Among the many worthy causes to support, you continue to appreciate VISTA Gardens with your financial contributions. Together, we are cultivating a vibrant and sustainable community for generations to come and we thank you for your ongoing support!
As we enjoy the wonderful success we have experienced, we look forward to how we can continue to thrive. Everything that is special about VISTA is due to you, our members, our volunteer Board members, and our volunteer Committee Chairs who dedicate time, energy, and enthusiasm to help make VISTA such a happy place.
Did You Know That VISTA Gardens…
…Is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with a set of official Bylaws that spell out when we have meetings, how our Directors are appointed, and what the various Committee functions are. The five-member Board includes a President (Jennifer Grebenschikoff), Vice President (Marty Kleiner, also Chair of infrastructure), Treasurer (Susan Baxter Gibson), and Secretary (Keshia Arlinghaus, also Co-Chair of Membership), and Evans Bostick (former Chair of Garden). Each Committee has a volunteer chair who reports to the Board monthly about what that committee is doing and what resources it will need going forward.
…Publishes a Board meeting Agenda before and Minutes after every Board meeting. These are available for your review by contacting our Board secretary Keshia Arlinghaus. The Board welcomes all members to know more about how we function. You are welcome to attend Board meetings, which are generally held on the first Saturday morning of each month at the garden pavilion.
…Is on County land and that requires us to meet all the County requirements: annual reports, meetings with County staff, lobbying for funds, plus fiscal and insurance and regulatory compliance. In addition, we are always alert to opportunities to reinforce our viability as a County park.
…Has no paid employees. Your membership includes a commitment to volunteer a minimum of 2 hours monthly, although many VISTA members donate more time. Your volunteer commitment can be to committee work as well as garden upkeep. There are so many activities you can be involved in: working in the House of the Rising Seeds, tending the Flower Garden behind the seed house, maintaining our many native plant and pollinator gardens, caring for the herb garden, turning compost. For those who prefer something a little less energetic, we have many members who work behind the scenes: by maintaining our membership lists, creating our newsletters, updating our website, and writing grant applications. The opportunities are endless. We count on you to find an activity that interests you and jump in. So, check out our Board and Committee Chairs page on our website https://www.vistagardentampa.org/boardofdirectorsandcommitteechairs plus the More Information link at the bottom of that page. We’d love to hear about your special interests, talents and skills!