Board Members

President
Sue Hudnut
president@mganm.org

Advanced Master Gardener, MSU

Sue has an extensive background in the automotive aftermarket industry, serving in global management roles with SPX Corporation and Bosch GmbH. After retiring from automotive in 2015 she spent the next 5 years working for the nonprofit The Greening of Detroit as webmaster, volunteer coordinator, social enterprise manager, citizen forester leader, and manager of Lafayette Greens, an urban garden with 2000 square feet of raised beds. In addition to providing a beautiful space in the heart of downtown Detroit, Lafayette Greens provides 3 season education, entertainment, and personal growth programming, as well as employment for returning citizens.

Sue has been a master gardener since 2012 but has had a love of gardening her whole life. She and her husband Jon moved to Leelanau County in 2020 and have an 11 acre homestead which includes flowers, vegetables, and bees.

James Egan
Vice President

Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting and Finance, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois

Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

MSU Advanced Master Gardener                               

Jim is a retired senior financial executive with over 35 years of experience in the finance services industry. He has been an avid gardener for most of his adult life. After retiring in 2019 he pursued his Master Gardener certification. Over these last four years he has been actively involved in a number of Master Gardener projects in both Grand Traverse and Leelanau County. He was recognized as Master Gardener of Year for Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Benzie County in 2021.

Jim previously served Secretary to the Board of the Master Gardner Association of Northwest Michigan in 2020 and 2021

In addition to his Master Gardener volunteer activities, Jim is a volunteer for the Grand Traverse Watershed and Trout Unlimited.  When he and his wife Jill are not volunteering, they are traveling and Jim never forgets to bring his fly rod.

Professional Activities:

Financial Executives International

Secretary
Glynis Waycaster
secretary@mganm.org

Master’s Degree in Nursing, University of Phoenix

Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer MSUE

Taking the Master Gardener Course from MSU Extension had been on her “bucket list” of personal goals, and she wanted to learn more about horticulture and landscaping. Glynis took the course in 2013. It was through the course that she learned of MGANM and became a member in 2014. MGANM’s work within the community drew her interest to the association. Glynis joined the Board of MGANM in 2016 as Treasurer.

Glynis is a Registered Nurse of 33 years and works at Munson Medical Center. A native of Detroit, she relocated to Northern Michigan as a young adult and in 1991 relocated to Traverse City. She is the mother of three young adults; a son and twin daughters. When not working, she spends most of her time doing home improvement projects and working in her yard and immature gardens.

Treasurer
Barbara Backus
treasurer@mganm.org

Michigan State University graduate with BA in English and in Chemistry

Barb is retired but last worked for the City of East Lansing in Elections overseeing the Qualified Voter File. Over the years she has been active in the East Lansing community through organizations such as the League of Women Voters, Kresge Art Museum at MSU as a docent, Advent House serving the hungry and working as a substitute Science teacher.

Since 2016, after moving to Traverse City, Barb has been a master gardener but has had a love of gardening her whole life.

Director
Nancy Reeves

D.V.M. Colorado State University

Nancy is a semi-retired veterinarian and master gardener. She has worked for over 20 years at a major animal health company where she oversaw post-licensing regulatory matters. In that role, she managed a team of 30 veterinary professionals. Currently, she works part-time at a local veterinary clinic. Nancy was certified as a Michigan Master Gardener in 2018 and is particularly interested in growing and making healthy food available for everyone. She and her husband also have a hobby chestnut orchard in Leelanau County.

Director
Marcella Massa

Marcella is a  transplanted New Yorker who is enjoying gardening and retirement.

She volunteers at Maple Bay Community Farm, and the Boardman Nature Cente where you will find her behind the desk as a docent, and tending the Green roof garden and native plant beds from Spring to Fall.

Marcella is passionate about planting native plants and trees and actively removing invasives. You can find her along the TART trail in Spring pulling Spotted Knapweed or Garlic Mustard