It was a great conference.
Here's what it looked like.
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 2008 MELA president, Julie Siegel, opens the proceedings, welcoming a record crowd of more than 125 people. |
 Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun inspires the audience with her keynote address.
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Dr. Claire Gervais brings home to the assembly the health effects of a variety of landscaping chemicals. For her ehandout, click here.
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Answering a question from the audience, The Care of Trees CEO Scott Jamieson makes a compelling case for being green and profitable. |
MELA co-founder Connie Cunningham looks on at the result of what she began six years ago with Mike Nowak.
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This year's Polaris Award goes to Scott Jamieson for his great contributions to making the green industry greener.
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At lunch, there is socializing, discussing, and a little reading up on the afternoon's program. |
And some serious networking starts even before the highly successful new innovation of break-out sessions is launched in the second half of the day. |
A trio of presidents--Julie Siegel, Shawn Kingzette, and Connie Cunningham--are caught in a moment of camaraderie by the fourth, Mike Nowak behind the camera.
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Northwind Perennial's Roy Diblik holds them spellbound at the Native Plants table.
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Board member Rinda West seems utterly absorbed as the Chicago Tribune's Beth Botts talks about Communicating with the Public.
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Former board member Lynn Bement, the Organic Gardening Coach, leads the discussion at the Soil Food Web table.
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Board member Mark Moxley ably heads the Sourcing Materials discussion. Behind him, Christine Esposito of
Terracom Public Relations
holds forth on Promoting Your Green Business.
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Highly knowledgeable board member Garth Conrad of Garth Conrad Associates chairs the Green Landscape Design table at the breakout sessions.
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Safer Pest Control Project's Rachel Rosenberg initiates a couple of new MELA Members into the secrets of Organic Lawn Care.
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It's been a long and satisfying day for Madame President. |
The Usual Suspects: Back row: Mike Nowak (co-founder and former president), Garth Conrad (board member), Shawn Kingzette (former president and current board member), Mark Moxley (board member); Second row: Rinda West (board member), Laura Haussmann (board member), Grace Koehler (board member and president-elect), Connie Cunningham (co-founder and former president), Lynn Bement (former board member); Front row: Christine Nye (board member), Julie Siegel (president and board member)
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