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.

Sue Sensenbaugh-Padgett
Vice President

B.S. Education, Grand Valley State University

Sue is retired from Northwestern Michigan College where she was an Instructor of Math, Study Skills, and Pre-Composition. While working at NMC, she participated in a variety of planning and steering committees. Her first garden memory is riding on the rotor tiller as her Grandpa plowed. Vegetables were always her favorite and she loves starting her own plants from seeds. You will find Sue in the Fife Lake area playing with her 15 grandchildren.

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
Michele Worden
treasurer@mganm.org

B.S. Chem/B.S. Ch.E. 1988 College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

M.B.A. 1999 Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Certificate of Fundraising Management, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University

Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer MSUE, Gold Badge

In her professional life, Michele worked as a consultant in product development in technology-based companies and managed capital projects as an engineer in the petroleum and chemical industries, both overseas and domestically. In 2021 Michele has taken on the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of her family’s trucking and logistics company.  

Michele has been an Extension Master Gardener since 2003.  She served on the MGANM board from 2006-2008 as Vice President and President starting in 2016.  She has enjoyed serving on the Committee for Master Gardener College twice.  She also currently also serves on the Operating Committee of the Northwest Food Coalition.  Since moving to Northern Michigan, Michele spent 6 years, collectively, as school garden and ‘Food of the Month’ program instructor, followed by serving as a Farm to School Educator in 5 northern Michigan elementary schools.  She is a founding board member of The Greenspire School, Traverse City. 

She lives in the woods in Traverse City with her husband and two teenage children.  She enjoys hiking the trails and working in her garden.

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
Barb Backus

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
Barbara Fasulo-Emmott

B.A. University of Michigan

M.A. Central Michigan University

LPC, CCS-M, ICAADC

Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer MSUE

Barbara is a retired Munson Behavioral Therapist with a background in photojournalism and professional photography. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Resource Center, worked with the 86^th District Sobriety Court for 10 years and given many presentations on prescription drug addiction.

She does volunteer work at the Boardman River Nature Center with the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network, is a docent at The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, MSU Diagnostic Clinics and is the Chairperson of the MGANM Book Club.  Barbara has served on the Board of Directors for the past two years.

Barbara is a Certified Shoreland Steward, and her property is a Certified National Wildlife Habitat.  She finds serenity and much joy in spending time with her 10 grandchildren.

Grand Traverse Conservation District
Boardman River Nature Center Liaison
Judy Reich

B.F.A. Wayne State University

Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer MSUE

Along with working as a graphic artist, managing a resort office and working as an art therapist for a children’s clinic, Judy has been a registered nurse since 1978, and was Education Coordinator in the Operating Room.  Judy helped to found a regional chapter of the Association of Operating Room Nurses, developed a senior practice in the O.R. for R.N. students, trained the labor and delivery nurses, and wrote and produced an educational film for the AORN. In 1994 Judy accepted a position as a supply chain consultant visiting procedural areas of hospitals helping them design custom kits for their procedures.

Judy has been actively involved in the maintenance and development of the Boardman River Nature Center Native Plant Gardens. Judy and her partner, Tim McGrew, were involved in the installation of the Green Roof Project.

Judy has been a docent for the Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park and was chosen as Grand Traverse County Master Gardener of the Year in 2015. Judy also had served as MGANM Secretary for 3 years.

Judy lives in the Old Town Neighborhood of Traverse City in a 130 year-old “Painted Lady”.

Botanical Garden at Historic Barns Park Liaison
Liz Clous

Three years college at Central Michigan University

Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer MSUE

Liz is the owner of Heritage Landscape Design, a full-service design landscape business, incorporating design, planting, and maintenance of the landscaping. Liz started the business in Traverse City in 2004.  Prior to this time, she was a teaching assistant at Blair Elementary School.

Liz has been Treasurer, Vice-President, and President for the Master Gardener Association of Northwest Michigan.  She also has been on many different boards at her church where she held positions of Treasurer, Secretary, and a Board Chairperson.

Liz has enjoyed working with MGANM in administrations and office positions and a favorite MG project was “Friday Night Live” in downtown Traverse City.

She and her husband, Gary, have lived in Traverse City since 1976, where they raised their two girls as well as being foster parents for 10 years. Liz loves the beauty of the area and doing all things “Traverse City”. Liz is an avid reader and loves learning about new horticultural practices, as well as new plant material as it becomes available.