International Aroid Society + Tropical Plant Expo
Governance + institutions
Board leadership, governance drafting, policy, risk, and the practical work of organizing a major annual plant event.
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A place to be useful
I earned a Master of Public Administration because I wanted a stronger understanding of how institutions make decisions, allocate resources, manage risk, and serve a public purpose. That interest intersected with the International Aroid Society as I learned more about its work and got to know the people involved.
I began my current board service in 2024 and have since served across chapters, grants, awards, nominations, and events. I now serve as Vice President and lead the Events Committee. Along the way, I have drafted governance policies, led candidate-recruitment and nominating work, and helped turn institutional needs into clearer processes that volunteers can actually use.
What the work supports
The International Aroid Society is an all-volunteer nonprofit sustained by memberships, donations, volunteer labor, and revenue from the Tropical Plant Expo, its largest annual event and primary earned-revenue source. That support helps fund research, education, publications, grants, and conservation focused on the plant family Araceae.
The goal is larger than producing an event or maintaining an organization. The work helps preserve knowledge, support researchers, and contribute to the conservation of the wild places where these plants evolved. I believe that matters, and that institutions doing this work deserve to be organized carefully enough to fulfill their purpose.
