Board of Directors
The Minnesota Horticultural Society is guided by a dedicated board of directors with expertise in gardening, education, nonprofit leadership, and community development. They provide strategic oversight and help shape programs that serve gardeners across Minnesota and USDA Hardiness Zones 3-5. We’re grateful for their leadership and commitment to building a more resilient, connected gardening community.
Executive Officers
Don Smith
Chair
Executive Committee
Friends of MSHS
Development
After retiring from his career as a general surgeon, Don became a master gardener and volunteered with the Mower County Extension in Austin, MN. Becoming a master gardener opened many opportunities to volunteer with community organizations including the Mower County Fairgrounds, Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Spruce Up Austin, Austin Public Library Seed Program and the Cedar River Farmers Market. Don is a longtime member of MSHS and active participant in its community outreach programs.
Neil Imsdahl
Vice Chair
Executive Committee
Friends of MSHS
A graduate from the University of Minnesota, with a Bachelor of Environmental Design and Planning., Neil has an extensive background in the horticultural industry, with experience in sales, maintenance, urban planning, landscape design, interior plantscaping and nursery production. He is currently the Manager of Sargent’s Nursery and Garden Center on 2nd Ave in Rochester, Minnesota. He gardens and manages buckthorn (!) on a 2-acre property north of Rochester, MN.
Paul Markwardt
Treasurer
Executive Committee
Friends of MSHS
An Iowa farm boy turned tax lawyer, Paul learned to garden beside his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. His main goal as a board member? To support MSHS in continuing to expand valuable services to a broader community, from lifelong gardeners to anyone just starting out. Paul’s current garden includes perennials, vegetables and a small orchard (which the wildlife, especially pileated woodpeckers and blue jays, are successfully harvesting).
Renay Leone
Secretary
Executive Committee
Renay grew up gardening with her mom and grandma and remembers them taking her swimming in a nearby lake after weeding the vegetable garden on hot summer days. “Not everyone was as fortunate as I was to grow up with an appreciation for and grounding in gardening,” Renay says. She believes everyone should have the opportunity to learn about plants and growing. After considering a career as a concert pianist, she chose to go into real estate law, nonprofit work and government land management. Renay enjoys fiber art, weeding and walking her prairie. She has been a member of MSHS for over 30 years.
Board Members at Large
Cheryl Amundson
Cheryl Amundson is a seasoned nonprofit leader and educator with extensive experience advancing community horticulture, youth development, and mission-driven program innovation. She has a strong record of organizational leadership, collaborative partnership building, and hands-on experience designing educational gardening programs that strengthen communities and expand access to horticultural learning. Cheryl coordinates a children’s gardening program using the MHS Garden-in-a-Box Program that introduces second and third grade children to first-time gardening and plant science experiences.
Anne Buchwald
Anne Buchwald is a licensed family therapist with more than 20 years of experience working with culturally diverse populations in some of the Twin Cities’ most underserved communities. Anne has participated in the Minneapolis Public Schools School-Based Mental Health Collaborative, the Climate and Safety Committee, and the Hennepin County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative. Anne developed her own love of gardening later in life through Master Gardener training and landscape design coursework. She brings a strong commitment to community well-being and access to the MSHS board.
Jen Foth
For nearly twenty-five years, Jen has worked alongside donors to bring bold visions for a more equitable world to life—one thoughtful gift at a time. Recently, she transitioned from fundraising to pursue another passion: creating abundant, beautiful, and ecologically beneficial gardens through her own small business. For Jen, the garden is one of the quickest paths to connection, wonder, and joy—and she’s continually in awe of nature. She’s a graduate of Lawrence University and received her master’s in organizational leadership from St. Catherine University. She’s been an MHS member for a decade and will complete her Master Gardener certification in 2026. When she’s not gardening or supporting causes she believes in, you can usually find Jen walking her two small dogs alongside her life partner, Ray.
Jackie Froemming
Programs Committee
Jackie Froemming is an Extension Educator with the University of Minnesota’s Horticulture and Master Gardener Volunteer Program. Based in Brainerd, she serves as a statewide coordinator and leads outreach on the public value of gardening education. Jackie enjoys growing perennials and spends her free time baking and cross-stitching.
Dr. Mary Meyer
Editorial Advisory Board
Mary manages the Grass Collection at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and was a professor in Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota for many years where she got her PhD studying grasses. She gardens in Plymouth, MN on a shady 1/3 acre plot and likes to grow vegetables in community gardens and try out local Community Supported Agriculture with local farmers. Although she loves grasses, Magnolia grandiflora and Ginkgo biloba are two of her favorite plants.
Randy Nelson
Randy is Assistant Professor of Agronomy at University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC). Prior to joining UMC, he was an Extension Educator with the University of Minnesota serving Clay County for almost 16 years. He also serves on the board of directors for American Rose Trials for Sustainability and Northern Plains Sustainable Ag Society. Randy enjoys spending time with family and gardening.
Mary Parenteau
Friends of MSHS
Mary Parenteau brings deep expertise in event planning, community education, and native plant advocacy. A Ramsey County Master Gardener since 2012, she has co-chaired plant sales, supported youth gardening grants, and championed pollinator-safe practices. She’s a long-time member of several garden clubs and president of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society. Mary is passionate about expanding access to gardening and leads outreach efforts through the MSHS Friends Committee.
Lisa Philander
As Deputy Executive Director at the United States Botanic Garden, Lisa spearheads initiatives to showcase a diverse array of plant species, promote conservation efforts and actively engage the community in the importance of plant biodiversity. She previously served as Director at the College of Biological Sciences Conservatory at the University of Minnesota and Como Park Zoo and Conservatory.
Lisa’s work has fostered a deep appreciation for rare and unusual plants, and she is dedicated to instilling a love for plants in others while enriching our collective understanding of the natural world.
Penny Rendall
Penny grew up on a farm in southern Wisconsin where she was actively involved in helping her parents raising crops. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Penny became an elementary school teacher in the St. Paul Schools, where she taught for 30 years. Teaching her students about horticulture was integrated into her curriculum. Now retired, Penny spends summer gardening at her home in White Bear Lake. She’s been a member of the St. Paul Garden Club for 12 years, involved in horticulture, floral design, botanical arts, fundraising and event planning committees.
Jill Rulli
Jill is a recovering political operative having spent the better part of two decades running presidential and U.S. Senate campaigns. She has served as an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University and has advised a variety of campaigns, committees, and global non-profit organizations. When not chasing her toddler, Jill runs a small business. She also volunteers her time as a master gardener, member of the Board of Visitors at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs, her alma mater, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce. She lives in Lake Elmo, MN with husband Lino, daughter Claire, and their many houseplants.
Timothy Wilson
Tim Wilson is the program manager for the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Farm at the Arb Apprenticeship and Growing Good teen internship. A Chicago-born biologist and farmer, he has worked with urban and rural communities in sustainable agriculture since 2003. His programs support new and emerging farmers selling to community markets and nutrition programs. Tim holds degrees from Sterling College and conducted graduate research on forest disease at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
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