Our Team
Each Master Gardener Chapter in Texas is associated with its county AgriLife Agricultural Extension Agent. The Victoria County Master Gardener Association is a one county chapter and is under the supervision of Matt Bochat, M. S. County Extension Agent – Ag/Natural Resources. We are fortunate to have many master gardeners from outside our county to serve here and in other counties in our area.
Our membership of trained certified Master Gardeners is over 100 strong and spreads out across the several surrounding counties. These volunteers, with a quest to share their knowledge, training and passion for gardening with their communities is the heart of the organization.
Officers for 2024:
President: Brenson Abbott
Contact Brenson at 713-826-3266
President Elect: Mark David
Vice President: Carla Rodriguez
Treasurer: Kathy Bowen
Treasurer Elect: Bea Flores
Secretary: Marie Graham
State Director: 2024-2025- Stacey Ontai
Alt. State Director: 2024-2025- Jo Ann Orsak
State Director 2023/2024 – Larry Hable
Alt. State Director 2023/2024 – Marilyn Stewart
Master Gardener Training
The Master Gardener certification training is an intensive 14-week course with both classroom instruction and field trips. The instructors are primarily experienced Master Gardeners and AgriLife & Texas A&M University faculty and researchers. The topics of instruction are uniform throughout the State of Texas as all Master Gardener chapters in Texas use the same detailed training manual developed by the Texas Master Gardener Association. The manual was recently updated and will be used by the Victoria County Master Gardener Association classes. The training teaches fact-based proven and sound horticulture practices in an unbiased manner. We will have a Meet & Greet in January of 2024 to begin recruiting for our 2024 Class.
Master Gardeners are volunteers, trained by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in research-based horticulture including soils, water conservation, composting, entomology, plant pathology and related subjects. As County Extension Service volunteers, they give to the community by extending research-based knowledge and providing solutions in one-to-one problem solving, in a demonstration gardens and educational programs. What really sets Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture.
Master Gardeners are representatives of Texas AgriLife Extension. In all volunteer work related to the program, Master Gardeners follow the research-based recommendations of Texas AgriLife Extension. The title “Texas Master Gardener” can be used by volunteers only when engaged in Extension-sponsored activities.
2024 Member Roster
Abbott, Brenson – 2018 Certified
Anderson, Shelby-2022 Certified
Bartel, Debra 2007 Certified
Blanchard, Olivia 2003 Distinguished 10/05/20
Bloebaum, Heidi 2019 Certified
Boatman, Helen 1998 Distinguished 1
Borchers Leon, Charla 1998 Emeritus
Bowen, Kathryn 2012 Certified
Brewer, Cynthia 2019 Certified
Bruns, Debbie 2024 Intern
Buchanan, Ellen 2007 Distinguished 1
Chilek, Martha (Kathy) 2006 Certified
Clark, Cheryl 1999 Certified
Coleman, Sandi 2005 Certified
Collins, Helen 2011 Certified
Cook, Lupe 2005 Distinguished 1/18/2021
David, Barbara 2016 Certified
David, Mark 2022 Certified
Davis, Bernice 2007 Distinguished 1
Davis, Karla 2008 Certified
Denker, Linda 2000 Honorary
Ehrhardt, Lindbergh 2024 Intern
Elmore, Phyllis 2018 Certified
Fisseler, Margaret 2024 Intern
Flores, Bea 2013 Certified
Friedrich, Norma 2023 Certified
Friedrichs, Betty 2018 Certified
Garcia, Danny 2023 Certified
Garcia, Luciano 2003 Distinguished 1
Glomb, Diana 2015 Certified
Gonthier, Janet 2017 Certified
Goris, Sylvia 2019 Certified
Graham, Marie 2001 Distinguished 7/28/2022
Greeson, Mary 2002 Distinguised 10/18/2020
Gregurek, Edwin 1997 Distinguished 1
Hable, Larry 2019 Certified
Hartman, Linda 2010 Emeritus
Havemann, Lanny 2001 Distinguished 1
Heinold, Brenda 2016 Certified
Heinold, Sandra 2019 Certified
Hendryx, Pauline 2014 Certified
Hennig, Barbara 2008 Distinguished 6/16/2020
Henry, Barb 2006 Distinguished 11/29/2021
Hensley, David 2022 Certified
Hensley, Nelda 2022 Certified
Hinman, Donna 2010 Distinguished 1 8/05/2020
Huber, Jean 2010 Distinguished 1
Hybner, Sandy 2018 Certified
Janak, Jerome 2003 Distinguished 1
Janak, Mary 2004 Distinguished 1
Jones, Bradley 2024 Intern
Kanak, Frances 2004 Certified
Kasala, Sandy 2001 Certified
Kauffman, Marcia 2011 Certified
Kelly, Alison 2024 Intern
Kelly, Michael 2024 Intern
Kelly, Patrick 2024 Intern
Keszler, Patrick 2022 Certified
Knief, Kenneth 2004 Distinguished 1/25/2021
Knief, Sandy 1999 Distinguished 1/20/2021
Knowles, Jean 2011 Distinguished 11/9/21
Koenig, Catherine 2013 Certified
Koenig, Pat 2006 Distinguished 11/16/2022
Kramer, Nancy 2002 Certified
Krueger, Debbie 2004 Certified
Kubecka Kimberly 1999 Certified
Kucher, Michael 2024 Intern
LaBrecque, Suzanne 2011 Certified
Lee, Brynn 2008 Certified
Lee, Harriet (Bitsy) 2022 Certified
Lee, Laurel 2008 Distinguished 1/4/2021 Retired 1/1/2024
Lees, Linda 2008 Certified
Lukas, Lynn 2019 Certified
Martignoni, Michael 2014 Certified
Martinak, Doris 2001 Distinguished 1
Martinez, Rosemary 2023 Certified
Mason, Julie 2023 Certified
McCrea, Janet 2013 Certified
McGill, Haley 2024 Intern
Medina, Ina 2024 Intern
Miller, Jimmy 2010 Certified
Morgan, Mary 2018 Certified
Morrison, Kathy 2024 Intern
Motley, Brenda 2018 Certified
Mozisek, Vivian 2007 Certified
Neumeyer, Charles 2005 Certified
Nichols, Larry 2022 Certified
Nolan, Dick 2004 Emeritus
Oksenholt, Kristine 2023 Certified
Ontai, Stacey 2018 Certified
Orsak, JoAnn 2022 Certified
Parks, Helen 2009 Retired 1/1/2024
Plowman, Patricia 1998 Certified
Pope, Janis 2023 Certified
Pounder, Kathryn 2017 Certified
Pritchett, Jennie 2023 Certified
Rathmell, Gloria 2024 Intern
Rodriguez, Carla 2018 Certified
Roskey, Debbi 2008 Certified
Ruschhaupt, Virginia 2006 Distinguished 2
Sauseda, Olimpia 2022 Certified
Schmidt, Barbara 2003 Distinguished 1
Schoenfeld, Linda 2023 Certified
Skeans, Jessica 2024 Intern
Sobczak, Maria 2004 Distinguished 1
Solberg, Lee Ann 2017 Certified Transferred 6/2022
Sonntag, Linda 2022 Certified
Sterne, Marti 2015 Certified
Stewart, Marilyn 2017 Certified
Stoeltje, Lisa 2024 Intern
Stubblefield, Sharon 2022 Certified
Tiffin, Patricia 2003 Certified
Tovar, Betty 2021 Certified
Woodall, Charles (Woody) 2023 Certified
Wright, Dana 2017 Certified
Zaplac, Nancy 1998 Emeritus
- Manage demonstration gardens;
- Organize youth & adult gardening education programs;
- Site visits to provide advice to the gardening public about best practices and how to improve the homeowner’s garden;
- Manage school garden projects;
- Maintain a speakers bureau;
- Lunch and Learn with the Masters programs free to the public with presentation on specific gardening topics;
- Provide an annual Meet & Greet with information about VCMGA’s training course;
- Coordinates with AgriLife Extension a 14-week Master Gardener certification training course with field trips;
- Monthly chapter meetings with informative and educational speakers for the Master Gardeners continued education and training;
- Conduct plant sales and provide educational material and advice along with the plants purchased;
- Promote rainwater harvesting for the homeowner;
- Promote EarthKind gardening practices.
VCMGA is a voluntary, nonprofit, educational, literary and charitable association organized to support Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Texas Master Gardener Association. VCMGA is not affiliated with any commercial enterprises. VCMGA serves Victoria County, Texas, in cooperation with the counties’ Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Offices.
- Complete the Master Gardener course of instruction;
- Complete fifty (50) volunteer service hours within one year of the completeing the training course;
- Receive certification by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, The Texas A&M University System;
- Pay annual dues;
- Maintain certification through re-certification every year which requires 06 hours of approved Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and 21 volunteer hours.
- Attend and participate in membership meetings which are typically on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
- To increase the gardening knowledge of its members and the general public.
- To support and assist Texas A&M AgriLife Extension by providing the area communities with information on good gardening practices through news articles, seminars, presentations, schools programs and other community groups, by telephone and digital media.