we were encouraged to participate in different volunteer activities so we could learn what interested us. For me, that interest was native plants.”
P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program— and giving is now open for Dam Proud Day. If this program has shaped your life, your garden or your community, consider making a gift today to help support the next 50 years. We’re also collecting stories from current and past Master Gardener volunteers. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory
For Noë in Salem, the OSU Extension Master Gardener program became part of her healing. After deep personal loss, gardening gave her a place to begin again — and the people, knowledge and community she found helped her grow stronger in body, mind and spirit.
“When community comes together, you build great connections and get to spread your knowledge with others.” — Noë, Salem
“The Master Gardener program has helped me in more ways than one. After my mother and partner passed away, I fell into a depression. Gardening became a therapeutic outlet that helped me move through that grief, along with all the great people and connections I have made through the program.
One of the things I value most is the knowledge you learn from everyone in this great program.
The connections I have made have helped me learn more about gardening and how to heal on a deeper level — not only mentally, but physically, too.
Since growing my own food and learning about the benefits of herbs, fruits and vegetables, I have lost 70 pounds over the last two years. I am no longer diabetic and physically, I am able to do a lot more. Mentally, I have overcome the depression that came after losing two very important people in my life.
I think Master Gardener volunteers are needed more than ever because when community comes together, you build great connections with people and learn so many things. Then, you get to spread your knowledge with others, just like others have helped you.
I am only a couple years in, but this program has gained a lifetime member. “
….
P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program — and early giving is now open for Dam Proud Day. If this program has shaped your life, your garden or your community, consider making a gift today to help support the next 50 years. We’re also collecting stories from current and past Master Gardener volunteers. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory
For Joe Hodge, the best thing about being a Master Gardener volunteer is “I feel like I’m giving back to my community. I’m not super involved with leadership or charitable organizations in my hometown, but with Master Gardeners, I feel like I’m a part of so many people learning. I know that I’m a valuable person who can help others live their lives better.”
Coaching and cheering on new volunteers is what Joe is most proud of: “I remember Master Gardener training as being a bit stressful with the huge amount of information coming our way (like drinking out of a firehose). So when our local chapter does Master Gardener training for new volunteers each year, I make sure to join our weekly Question and Answer Zoom meetings, hoping I can get across to the trainees that they really are special.
The friends who I have who are also Master Gardeners are the kinds of friends who you stay friends with.
I’m lucky enough to garden in a community garden, and when you see the others gardening alongside you, it always brightens up your day. The physical benefits of gardening are fairly obvious, but we sometimes forget about how talking to others about how your garden is growing, or about your plans for next year’s garden, can be so beneficial for your mental state.
It feels like the world is more divisive than ever, and Master Gardener volunteers do the opposite of that – we bring people together, people from all different backgrounds become closer once they start gardening.
Being a Master Gardener has not only allowed me to help others, but it has sharpened my own gardening skills.
A fun part of gardening is giving your excess away. I will list them into categories, starting with FAMILY. My nearest family member is 180 miles away, and you would think that might make it extra challenging, but not so in this day of efficient coolers.
Next, NEIGHBORS. I live in a good sized apartment complex, and it’s very rewarding and easy to give away vegetables to my neighbors so that they do not go to waste.
Also, FRIENDS. At my age, I go to a lot more meetings than parties, so during harvest season I hope to bring some produce to a meeting to give away – very easy.
Lastly, and for me this category is not so common to give away but just as rewarding as any, is BUSINESSES. The employees at the businesses are just as appreciative and smile just as much as anybody. It’s become a habit for me to drop extra tomatoes to the office workers of my property manager’s office. When a certain employee there sees me in late summer or early fall, she is always smiling when I walk in because she knows I am bringing in tomatoes, and she absolutely loves tomatoes. Only one time has she not shared with the rest of the office, because that year my tomatoes were absolutely gorgeous.
My garden is next to the hospital, and when I have zinnias I like to take them next door. The receptionists in the ER department have a stressful job and I think the flowers make their day better.
I know the library employees well, and I like to bring them kale and other yummy, healthy vegetables.
Going to our local food bank to make a drop-off is important, and I leave feeling good every single time.
It might sound like I’m trying to make giving things from my garden away my only focus each year, and I while that would be great, it’s not quite true. It just happens to work out that every year, when you plant your garden, you don’t realize that a certain vegetable or flower is going to produce way more than you thought it would. The very last thing in the world that I want to do is let something go to waste. Giving it away becomes incredibly easy to do, and really quite rewarding. It’s a part of gardening that I never could have envisioned when I first started. And now, it’s become an integral part of each season. Being a Master Gardener has made all of this possible – thank you, OSU Extension, for improving the lives of so many!”
P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program — and early giving is now open for Dam Proud Day. If this program has shaped your life, your garden or your community, consider making a gift today to help support the next 50 years. We’re also collecting stories from current and past Master Gardener volunteers. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory
For Jean in Salem, being a Master Gardener volunteer has opened up conversations about food, climate and what it means to feel more secure in your own garden. She thought she might be helping people with lawns and roses. Instead, she’s found herself talking with families who are trying to grow food and adapt to a changing world.
“I’ve learned a lot about how to be successful in my own garden, and that’s been very rewarding. No one likes dying plants! But the best part has been helping people in the community learn how to grow their own vegetables.
I thought the Master Gardener program would be largely about helping people grow green lawns or keep roses alive. Instead, many of my conversations have been with families who are worried about food prices. Helping them feel more secure is quite a gift.
I’m very proud of some of the programming we’ve shared with the community, including the Garden Future series. Being able to discuss climate change with a large group of folks at the state fair, without having any arguments or hurt feelings, was just an amazing thing.
“Helping people feel more secure is quite a gift.”
I’ve met several people who have talked with me at two or more tabling events here in Salem, and they’ve told me about how an idea or two I shared helped them in their gardens. Those have been pretty great conversations!
I think it’s easy to keep our heads down in times of stress and strife. Connecting with people always helps, and I find that gardening is one of those universal conversation points. Talking about gardening has been really good for me over the last year.
Climate change is shifting what people can grow successfully, so some of the lessons people learned as kids are no longer applicable. Master Gardener volunteers have access to science-based information that can be useful as people reimagine what they can grow, including food.
I’m grateful I was selected as a trainee last year. I look forward to participating for many years to come.”
P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program, and these stories remind us what we’re celebrating. On Wednesday, April 29, Dam Proud Day gives us one day to show up for the statewide program that supports Master Gardener volunteers across Oregon. In fact, you can join in early giving and actually give now! And if you are a Master Gardener volunteer — or ever have been — we’d still love to hear your story at Beav.es/mgstory.
On Wednesday, April 29, Oregon State University will celebrate Dam Proud Day, a 24-hour giving day that brings the OSU community together to support programs making a difference across Oregon and beyond.
This year, the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program has been selected as one of only three Extension programs featured for Dam Proud Day.
That is something to be proud of.
For 50 years, Master Gardener volunteers have helped grow gardening knowledge, partnerships and community across Oregon. Volunteers answer questions, teach classes, support demonstration gardens, grow food for their communities, mentor new gardeners and connect people with research-based information they can trust.
Dam Proud Day is a chance to support the statewide program behind that work.
Gifts made on April 29 will support the statewide Master Gardener Program and the work we do to support county programs, coordinators and volunteers across Oregon. That includes statewide efforts such as the Master Gardener training course, Seed to Supper, Garden Future and other programs that help us serve gardeners and communities statewide.
What is Dam Proud Day?
Dam Proud Day is OSU’s annual 24-hour day of giving. For one day only, alumni, volunteers, friends and supporters are invited to make a gift online to the OSU programs they care about.
For the Master Gardener Program, this is a special opportunity to show broad support for the work we do together across the state.
The goal is not just large gifts. Participation matters. Every gift, of any size, helps show that people believe in the Master Gardener Program and want to see it continue to grow.
Make a gift online to support the statewide Master Gardener Program
Share the giving link with friends, family and fellow volunteers
Help spread the word about why the Master Gardener Program matters
Watch for and share stories from volunteers across Oregon
Over the next week, we’ll be sharing stories here from Master Gardener volunteers about what this program has meant to them and how they see their work making a difference in their communities. These stories are inspiring, heartfelt and representative of the incredible impact this program — and the people of this program — make across Oregon.
They remind us that the Master Gardener Program is more than a training course. It is a statewide community of people sharing knowledge, growing connections and helping others garden with more confidence.
Share your story
We’d also love to hear from you.
Whether you are currently volunteering or were part of the Master Gardener Program in the past, your story matters. What has this program meant to you? What are you proud of? How has gardening, volunteering or being part of this community shaped your life?
For 50 years, OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers have grown more than gardens. They’ve grown partnerships, learning opportunities and community across Oregon.
Sue Ryburn became an OSU Extension Services Master Gardener volunteer in 2012. The seed was planted years earlier — when her sister handed her a brochure from the Master Gardener volunteer booth at the Beaverton Farmer’s Market.
In her own words, Sue shares her journey.
A seed planted years before
I became an OSU Extension Service Master Gardener volunteer in 2012. Years earlier, knowing my love of gardening, my sister had given me a Master Gardener brochure she picked up from the Master Gardener booth at the Beaverton Farmer’s Market. I had not heard of Master Gardeners before, though the information caught my interest. I tucked the idea away and would need to wait five years until I retired to have time to pursue the Master Gardener program.
Early in the training I found that several principles of the program aligned with my values — relying on research-based information, promotion of sustainable gardening, service to the community and life-long learning.
The best part of being a Master Gardener volunteer has been learning about sustainable gardening, which is a very large tent, and then sharing information in a variety of venues. And, most importantly, to do this with a group of dedicated Master Gardeners with support from the staff at OSU Extension Service.
Building places for learning
Among the things I feel most proud of as a Master Gardener volunteer is helping to establish our two Washington County Master Gardener Association gardens — the Learning Garden at Jenkins Estate and the Education Garden at PCC Rock Creek, where I spend much of my volunteer time.
Our gardens provide hands-on and didactic learning opportunities on a broad range of sustainable gardening experiences. We have partnered with several organizations with similar missions to share information and help expand our outreach options. This partnering extends to other OSU Extension programs such as the Oregon Bee Atlas, the Oregon Naturalist program and Food Hero, where some Master Gardeners also participate. It just seems to make sense to collaborate with other groups who are all rowing in the same direction.
Our relationship with Portland Community College (PCC), and in particular the Landscape Technology Department (LAT), is invaluable. The LAT Department is located on the Rock Creek (RC) campus near the site of the Education Garden. We use LAT classroom, greenhouse, hoophouse and pole barn space for our educational outreach, plant propagation and big Gardenfest Plant Sale activities.
We enjoy opportunities to work with students and faculty at PCC and schools in our community. The work that we do to care for both our gardens creates an outdoor classroom for many of our educational outreach activities.
Working as a team
As MG Program volunteers we know that we work in teams — really none of us can accomplish what we do alone. Each week there is something that happens to remind me of the generosity of time, knowledge, goodwill and camaraderie of Master Gardeners.
Gardening is a great way to help put things into perspective and to have an impact on the environment in a world when sometimes it seems there is so much happening that might seem beyond the influence of just one person.
Health, hope and perspective
We don’t have to look far to find evidence that gardening is good for our mental and physical health. There is something enriching about placing a plant in the soil, caring for it and admiring how incredible the natural world functions.
It is rewarding to introduce children to the world of mason bees and explain their important role in pollination. There is a sense of satisfaction seeing the tree that you planted mature over the years. And there are helpful lessons learned, even when sometimes things just don’t quite work out.
Collective impact
I value being part of an organization that promotes programs such as Seed to Supper, Garden Future, Grow 1 Give 1 (a WCMGA program), and, like our Learning Garden, the many demonstration gardens across the state donating to food banks the food grown in our gardens.
One of the things I most value about being a Master Gardener is being part of something that collectively has a positive impact across the state because of the generosity of so many volunteers and dedicated staff.
As we celebrate 50 years of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program, we are honoring the volunteers who have shaped this program through their knowledge, generosity and partnership. Stories like Sue’s remind us that our impact grows when we grow together. If you are a Master Gardener volunteer, we invite you to share your story. And if you know someone whose journey, leadership or dedication deserves to be recognized, please nominate them.
OSU Extension has completed a review and update of guidance related to plant propagation and plant sales, with a focus on reducing the spread of invasive pests and protecting Oregon’s gardens and natural areas.
This guidance reflects collaboration among OSU Extension faculty, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and Master Gardener volunteers. It is soon to be published as an official OSU Extension educational resource. The forthcoming publication can be viewed on the second page in this post.
While this guidance was developed in response to questions related to Master Gardener plant sales, it applies to all plant propagation and plant sales conducted under the Master Gardener name.
Required actions for Master Gardener volunteer plant sales
Apply for a temporary nursery license (required) All Master Gardener–sponsored plant sales in Oregon must have a temporary nursery license from the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Remove volunteer seedlings from containers before sale.
Why this matters
Moving plants and soil is one of the most common ways invasive pests spread. These best practices help protect Oregon’s gardens, farms and natural areas, and ensure that Master Gardener plant sales reflect the high standards and science-based practices the public expects from OSU Extension.
Please review the full OSU Extension guidance carefully (forthcoming publication on second page of this post) and use it to guide planning for future plant sales and propagation activities. If you have questions about how this applies locally, contact your county coordinator.
Thank you for your continued stewardship and leadership in your communities.
