Master Gardener Milestone Awards

The Dare County Master Gardeners celebrated their milestone awards with a delicious dinner at the beautiful Pier House in Kitty Hawk. It was a special evening to celebrate and recognize our volunteers who work so hard throughout the year serving the Outer Banks.

The Milestone Awards were presented as follows.

With 250 hours of volunteer service: Melodie Badger, Crystal Hall, Tony Ippolito, Marc LeBlanc, Harvey Murray, Lynn Murray, Mary Robertson, and Sara Zimmerman.

With 500 hours of volunteer service: Mike Digrassie, Dona Fiedler, Patricia Fields, Wayne Krout, Louise Norko, and Gail Reynolds.

With 1,000 hours of volunteer service: James Braun, Mary Lou Digrassie, Ruth Engdahl, Bill Ghirardi, and Jo Voigt.

Four adults standing indoors holding small white cards, wood-paneled wall and door behind — Pictured is Bill Ghirardi, Mary Lou Digrassie, Ruth Engdahl & Jo Voigt

With 2,000 hours of volunteer service: Bob Holloway and Karen Schindel.

Older woman in red sweater standing indoors by wood-paneled wall and window. — Karen Schindel

With 4,000 hours of volunteer service: Barbara Koeblin and Kaye Lyerly.

Two older women in a wooden-paneled room, floral blouse and glasses, blue vest; "EXIT" sign overhead

With 6,000 hours of volunteer service: Chris Stadther. Chris chairs the Speakers Bureau and plays an integral role in bringing the Library Garden Series to the Kill Devil Hills library as well as facilitating other speaking engagements throughout the county. Chris is extremely knowledgeable regarding the conditions, challenges and unique environment of the Outer Banks and she presents valuable research-based information on how to navigate those issues and adapt to them. We are grateful for Chris’s dedication and service.

Person in red sweater and glasses holding a small white card in a wood-paneled room

With 5 years of service: Melodie Badger and Wayne Krout.

Woman standing behind a wooden counter in a lodge room wearing a name tag — Melodie Badger, not pictured Wayne Krout

With 10 years of service: James Braun, Bill Ghirardi, and Robert Hopkins.

Two older men standing indoors by a wood-paneled wall, each holding a white envelope. — Bill Ghirardi & Robert Hopkins, not pictured James Braun

With 20 years of service: Kaye Lyerly, Valerie Morell, Dave Schindel, and Karen Schindel.

Three older women holding small cards and a man standing beside them at an indoor gathering

Julia Morris was awarded Emeritus Status for her years as a Master Gardener. We are thankful for Julia’s time and service to our group.

Two women embracing at a crowded indoor dinner event as nearby guests applaud — Linda Foster presents Julia Morris with her Emeritus Award.

Our Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer award recipient for 2023 is Louise Norko. Louise leads the Community Outreach Committee and manages numerous events that serve our community such as Kids Fest, Artrageous, Dowdy Park Family Fun Night, the Dare County Parks and Recreation kids garden club scavenger hunt, and the Art & Science of Garden Journaling. Louise is skilled at communication and organizing schedules, ensuring effective participation. Under Louise’s direction this year, the Outreach team grew exponentially, both in volunteer participation and in the number of events the Dare Master Gardeners participated in. Many thanks to Louise for her time and dedication.

Two women holding awards: blue sign "Behind the Scenes Volunteer" and orange plaque "Volunteer of the Year" — Louise Norko & Linda Foster

The Volunteer of the year award recipient for 2023 is Linda Foster. Linda is the President of the Dare Master Garden Volunteer Association and is a great role model for serving others. She is always present at events, ensuring everything runs smoothly and making everyone feel welcome. She even organized over 60 volunteers for the Coastal Gardening Festival. As the President of the Board of Directors, she oversees committees and the budget and presides over meetings. Linda has been a Master Gardener for many years and is always involved in current activities. Linda has put numerous hours into being President. She is a friendly professional who leads by example, encouraging others to become Master Gardener volunteers. We appreciate Linda and her hard work and time.