PRESIDENT: Elisabeth Castro, Montgomery Co.
Elisabeth has been an Extension Master Gardener in Montgomery County since 2014. She joined the board of MCMGA in 2015 as Assistant Treasurer and became President in 2016. She also served on the Plant Sale Committee as the Plant Sale Plants and Publicity Coordinator from 2017 till mid-2020. Since then, she worked in the Greenhouse as a propagator and is responsible for verifying the botanical names of all the plants propagated in the greenhouse. In addition, she is also responsible for the MCMGA website and publishing events as a blog to subscribers regarding plants sales and educational classes. Other duties include being an VMS Administrator.
In 2017 she became the Treasurer of TMGA and served for two terms. She joined the board again in 2020 as Second VP, then First VP, becoming the President in 2023. She will continue with a second term as President through 2024.
She inherited her passion for plants from her mother. But it wasn’t until she moved to Dallas, TX that she fell in love with a packaged rose bush from a grocery store. From then she was hooked. She loves roses and began her rose journey by growing mainly Old Garden Roses. She currently has over 100 rose bushes. Her passion for plants did not stop there. Her second love is bulbs. Over the years she has planted hundreds of bulbs and although Texas weather does not always comply with having all her schoolhouse and red and yellow spider lilies bloom, she is happy when a clump decides to shoot up a few naked flower scapes. She is hoping her clump of Hardy Amaryllis (Hippeastrum x Johnsonii) will soon be large enough to share with others. Then, there is that obsession with succulents. Her collection is growing to the point where there is no more room in her greenhouse. If you ask her, there isn’t a plant she does not like, except those pesky weeds that seem to love her garden.
Elisabeth has been a Texas Rose Rustler (TRR) for ten years and currently serves as the TRR Chair. She is also a Consulting Rosarian with the Houston Rose Society.
1st VP: Kathryn Wells, Denton Co.
Originally from South Carolina, Kathryn moved with her family to north central Texas in 2010 – just in time for one of the coldest winters of record … and one of the hottest, driest subsequent summers of record. Wow! Surprised by the temperature extremes, she quickly turned to native and Texas Superstar© plants for their property, which is a Monarch Waystation and a Certified Wildlife Habitat©.
Since 2018, Kathryn has served consecutive years on the Denton County MGA Board as Communications Director, Vice President, President, and now, Immediate Past President. Among other volunteer positions, she is also the President of the Texas Master Naturalist – Elm Fork Chapter, and, as a member of Native Plant Society of Texas – Trinity Forks Chapter, she chairs the Grants Committee and teaches Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) classes.
2nd VP: Wayne Schirner, Bell Co.
After retiring from the US Army in 2014, Wayne Schirner became a certified Texas Master Gardener in 2015. He served as President of the Bell County Master Gardener Association in 2017 and 2018 and has been either an alternate or representative to the TMGA Board of Directors since 2017.
Wayne has completed advanced training in vegetable gardening, irrigation efficiency, and composting, and is currently completing the service hours requirement for plant propagation. He regularly writes articles for the BCMGA monthly newsletter, the Blooming Bell, and his passion is writing about horticultural myths. Wayne is very pleased to be able to serve the TMGA in the role of 2nd Vice President and looks forward to continuing to serve Master Gardeners in Texas.
SECRETARY: Kelly Linder, Williamson Co.
Kelly Linder lives in Georgetown, Texas. She retired from state government after a career in state budget and audit functions, retiring as the Chief of Staff for the Texas State Auditor’s Office. She is a Williamson County Certified Master Gardener, serves actively in her church’s Prayer Shawl ministry, and enjoys reading and quilting. Ms. Linder is married to Steve, a middle school science teacher, and they have four children ranging in age from college student to young adult.
TREASURER: Sarah Lawson, Rockwall Co.
A North Texas native, Sarah has been an Extension Master Gardener since 2012. She has served in leadership roles for both Randall County as President and Vice President, and Rockwall County as President and Treasurer. Community involvement is her passion, currently she serves on three community boards in addition to her Extension Master Gardener and Texas Master Gardener volunteer roles.
During her career as an educator, she was a teacher at all grade levels. In addition, she served in the instructional leadership roles of assistant and associate principal, principal, district level administrator, and regional trainer of district and campus level instructional leaders. She and her college sweetheart husband Jim enjoy experimenting in their greenhouse and sharing their plants with friends, family and the community. Their family of two sons, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren are their pride and joy.