Board Profiles

Beverly Duzenack has been a Master Gardener since 1997. She is presently President of the Western Colorado Gardening Foundation. Beverly is the gardener at Collbran Job Corps Center in Collbran, Co., and President of the Community Friends of Collbran Job Corps (501c3) Committee. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Grand Mesa Historic and Scenic Byway. Beverly resides in Mesa Co. where she take cares of her own large yard, along with volunteering at various events in and around the Mesa and Collbran area.

Cece Mac Vittie is a Master Gardener, currently enrolled in the horticulture program at the Delta-Montrose Technical College, studying landscape design, and scheduled to graduate in May 2006. She is a Certified Public Accountant with 25 years in public accounting. Previous not for profit accounting work includes support to High Country Citizens Alliance (Crested Butte), KBUT Radio (Crested Butte), Gunnison Legacy Fund (Gunnison Land Trust), and Western Slope Environmental Resource Council (Paonia).

Sylvia Sharpe retired in 1996 from US Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Lakewood, CO, where she was a Supervisor and Manager and taught oil and gas reporting. Following retirement she and her husband Fred moved to the western slope to pursue their interest in playing in the dirt -- gardening, dirt biking, hiking, and four-wheeling. An Advanced Master Gardener since 2002, Sylvia was President of the WCGF from 2003-2005. My garden is a work in progress – a corner of the world to enjoy my flower and vegetable gardens for horticultural therapy. A major accomplishment was writing and receiving $20,000 in grants in the last year for the construction of the CSU North Shade Structure next to the Cooperative Extension office building in Mesa County.

Elizabeth Neubauer grew up in Grand Junction. She graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Art History in 1990. Since graduation Elizabeth has worked as an arts administrator in Boston, Massachusetts, Austin, Texas and Chicago, Illinois. Elizabeth returned to Grand Junction 4 years ago and is now working full-time as a gardener. She remains active in the non-profit community volunteering at KAFM and helping to organize the Silent Auction for the Master Gardener program.

Mike Grode grew up on a farm near Webster, South Dakota. He attended South Dakota State University and graduated with a Bachelors and Masters degree in Wildlife Biology. He served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Defense Command, then went to work for the Colorado Division of Wildlife where he spent 31 years in a variety of wildlife jobs. He retired in October 2006 and is now busy running his own wildlife consulting business. He is on the Board of Directors for the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens and also works with the Adult Literacy program in Mesa County. Mike recently completed the Master Gardening program and is looking forward to working with the Western Colorado Gardening Foundation.

John Moore is a life long gardener. He grew up in the Midwest, but taught Biology for 24 years in Colorado. John retired from teaching in '92, moved to G. J. in '93 and became a Master Gardener in '94. In addition to the MG program, he is involved with the Western Colorado Botanical Garden, the Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society, the Colorado Native Plant Society, the newly formed Orchid Club and the Audubon Society. He feels that the WCGF can be a great help to all of the gardening organizations in this area.

Mary K Mastin was born and educated through medical school in Chicago Illinois. She came west to University of Colorado in Denver for training in general surgery. She practiced general surgery in Denver, Grand Junction and Salt Lake City. After 30 years in operating rooms, she now enjoys the out of doors. Her botanical interests include growing roses and studying the flora of western Colorado. She is a CSU Master Gardener, Native Plant Master and a American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian.