Adkins Arboretum announces the appointment of three members to its Board of Trustees. Darlene Housley, Michael Jensen and Kelly Hardesty Phipps joined the Arboretum Board at its January meeting.
Housley, of Chestertown, served on the Arboretum Board from 2001 to 2007 and was instrumental in expanding the Arboretum’s community events, most notably its holiday caroling celebration. A retired lawyer, she is active in Emmanuel Episcopal Church and in many civic organizations, including Kent County Historical Society, and has been active in the Kent County Garden Club. Her special interests include gardening and historic preservation.
Jensen, of Chestertown, is president and owner of Unity Landscape Design/Build, a landscape design and construction business, and Unity Church Hill Nursery, a garden center and nursery in Church Hill. After studying landscape architecture at Temple University, he launched his business more than 20 years ago with the investment of a single pick-up truck. Today Unity Landscape Design/Build provides design services in addition to permitting, shoreline erosion control and living shoreline installation, and landscape installation and maintenance for residential and commercial properties.
Phipps, of Centreville, served two terms on the Arboretum Board before assuming presidency of the Queen Anne’s County Garden Club in 2010. Active in St. Paul’s Church, Queen Anne’s County Garden Club, Corsica River Yacht Club, Queen Anne’s County Mental Health Committee and Queen Anne’s County Master Gardeners, she is assistant manager of a family-owned restaurant, The Narrows. In her previous term, she was instrumental in expanding the Arboretum’s annual gala, Magic in the Meadow, to be a successful fundraising event.
Located in Caroline County, adjacent to Tuckahoe State Park, Adkins Arboretum is a private partnership between the nonprofit Adkins Arboretum and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The facilities are owned by the state but are operated and financed by the Arboretum under a 50-year lease.
The Arboretum serves residents and travelers in the region with leadership provided by a 17-member Board of Trustees representing Caroline, Kent, Talbot and Queen Anne’s Counties. Through its multi-year Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, it will build the W. Flaccus and Ruth B. Stifel Center at Adkins Arboretum and a “green” entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives.
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, it will build the W. Flaccus and Ruth B. Stifel Center at Adkins Arboretum and a “green” entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship. For additional information about Arboretum programs, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.