BOARD MEMBERS
Justin Titus
President
Overland Park, Kansas, USA
Monet Aquatics
Email: [email protected]
JUSTIN TITUS
IWGS President
USA
BIO
Justin is the owner operator of Monet Aquatics, a water feature design, build and maintenance company. His education is in terrestrial plant propagation and display. He has been in the water garden industry since 2001 and self employed since 2005. Justin has a passion for efficient plant propagation and particularly enjoys the more difficult specimens. He is always looking for ways to improve systems in his business to increase the quality of product or service provided. Justin is a published author of several water garden related articles and frequent guest speaker for garden clubs and societies.
Jeannie Suffern
Vice-President & Treasurer
Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
Aqualine Aquatic Plants & Waterfeatures
23211 Township Road 514
Sherwood Park, AB, Canada T8B 1L1
Email: [email protected]
Jeannie Suffern
Vice-President & Treasurer
CANADA
BIO
Jeannie Suffern is the co-owner of Aqualine Aquatic Plants & Waterfeatures, located in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. Her mission is simple: promoting the growing of aquatic plants in Alberta, where temperatures range from 00C to -35C during approx. 5 months of winter, and up to +30C in the summertime, where the season is short but the daylight hours are long (17-19 hours daily). She shares her passion for water lilies with her customers, and delights in introducing them to the world of tropical water lilies. Jeannie is also a director for the Alberta Invasive Species Council and for the Colchester Agriculture Society. Even before joining our Board, Jeannie managed to scan ALL of our past Water Garden Journals so that we could archive them on our website. Very enthusiastic, Jeannie has been hard at work with website improvements, and is ready to take on the question of invasive species and related laws on an international level!
Kelly Billing
Vice-President
Forest Hill, Maryland, USA
Water Becomes a Garden
2040 Brandy Drive,
Forest Hill, Maryland 21050 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
Kelly Billing
IWGS Vice-President
USA
BIO
Kelly Billing has over 30 years of experience in the water gardening industry wholesale trade. Currently she is an Industry Consultant with a focus on 'Plant Greatness' (planning the most effective use of plants) and Improving Water Quality. Specializing in plant selection and procurement for projects of all sizes. She compiled and maintains the Aquatic Plant Invasive Species List for the nursery trade in the United States. Kelly is a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist. She writes regularly for various trade magazines and water gardening publications. She cooperated with Ben Helm on a water gardening book that was published in the US (Water Gardeners Bible) and UK (Water Gardens) as well as co-authored with Paula Biles, The Lotus, Know It and Grow It for the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society, IWGS. A gardener since childhood, Kelly enthusiastically shares her knowledge and experience with International Organizations, Promotional Groups, related Associations, Garden Centers and Garden Clubs.
David Curtright
Secretary
Escondido, California, USA
Freshwater Flora & Fauna, Inc.
2137 Via Corte, Escondido,
California 92029 USA
E-mail:
[email protected]
David Curtwright
IWGS Secretary
USA
BIO
David lives in north San Diego County, California, where for nearly 40 years he has operated a small aquatic nursery and consultation service. He also does pond planting and maintenance in high-end residential areas of southern California, and at Balboa Park and the Mission at San Juan Capistrano. He is the president of the Southern California Water Garden Society, and is locally recognized as an expert in the field. He joined the IWGS at its inception, but was inactive for several years. More recently, he has been active in club activities, and was elected to be the Society’s Secretary in 2015. He has written for the Journal many times, and is the Society’s librarian.
Danny Cox
Director
Naples, Florida, USA
Naples Botanical Garden
4820 Bayshore Drive,
Naples, Florida 34112, USA
E-mail:
[email protected]
Danny Cox
IWGS Director
USA
BIO
Danny Cox is the Aquatic Area’s Specialist at Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Fl. He started his horticulture career at Naples Botanical Garden as an intern in 2010, and since 2011 he has served as the Garden’s primary water gardener, growing and maintaining the waterlilies and other aquatic plants. As a young horticulture professional, he is dedicated to increasing his knowledge of plants and working with people through education and civic engagement. Danny received his B.A. in Environmental Studies from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2014. During the summer of 2015, he completed an internship at Longwood Gardens to learn new techniques from Waterlily Curator, Tim Jennings. Last year, Danny worked with the IWGS to set up the 2016 New Waterlily of the Year Competition. Currently, he serves on the board of directors for the Naples Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, as well as on the IWGS board.
James Bennett
Director
Weymouth, Dorset, UK
Bennetts Water Gardens
Putton Lane, Chickerell
Weymouth, Dorset DT3 4AF UK
E-mail:
JAMES BENNETT
IWGS Director
UK
BIO
James Bennett grew up surrounded by aquatics at his family’s waterlily nursery and fish farm in Dorset, England. He studied computer science and worked in software development and website design. In 2001 he joined the family business, Bennetts Water Gardens, where he learned plant propagation, pond construction & lake management. He is the third generation of his family at Bennetts Water Gardens, now a successful tourist attraction, and works alongside his parents and wife. In 2012 he succeeded his grandfather, Norman Bennett, as custodian of the National Plant Collection of Nymphaea®, with the ongoing work to document, develop and preserve an accurate collection of hardy waterlilies. James also serves on the committee of his local group Plant Heritage, a charitable plant society, whose mission is for the conservation of cultivated plants in Britain and Ireland.
Kathy Cahill
Director
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Lincoln Park Conservatory
2391 N Stockton, Chicago,
Illinois 60614, USA
E-mail:
[email protected]
Kathy Cahill
IWGS Director
USA
BIO
Kathy is a Floriculturist with the Chicago Park District Conservatories where she grows and displays thousands of tropical plants and trees, including aquatics. In 2018 she introduced Nymphaea ‘Garfield Park’, a chance seedling she discovered, cultivated and registered.
Kathy has been a member of IWGS since 2011 and served as a Director since 2016. She Chairs the IWGS Victoria Conservancy and the Certified Collections Committees.
She studied tropical botany with the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kampong and has degrees from the University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute.
John Sou
Director
Bass Hill, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Watergarden Paradise Aquatic Nursery
P.O. Box 7039,
Bass Hill, New South Wales 2197 Australia
E-mail: [email protected]
John Sou
IWGS Director & Webmaster
AUSTRALIA
BIO
John Sou, nursery manager at Watergarden Paradise Aquatic Nursery (NSW, Australia), is a qualified horticulturist who graduated from Ryde Horticultural College. He joined the water gardening industry over 25 years ago and has worked extensively in areas of aquatic and wetland plants identification, propagation and evaluating new plants' ornamental values. From time to time, John is also involved in landscape projects where he conducts site assessments and provides plant recommendations. Water gardening is John's passion. In his spare time, he also experiments with hybridising waterlilies, lotus, irises and other aquatic plants.
Mike Kandt
Director
Wichita, Kansas, USA
5615 North Sullivan
Wichita, Kansas, 67204, USA
E-mail: [email protected]
MIKE KANDT
IWGS Director
Country: USA
BIO
Mike is a retired architect and 20-year president of the Kansas Pond Society, a water gardening club in Wichita Kansas with membership of about 180 households. Married to his wife Susan for 45 years, they have been involved in watergardening for 25 years (since they bought their house) and have learned everything the hard way.
Involved with other garden clubs, Mike is a past member and president of his local Garden Council, a group of several garden clubs in town. He has spent time as a Trustee/Board member and as president of his local botanical garden, Botanica, and continues to volunteer for that organization.
When not watergardening, he is an amateur woodworker, home repairer, gardener and Santa in the season.
Jacklyn Rodman
Director
California, USA
Sunland Water Garden
9948 Sunland Blvd., Sunland, CA 91040, USA
Phone: (818)353-5131
E-mail:
[email protected]
Jacklyn Rodman
IWGS Director
Country: USA
BIO
A native Californian (a Valley girl to be more exact). Jacklyn Rodman had a full ride to UCLA to play basketball, but after two years decided she was more interested in family and business life, so changed course to start Sunland Water Gardens with her previous husband. A family business specializing in everything for your pond. Since 1980, she has found her passion in growing aquatics and is still excited to grow something someone will take home and enjoy.
More recently she enjoys traveling the world inspiring and supporting new hybridizers, and discovering yet one more new variety .. of something :)
Jacklyn says she is humbled and excited to be on the board as she would like to use her experiences to help elevate the next generation of water garden professionals.
Sander Dekker
Director
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Individual
SANDER DEKKER
IWGS Director
The Netherlands
BIO
Suzanne Boom
Director
Maryland, USA
Lilypons
Suzanne Boom
Director
Maryland, USA
BIO
Suzanne’s life has been tied to the water since birth. She grew up on a tall-masted ship in the Netherlands and earned a Masters degree in Marine Biology at the University in Groningen. Love later brought her to the US where in 2007 she and her husband, Jim, bought a house with a backyard pond. Water gardening quickly became a favored hobby and a few years later she started working at Lilypons Water Gardens. From there her passion for ponds, and especially aquatic plants, grew.
Suzanne is currently the operations manager of Lilypons Water Gardens in Adamstown, MD.
James Allison
Emeritus Director
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK
Aquapic Water Garden Solutions
4 Dagmar Road, Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire GL50 2UG UK
E-mail: [email protected]
James Allison
IWGS Emeritus Director
United Kingdom
BIO
James Allison built his first pond in his teens, went on to study aquatic biology, and ended up managing a specialist pond and aquarium retail outlet in Gloucestershire (UK) for many years. He left that post fifteen years ago to set up his own business 'Aquapic - Water Garden Solutions' which deals in all aspects of pond creation and maintenance. Alongside that he writes and lectures around all things aquatic, and was editor of the IWGS Water Garden Journal for a number of years.
Advisory Board Member
Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Water's Edge
847 Indiana St,
Lawrence, Kansas 66044 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
Susan Davis
IWGS Advisory Board Member
USA
BIO
Susan Davis is co-owner of Water’s Edge, a water garden specialty business in Lawrence, Kansas. She manages daily operations at the store. In addition to staff training and development, much of her time is spent helping customers develop and achieve their fantasy of water in their garden. Susan has a rare ability to excite those around her and add a magical flare to any space! Water gardening and water in motion have given her a medium to express her talents. While she and partner Deb Spencer accidentally stumbled upon water gardening in the mid 1980’s, they continue to learn and share the ‘secrets’ of the world of water and to support the people around them.
Charles Thomas
Emeritus Director
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, USA
13155 Buena Vista Road,
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania 17268 USA
Email: [email protected]
Ex-Officio, Honorary Life Term Director