JCMGA Unsung Heroes

We have all heard the phrase “Unsung Heroes” which often describes folks who work behind the scenes, doing the necessary work that makes the finished product look easy.

The Master Gardeners have many of those people in the organization, but I am only concentrating on two (two very important people), Maxine Cass and Lisa Brill. Maxine and Lisa are the editors and proofreaders on The Garden Beet newsletter that is published each month. Their job is to correct spelling errors, run-on sentences and to fact check each article.

Maxine Cass has been a Master Gardener since 2015. In addition, she is also a Master Food Preserver, Master Woodland Manager and a member of the Land Stewards. In her spare time, Maxine writes and edits other publications. Plus, she has 20 acres of land here in the Rogue Valley that she and her husband manage. Maxine has been a writer and researcher for other organizations here and abroad. She spends one to three hours per month editing articles that come into The Garden Beet for publication. Her main goal is to make sure that the Beet is not only accurate in its writing but upholds the integrity of the Association.

Lisa Brill is another unsung hero you don’t hear from often. Lisa is from the class of 2020/2021 and has chosen to lend us her time working as an editor for The Garden Beet. It has been said that Lisa is a very fine editor who can write for a variety of different audiences. Like Maxine, Lisa tries to make sure the articles in the Beet are accurate and written with integrity. When not gardening, Lisa is an avid bicyclist. She is the president of the Siskiyou Velo bicycle club and loves to tackle a few hills (and the flats) when riding in the Rogue Valley. In Lisa’s professional life, she managed a flu vaccination campaign and wrote member education materials and operational, clinical and policy guidelines for Kaiser Permanente in northern California. Lisa had long desired to become a Master Gardener, so when she retired, she fulfilled that dream.

Without these two talented and dedicated women, The Garden Beet would not have the esteem that it has now. They take well-written articles and make them into excellent articles. I thank them for their hard work. I am sure now that you know a little bit about them, you will appreciate their critical eye too. The Garden Beet would not be the same without them.