May Arboretum Society Board of Directors are elected annually at our all-member meeting, held during the fourth quarter each year.
Frances Munoz, President, has lived in the Reno/Sparks area for the past 29 years. Her professional background is in retail banking and credit union management. Currently she is the branch manager for US Bank – a position she has held for the past nine years. Frances is an advocate for mental health and animal rights issues and her love of travel has found her in countries all over the world and throughout the US. Through her travels she has become passionate about cultural diversity as well as developing a sincere and strong love of where she has been fortunate enough to live her life – the US. Frances enjoys spending time with family, gardening, reading and visiting sports stadiums to cheer on the local teams as she works toward her goal of visiting every major league baseball park in the country.
Anna Vermillion Hoss, Vice President, was born and raised in the San Joaquin Delta area of California, gradually migrating through northern and northeastern California, finally landing in Reno in 1979. Her 25-year professional career began as an executive secretary for a state and federally funded non-profit agency administering eight Head Start and twelve state preschool programs over four rural northern California counties, and then progressed to a full charge bookkeeping position for a major corporation, culminating as a project manager in construction and engineering for Harrah's Reno/Lake Tahoe. She earned an Associates in Arts degree from Truckee Meadows Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design with an Art History minor from the University of Nevada, Reno. Anna held certifications from the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) and the Nevada State Board of Architecture, Interior Design and Residential Design during her years of practice. Anna has been blessed with 20-plus years of retirement as she embarks on yet another chapter in life. Her passions are many and involve nature, the outdoors, flora, fauna, the arts, gardening, reading, travel, friends and family. She considers the May Arboretum and Botanical Garden and the Rancho San Rafael Park to be among the greatest gifts Reno has to offer its residents and visitors.
Gwen Bourne, Treasurer, has a background in education and finance. Gwen moved to Reno in 2001 to pursue a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Nevada, Reno, and enjoy the bright Reno skies. Gwen worked in non-profits for the next ten years in management and development, and then started Gwendolyn's Gardens in her semi-retirement. She now focuses on locally-grown, chemical-free gardening and flower arranging.
Shannon Speak, Secretary, retired after a 25-year career as a Senior Manager in a human services agency in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was raised in South Lake Tahoe and returned home to the Sierra Nevada six years ago. As an outdoors enthusiast, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and kayaking. Her passion for travel is never ending and she is always on the lookout for the next adventure, whether close to home or in another country. Shannon has served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the May Arboretum Society for the past two years and enjoys volunteering at events when not traveling.
Lane Johnson, Director, grew up across the street from the current Rancho San Rafael Park. As a boy, he would cross the street, crawl through the barbed wire fence, and play in the fields of the ranch. On occasion, they would find the children playing on the property and would run them off with the sound of a shotgun. In a matter of months, Lane and his friends would find themselves back on the ranch exploring and having new adventures. Lane, who continues to lives in the same neighborhood, can be found at the May Arboretum at least once, if not two to three times each day and enjoys taking photos of the wildlife, plants, and trees. A life-long Reno resident, Lane is a middle school counselor for the Washoe County School District, working in education for more than 25 years.
Chad Morris, Director, was born and briefly raised in Arkansas before ending up on the west coast in the late 1980’s. In 1993 he moved to a small town in Sierra Valley before graduating high school in 1999. In 2000 he moved to Reno where he worked in the horticulture industry for several years before taking a lengthy detour to grow both his family and family businesses. He was happily able to return to horticulture in early 2020 when he joined the UNR Cooperative Extension as their Commercial Horticulture Program Coordinator. He’s a self-described “tree and tech nerd” with years as an ISA Certified Arborist under his belt along with holding a B.A. in Information Systems/History.
Catherine Allin Tollstrup, Director, was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She moved to the SF Bay Area in the early 80s where she acquired degrees in Administration and Counseling as well as specialized certificates in Marketing Communications, Water Conservation, and Environmental Compliance. She served on and chaired many committees and boards before retiring early to Reno in 2015. She began training and volunteering at the Arboretum and for the Society in early 2016. Catherine has served previously on the Board and developed the presentation for our Fairy Garden Workshops. She loves traveling, cooking, creating mixed media art, and gardening.
Lynn Ann Short, Immediate Past President, has forty years of experience in health and human services in the private, government and non-profit sectors. She is a teaching assistant professor in the School of Community Health Sciences and Associate Director of the online Masters in Public Health Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Lynn has expertise in community-based initiatives and program planning, policy and advocacy. She also serves in leadership positions for both national and international non-profit organizations. A resident of Reno since 2014, Lynn enjoys growing herbs and flowers, and completed the Master Gardener training sponsored by the UNR Cooperative Extension. The Immediate Past President serves in an ex officio capacity.
Horticulturist
Bill Carlos, has served the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden as the horticulturist for close to 15 years. In 2015 and under his leadership, the Arboretum achieved Level II Accreditation though the national Morton Arboretum Arbet Program. Mr. Carlos is also responsible for establishing the Arboretum's Horticulture Volunteer Training Program and completing an assessment of the condition and value of the arboretum. Before coming to the Arboretum, Mr. Carlos served for 21 years as the Horticulture Program Coordinator for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
As needed, Mr. Carlos provides horticultural guidance to the May Arboretum Society to assure that our community events as well as the garden upgrades/projects are appropriate and sustainable due to the diverse weather conditions
experienced in Northern Nevada.
As needed, Mr. Carlos provides horticultural guidance to the May Arboretum Society to assure that our community events as well as the garden upgrades/projects are appropriate and sustainable due to the diverse weather conditions
experienced in Northern Nevada.
