President's Speech

I am originally from Houston, Texas, but I spent most of my summers on my grandparents’ farm in Looneyville, West Virginia. During those years, I developed a deep   love for West Virginia and its wild, rugged beauty. In 2016, Ernie and I fulfilled a lifelong dream and moved to Spencer. It was a big step—moving somewhere we didn’t know anyone—but not long after we arrived, I was invited to help at Hill and Hollow’s annual flower show.

 They didn’t really need my help—but they welcomed me like an old friend. And more than that, I could see how deeply they loved flowers. I knew right then: I had found my people.

What I admire most about garden clubs is the spirit of unity, teamwork, and collaboration. I’m retired now, but I spent most of my career in oil and gas and health care, working as a programmer, systems analyst, manager, and project manager on global projects. These experiences taught me one enduring truth: when people come together around a shared goal, they can accomplish incredible things.

That’s why I chose “Better Together” as my theme. It's more than just a slogan—it’s a belief. When gardeners come together, we achieve, create, and grow more—not only as individuals, but as clubs, and as communities.

As members of garden clubs, we are united by our shared passion, purpose, and values. Each of us brings something unique: a different perspective, a different set of skills, and different experiences. But the real garden club magic happens when we come together—when we unite all those differences to create something far greater than the sum of its parts.

At our recent convention, I asked the question: “Does your club need new members?” Every single hand in the room went up. So we know our shared goal—we need to grow our membership, connect people to our clubs, and start new clubs in new places. That’s how we continue to be Better Together.

Of course, these are just nice words unless we have a plan to back them up. And we do. Here’s our 4-step action plan:

1. Grow Membership

We need to reach beyond our current circle to find the people who want—and need—a garden club in their lives. To help, we’ve created a membership banner, flyer, and business cards (available on the website). To borrow the banner, contact Roann Wojack at [email protected].

2. Start New Clubs

There are areas in our state that don’t yet have a club—and we’re going to change that. We’ll be actively identifying potential areas for new clubs. Pat Mayes has generously volunteered to be our New Club Chair. You can reach her at [email protected].

3. Support Existing Clubs

We want to make club leadership easier and more fun. To that end, we’re building an online library of project ideas, programs, and field trip suggestions. I’ve asked all our chairs to help gather this information, and I’ll also be hosting club leadership Zoom calls where we can share ideas and answer questions.

4. Have Fun!

To celebrate National Garden Club Week, we’re launching a statewide project. I’m inviting every garden club to create a flower arrangement, take a photo, and send it to me. We’ll post the pictures on our website so we can all see the beautiful impact we’re making—Better Together.

And finally, I need your help. If each of us does a little, we can accomplish a lot. Let’s work together to grow, to share, to support, and to inspire.

Because we truly are… Better Together.

                                                            Pam Simien