2021 Election & Bylaws Amendments
The Triennial Election will take place in July 2021. This election determines the leaders for our organization for the upcoming three years and your participation is important. The May/June 2021 American Rose will contain Q&As on the vice presidential candidates as well as information regarding candidates for Regional and District Director positions. Descriptions of proposed Bylaw Amendments, approved by the Board of Directors, will also be available. The Bylaw changes, if approved, become effective when the new Board of Directors is installed in September 2021.
The American Rose Society has engaged a third party, Intelliscan, Inc. to facilitate the Triennial Election. Electronic ballots will be emailed to all current paid memberships by Intelliscan beginning at noon on June 30, 2021. YOU MUST HAVE A PAID ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP WITH ARS. Corporate, Complimentary, Libraries, E-members, Trial members and Youth members are not eligible to vote.
You must have a unique email address on file with ARS no later than June 15, 2021, as the file to Intelliscan will be generated on June 16. Associate members must have a separate, unique email address on file with ARS.
To ensure that all members have the opportunity to vote, the ARS has sent a postcard to all members that do not have an email on file. It is your responsibility to make sure that your email address is current in the ARS database prior to the June 15th cutoff.
Ballot materials will be distributed electronically via secure website and a sample ballot will appear in a special Election Section in the May/June 2021 issue of American Rose. CHECK YOUR EMAIL for the ballot from Intelliscan.
Voting will begin on June 30, 2021 at noon CDT and ends at noon, CDT on July 30, 2021. You will receive an email from Intelliscan, Inc. with a personalized link to vote. You will receive a confirmation that your vote has been received. You will also receive two reminder emails if you have not voted.
Ballot results are only seen by our election service provider, Intelliscan, Inc. Their computer generates a summary report, and the final results are presented to the ARS Tally Committee and others authorized by the ARS Board of Directors. No individual ballot information is shared.
Please be sure that your membership dues have been paid in order to be eligible to vote in the Triennial Election. If you have any questions regarding the voting process, contact Kim Merritt (kim@rose.org)
AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY 2021 TRIENNIAL ELECTION BALLOT
Important Election Information
• PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOUR MEMBERSHIP DUES HAVE BEEN PAID IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE TRIENNIAL ELECTION. If you have questions regarding the voting process, contact Kim Merritt at kim@rose.org.
• YOU MUST HAVE A PAID ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP WITH ARS. Corporate, Complimentary, District, Libraries, Youth, E-members, and Trial members cannot vote. Societies are allowed one vote.
• YOU MUST HAVE A WORKING EMAIL ADDRESS on file with ARS as stated in the Jan/Feb and Mar/Apr magazines to be eligible to vote. Associate members must also have a working email address to be eligible to vote. If you do not have a personal email address, you may use a friend or family member’s email address to vote. Please make sure to contact the ARS with the email address you plan to use by June 15, 2021 to be eligible to vote. Also, if you have opted out of receiving emails from the ARS, please contact Kim Merritt at kim@rose.org to opt back in.
• ALL BALLOTS ARE NOW ELECTRONIC. Ballots will not be mailed. All ballot materials will be dispensed electronically via secure website (a third-party election company-Intelliscan, Inc.) CHECK YOUR EMAIL (JUNK & SPAM FOLDERS).
• VOTING BEGINS at 12:00 noon Central Daylight Savings Time on June 30, 2021 and ends at 12 noon Central Daylight Savings Time on July 30, 2021.
• YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL FROM INTELLISCAN, INC. with a personalized link to vote. At the onset of the election, lntelliscan will send personalized emails to ARS members with functioning email addresses. The message will list instructions for voting online, along with a personalized embedded hyperlink that will take members directly to their ballot. Each voter must sign into the voting page separately and use their own embedded hyperlink. (Members, Associates & Societies will receive their own separate emails).
• The ARS election site will be designed so that members will click on the personalized embedded link from one of the email distributions and automatically access their personalized ballot.
• The online ballot will include the slates that the members are eligible to vote on. The voter will be able to click on a candidate’s name to view his or her biography.
• After casting votes, members will be taken to the voter review page and will then have the choice to “submit” their votes as shown or go back and change selections. This process will continue as many times as necessary until members click the “submit” button. After clicking “submit”, members will be sent to a page thanking them for voting and will include a link to the ARS site.
• ONCE A BALLOT has been submitted, the system will not allow the ballot to be accessed again. ONLY ONE VOTE PER MEMBER!
• YOU WILL RECEIVE TWO REMINDER EMAILS from Intelliscan, Inc. about voting, if you have not voted. During the fielding period, Intelliscan will send two reminder messages to all ARS members with functioning email addresses who have not yet voted.
• ELECTRONIC BALLOT RESULTS are only seen by our election service provider Intelliscan, Inc. Their computer generates a report, and the final results are presented to the ARS Tally Committee and others authorized by the ARS Board of Directors at the close of the election on July 30, 2021.
• Deadline for receipt of all online ballots by Intelliscan, Inc. is Noon [Central Daylight Savings Time], Friday, July 30, 2021.
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SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN THIS SECTION FOR BYLAW AMENDMENTS, VICE PRESIDENT RESUMES AND OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION
2021 Triennial Election — SAMPLE BALLOT
Select your vote on five (5) Bylaw amendments:
1. Article VIII-Government (Section 1: Board of Directors)
o Yes
o No
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2. Article VIII-Government (Section 3: Regions and Regional Directors)
o Yes
o No
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3. Article XIII-Nominating Committee (Section 1: National Nominating Committee)
o Yes
o No
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4. Article XV-Triennial Elections-Terms of Office (Section 1)
o Yes
o No
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5. Article XVI-Ballots (Section 5)
o Yes
o No
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Select your candidate for Vice President:
o Caroline Bergs
o Craig Dorschel
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Select your candidate for other areas, if applicable:
Northwest Region [NCNH District; Pacific Northwest District; Rocky Mountain District and all Foreign]
o Jolene Adams
o Georgie Bever
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Southwest Region [Central District; Pacific Southwest District and South Central District]
o Kreg Hill
o Gary Osborn
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Pacific Southwest District
o David Bassani
o Linda Clark
Other Pertinent Information
Article XVI, Section 4 of the ARS Bylaws states:
“Section 4 - Except as otherwise set forth in these bylaws, any nominee running unopposed will be considered duly elected, and no vote will be taken. The Nominating Committee, however, should attempt to secure sufficient nominees to provide competitive elections.”
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Therefore, the following nominees, running unopposed, shall be considered duly elected:
President – Diane Sommers
Vice President – See Sample Ballot above
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Regional Directors
Northeast Region – Linda Kimmel
Northwest Region – See Sample Ballot above
Southeast Region – Ralph Stream
Southwest Region - See Sample Ballot above
District Directors
Buckeye – Audrey Palumbo
Carolina – Robin Hough
Central – John Riley
Colonial – Carol Fox
Deep South – Cindy Dale
Great Lakes – No nominees presented
Gulf – Peggy Martin
Illinois-Indiana – Roger Brueckman
New York – Louis Arce
North Central – Lois Ann Helgeson
NCNH – Sue Bennett
Pacific Northwest – Caroline Fredette
Pacific Southwest – See Sample Ballot above
Penn-Jersey – Bill Dorn
Rocky Mountain – Sheldon Drobot
South Central – Debra Bagley
Tenarky – Lori Emery
Yankee – David Long
VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATE RESUMES
CARRIE BERGS Carrie Bergs, from Union Grove, Wisconsin, is a retired public relations & marketing specialist. She has been a member of the American Rose Society for 9 years. She is a member of the 2021 Cream City Roses National Convention Planning Committee and will host a garden tour for that event. She has served the North Central District as Co-Chair of the District Rose Show in 2016 and 2019. She has been a Board member since 2018 and is the creator and administrator of the North Central District website (NCDrose.org). She is a current Apprentice Horticulture Judge and apprenticed at the 2018 San Diego National Rose Show.
Locally, Carrie is a member of the Greater Milwaukee and Gateway Rose Societies where she has held several positions. For the Greater Milwaukee Rose Society, she has served as President in 2015 and 2016, Vice President responsible for meeting programs since 2019, Membership Chair since 2018, and has been Chair/Co-Chair of the Greater Milwaukee Rose Show and the Wisconsin State Fair Rose Show since 2017. She and her husband have hosted the Annual Member picnic since 2015. She was the recipient of the society’s Bronze Honor Medal in 2019.
As a member of the Gateway Rose Society, she has served as a Board Member since 2016, Secretary since 2019 and Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee since 2013. She received the society’s Bronze Honor Medal in 2019. She is a continuous financial supporter at the National, District and local level. Carrie has made many presentations for local & District meetings, garden groups and podcasts. She has written numerous articles and reports for local and District newsletters and websites, including two articles for the American Rose magazine. She is a frequent contributor to Horizon Roses. Carrie has been an enthusiastic exhibitor and volunteer at the local, District and National Levels since 2013. She coordinated the Greater Milwaukee Rose Society/Gateway Rose Society member bus trips to the 2018 National Convention in Gettysburg, PA and the 2019 National Convention to Franklin, TN.
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CRAIG A. DORSCHEL Craig Dorschel, from Worcester, Massachusetts, is a retired chemist and has been a member of the American Rose Society for 23 years.
He is currently serving as Region 0 Director and Arrangement Judges Committee Chair. He has served as Yankee District Director from 2012-2018 as well as National Nominating Committee Chair and was a member of the Executive Committee from 2015–2018.
He has also served as Chair for the Bylaws and Ethics Committee from 2015 to 2018, as well as a member of the Arrangement Judges Committee, Marketing Committee, Convention Planning Committee, Rose Photography Committee Judge and Strategic Planning Committee from 2015-2018. He also served as a member of the Research Committee from 2012-currently and as Research Trustee from 2012-2018. In addition, he served on the Horticulture Judging Committee both 2006-2012 and 2015- 2018 as well as the Horticulture Exhibitors Committee from 2009-2012 and 2018-current. He is a current Arrangement Judge, Consulting Rosarian (Master Rosarian in 2013) and Horticulture Judge. He was awarded President’s Citations for chairing the Fall 2015 National Rose Show (Syracuse) and for efforts on the ARS Bylaws during 2015-2018. At the district level, in addition to District Directorship, Craig served as District Chair of Arrangement Judges from 2012 to present and District Chair of Horticulture Judges from 2006 to 2012. Awards received by Craig are the Silver Honor Medal in 2009, the Outstanding Consulting Rosarian in 2011 and the Outstanding Horticulture Judge in 2019. Yankee District was awarded the first place Executive Director’s commendation for percentage of ARS membership growth in 2017.
He is a member of the New England, Cape Cod, Connecticut, and Rhode Island Rose Societies, having served in various positions. For the New England Rose Society, he served as Past President in the early 2000s and is currently an at-large Board member. He was awarded the Bronze Honor Medal in 2008.
Craig also currently serves as Vice President of the Ikebana International, Boston Chapter #17 through 2022 and has been Recording Secretary from 2018-2020.
He is a continuous Patron level supporter of the Annual Fund. Craig has written articles for local and District newsletters as well as one published in the American Rose Annual. He has given numerous lectures at local and District events and presented the most recent Chemical Safety Webinar of the National Consulting Rosarian School program in 2021 online.
He has organized and lectured in Horticulture and Arrangement Judging schools and seminars, including an online Horticulture Judging Seminar in 2020. He has lectured on rose culture and arrangement to various schools for the Ikebana organizations. As Chair of the National Arrangements Judging Committee, he is working with the committee to complete a new edition of the Guidelines for Judging Rose Arrangements. He has supported rose shows via exhibiting, judging, and serving as Show Chairman/ Show Judging Chairman at the local, district and national levels.
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CANDIDATE RESUMES
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NORTHWEST REGION [NCNH District; Pacific Northwest District; Rocky Mountain District and Foreign]
JOLENE K. ADAMS – jolene_adams@sonic.net; Computer Management (Retired) ARS President 2012-2015; Vice President 2009-2012; Executive Committee member Fall 2009-2015, Chair 2012-2015; Webmaster, ARS website: www.ars.org 1995-2009; Publisher of ARS & You 2006-2012; Horticulture Judge 1996-present; Consulting Rosarian 1995-present; Master Rosarian 2006; ARS Klima Medal 2017; ARS Gold Medal 2018; Committee Chair: E-Rose 2000-2009; Internet 1997-2000; ARS On-Line 1994-1997; ARS Bylaws Committee 2009-2012; ARS Local Society Relations/Program Services Committee 2006-2009; ARS Endowment Trust 2014-2015; Committee Member: Bylaws 2006-2009 and 2015-2018; Long Range/Strategic Planning 2006-2009; ARS Endowment Trust - 2012-2015; ARS Local Society Relations/ Program Services 2006-2012; District Service: Northern California-Nevada-Hawaii (NCNH) District Director 2003-2009; NCNH Webmaster 1996- 2003; Editor, The Criterion 1995-1997; District Bylaws committee 2004; District CR Chair 2009-2012, 2015- 2021; Outstanding Consulting Rosarian 2000; Outstanding Horticulture Judge 2010, Silver Honor Medal 2011; Gold Medal for Best District Bulletin 1997; Gold Medal – The Criterion -1997; Local Society: East Bay Rose Society: President, 2017; Secretary, 1993, 1994; Vice President, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2021; Director, 1996, 1997, 2004-2011; Co-Chair Show Chair, Show Chair, RIR Local Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Judges Chair, CR Coordinator; Home Depot Liaison, Webmaster; Bronze Honor Medal recipient 1998; Golden Gate Rose Society: Editor, 1995-2002; Judges Chair; CR Coordinator; Bronze Honor Medal recipient 1997; Mount Diablo Rose Society: President, 1998-1999; Judges Chair; Bronze Honor Medal recipient 2000; Garden Club & Master Gardener activities: Board Member, Rose Chair, California State Garden Clubs, Inc 2007-2011; BOD, Hort. Chair for Roses 2007-2011; Master Gardener, Alameda County CA appointed 2001; Website for Master Gardeners – Over the Fence articles 2004- 2012; International activities: Vice President – North America, 2012-2018; Webmaster for WFRS 1998-1999; Member, WFRS Publications Committee 2009-2012; Chair 2015-2021; ARS Delegate 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015; World Federation Rose Society: Editor, ‘50 Golden Years’ 2018; Webmaster WFRS 1998-1999; WFRS Honor Medal recipient 2018; Publisher/Proofreader for various ARS newsletters; Writes extensively for local society and District newsletters, ARS, Master Gardeners; lectures widely in person and via virtual media. ARS member since 1991 (30 years); has attended 3 National Conventions in the past five years.
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GEORGIE BEVER – roselady1949@gmail.com; Engineering Project Manager (Retired) Region 8 Director 2018-2021; Rocky Mountain District Director, 2015-2018; Consulting Rosarian, Horticulture Judge; Local Society: Riverwalk Rose Society: President, 2017-present (2021); Denver Rose Society: Board of Directors Member at Large, 2017; Pikes Peak Rose Society; President, 2013-2014; Published numerous articles on rose culture in the monthly newsletter of the Denver Rose Society, Pikes Peak Rose Society and Riverwalk Rose Societies.
Made presentations on rose culture and garden (chemical) safety to meetings in the Denver, Pikes Peak and Riverwalk Rose Societies and the Garden Club at First Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs; Other: Avid exhibitor, grows 125+ varieties of roses in a Zone 5 very arid climate; ARS member since 2010 (11 years); has attended five National Conventions in the past five years.
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SOUTHWEST REGION [Central District; Pacific Southwest District and South Central District]
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KREG B. HILL – kreghill@gmail.com; Retired Real Estate Broker and General Contractor Region 8 Director Fall 2012- Fall 2018; Pacific Southwest Director Fall 2006-Fall 2012; Maintenance Endowment Trustee Fall 2006-Fall 2015; Editor, Rose Arranger’s Bulletin 2000- 2003; Committee Chair: ARS Strategic Planning Committee Fall 2006-Fall 2012; Planned Giving Committee Fall 2009-Fall 2012; Associate Chair, Rose Arrangement Judges Fall 2003 – Fall 2006; Committee Member: ARS Strategic Planning Fall 2006-present; National Nominating, Region 8 Fall 2012-Fall 2015; Finance Committee Fall 2006-Fall 2012; Rose Arrangements Judging Fall 2000-Fall 2006; Convention Planning Fall 1996-Fall 2000; Old Garden Roses Fall 1992-Fall 1997; District: Comptroller, 2009 PSW Fall National & Palm Springs ARS Conference & Rose Show; PSW Chairman of Rose Arrangement Judges 2000 – 2006; Co-Chairman District Convention – 1998; PSW Trophy Review 1997-2000; Local Societies: Albuquerque RS, President 1994-1996; Co-Chairman 1998 Albuquerque National & PSW District Spring Convention; Member, Desert RS; Council of Albuquerque Garden Clubs, Inc, President, 1990; Valley Gardeners (Albuquerque) 1999-2000; Master Judge, National Garden Clubs, Inc., since 1989; Former Accredited Judge, American Hemerocallis (Daylily) Society; has presented numerous programs at local, district and national conventions; has written articles on all aspects of rose culture, published in the American Rose, OGR Gazette, Rose Arranger’s Bulletin, district and local bulletins; Arrangement Judge, Consulting Rosarian since 1990; Horticultural Judge; PSW Outstanding Consulting Rosarian Award; PSW Outstanding Arrangement Judges Award; Bronze and Silver Medals plus a ARS Presidential Citation; have won National and District Horticultural and Arrangement Trophies; ARS member since 1986 (35 years); ARS Life Member; has attended all National Conventions in past five years.
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GARY OSBORN – gosborn@iowatelecom.net; Self-employed Woodworker Cabinet Maker Central District Director Fall 2015-Fall 2021; District: Chair/Co-Chair Arrangements and Horticulture Judges – present; Arrangement Judge Chair Fall 2012-Fall 2015; Local Society: Iowa Rose Society: President 2011-present; Des Moines Rose Society, Past President; Iowa Award of Merit from Iowa Horticultural organization; researching ways of grafting roses in Iowa; recipient of Bronze and Silver Honor medals; Arrangement Judge; Consulting Rosarian since 2002; Master Rosarian 2012; Horticulture Judge; Member of ARS since 1996 (25 years); has attended four conventions in the past five years.
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST DISTRICT
DAVID BASSANI – GreenscapesbyBassani@gmail.com; Landscape Contractor Local Societies: Member of several societies: East Bay, Desert, Honolulu, Portland, Pacific, Mesa East Valley, Ventura. Beverly Hills Rose Society: President 2011-present; Bronze Honor Medal recipient 2012; San Fernando Valley Rose Society; President 2004-2014; All Board offices 2015-2018; Regular columnist, “D The G” for SFVRS newsletter 1995-present; Bronze Medal recipient 2005; on an annual basis since 1995 has been involved in rose activities and lectures at various public garden; organized four rose shows; on an annual basis since 1985 has conducted CR Tables at several nurseries; Permanent Panel Rose Judge for Rose Hills International Rose Trials, Whittier CA 2012-present; has had major involvement in schools; frequent speaker at various societies; Academic Activity - Lectures and Classes on Roses - 2015-2018 UCLA Extension Course. A member on Facebook of Rose Societies on five continents. Consulting Rosarian; Master Rosarian 2018; Horticulture Judge; ARS member since 2002 (19 years); has attended two National conventions in past five years.
LINDA CLARK – linsline@cox.net; Retired teacher, Landscaper Pacific Southwest District Director Fall 2018-present; Currently serving ARS Board of Directors Audit Committee and ARSET Trust; Committee Member: ARS Exhibitors Committee Fall 2009-Fall 2012; Pacific Southwest District Chair NNC Fall 2015- Fall 2018; Local Societies: San Diego Rose Society: Membership Chair 2005-2008; Rose Show Chair 2009- present, including two Nationals 2014 and 2018; 2nd Vice-President-programs for 2021; Bronze Honor Medal recipient 2011; Attended and exhibited in all PSW District shows and ten National Conventions; speaker/presenter at rose care seminars, CR seminar/schools, judge’s seminar/school and PSWD local societies; Consulting Rosarian; Arrangement Judge; Horticulture Judge; PSW District Outstanding CR 2016; ARS member since 2001 (20 years); has attended four National conventions in past five years and planning the district convention this year in June.
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BYLAW AMENDMENT VOTE 2021: EXPLANATION
Reasons for these changes are noted. All changes were previously approved by the Board at its August 27, 2020 Online Board meeting. Amendments to the Bylaws are dealt with through electronic ballots.
After voting of membership is complete, if approved, Bylaw amendments are effective immediately.
Below is a list of Bylaw Amendments, look inside the 2021 May/June issue of AMERICAN ROSE or click below to view them in their entirety.
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• Article VIII-Government (Section 1: Board of Directors)
• Article VIII-Government (Section 3: Regions and Regional Directors)
• Article XIII-Nominating Committee (Section 1: National Nominating Committee)
• Article XV-Triennial Elections-Terms of Office (Section 1)
• Article XVI-Ballots (Section 5)
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