Board of Directors

A vibrant garden filled with various colorful flowers, including yellow daisies, purple violets, pink and white blooms, surrounded by green leaves.
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Melissa Burch, President

Melissa is the founder of Bountiful Hope Farms and serves as President of the Monroe Botanical Garden Board. She is also a Master Gardener, bringing hands-on horticultural knowledge along with her strong connection to agriculture, land stewardship, and community-based initiatives. Melissa provides leadership for the organization and helps guide the overall vision and strategic direction of the garden

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Cathy Hauck, Vice President

Cathy is the owner of the Infinity Studio and brings an entrepreneurial and wellness-focused perspective to the board. As Vice President, she supports organizational leadership and strategic planning while also helping think creatively about programming, events, and community engagement opportunities within the garden.

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Mitch Tordoff, Treasurer

Mitch is the Director of Finance at Precision Drive and Control and serves as Treasurer for the Monroe Botanical Garden Board. He brings strong financial and operational expertise to the organization and provides oversight of budgeting, financial planning, and fiscal stewardship. Mitch helps ensure the garden’s resources are managed responsibly as the project grows and develops.

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Jennie Lembach, Secretary

Jennie is a Merchandising Manager at Colony Brands and serves as Secretary for the board. She contributes strong organizational and operational skills while helping support board governance and documentation. Her experience in merchandising also brings a valuable perspective on visitor experience and retail opportunities.

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Angela Ghiloni, Director, Horticulture and Infrastructure

Angela works in purchasing at Colony Brands and is also a Master Gardener, bringing both organizational insight and horticultural expertise to the board. In her role focused on horticulture and infrastructure, she helps support planning for plant collections, garden development, and the practical needs of maintaining the garden over time.

The logo of the Missouri Botanic Garden features a red tower, surrounded by green laurel branches and a purple flower, with text around it that reads "Missouri Botanical Garden" and "Cultivating Connections."

Shannon Stricker, Director, Development and Fundraising

Shannon works as a Development Outreach Events Strategist with UW Health and brings significant experience in fundraising, donor engagement, and event planning. She plays a critical role in supporting the financial sustainability of the Monroe Botanical Garden through development strategy and relationship building.

Logo for the Monroe County Botanical Garden featuring a red clock tower, green laurel branches, a purple flower, with the text 'Monroe County Botanical Garden' and 'Cultivating Connections'.

Michael Davis, Director, Volunteer Coordination

Michael serves as President of Master Gardeners of Green County and brings extensive horticultural knowledge and hands-on gardening experience to the board. He plays an important role in coordinating volunteer efforts and connecting the garden with the local gardening community. His perspective helps ensure the garden reflects strong horticultural practices and community participation.

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Malika Jubeck, Director, Community Engagement and Outreach

Malika works with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and plays a key role in helping the garden build strong connections within the community. Her focus is on outreach and engagement, helping ensure the garden becomes a welcoming space that reflects and serves the broader Monroe and Green County community.

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Stephanie Kind, Director, Communications and Marketing

Stephanie works in marketing and brings professional expertise in communications, branding, and audience engagement through experience on nationally-recognized brands with Kimberly-Clark. She helps guide how the garden shares its story with the public and supports efforts to build awareness, excitement, and visibility for the project.

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Bryan Schroeder, Director At-Large

Bryan is a nurse with SSM Health and provides a thoughtful perspective grounded in service and community well-being. As an at-large director, he contributes broadly to board discussions and helps ensure the garden remains a welcoming and accessible place for visitors of all ages and backgrounds.