President

Jaymie Santiago

[ Email: centraljerseyorchids@gmail.com ]

Jaymie is a passionate lover of orchids and a self-taught plant enthusiast. He has been growing and maintaining a vast orchid collection around his house for over a decade, and loves connecting people to plants, and to one another.

Jaymie also runs a premier not-for-profit, social impact organization in the city of New Brunswick, NJ - 'Making a difference in the lives of people'.

Vice President

Joe Thomas

[ Email: centraljerseyorchids@gmail.com ]

Joe has enjoyed growing orchids for over 40+ years. He's been working for an estate, Dunwalke East, for the past 20 years where he has helped develop and maintain a collection of over 1,000 orchids as part of his duties. This estate has been included in the book Gardens of the Garden State.

Treasurer

Rachel Lemcke

[ Email: centraljerseyorchids@gmail.com ]

Rachel enjoys introducing others to the diverse world of orchids. Her current orchid collection primarily focuses on Catasetums, Dendrobiums, and Phalaenopsis. She's been actively growing orchids for three years, and works hard to maintain appropriate conditions for her varied collection (helped greatly with LED lighting).

She is also an amateur watercolor and acrylic painter (pictured here with her painting of a Bulldog orchid at her art show on Leap Day 2020).

Membership Secretary

Luanne Arico

[ Email: centraljerseyorchids@gmail.com ]

Luanne started growing orchids seven years ago after attending her first CJOS meeting. She now grows mostly Cattleyas, Oncidiums, Dendrobiums, and Cymbidiums. Although most of her collection has been grown on windowsills around her home, she is currently trying to consolidate and move her plants down to her basement with the installation of LED lights. Luanne also grows African Violets and other gesneriads. During the warmer months, she enjoys gardening outside with an emphasis on cultivating butterfly-friendly plants.

Corresponding/Recording Secretary

Tobie Parnett

[ Email: centraljerseyorchids@gmail.com ]

Tobie's passion for orchids began with a visit to Selby Botanical Gardens (Sarasota, FL). Since then, she has been attempting to grow orchids for the past 6 years and credits the CJOS for their help and tips along the way. Her collection consists mainly of Dendrobiums and Cattleyas (utilizing LED lighting).
She also teaches ESL classes at the Princeton Public Library.

Editor Newsletter

Ed Frankel

[ Email: centraljerseyorchids@gmail.com ]

Ed is the lead editor for the CJOS Newsletter and other information. He has been growing orchids for more than a decade. As a valuable member of CJOS, it is his job to compile all of our meeting and event information into a friendly newsletter.

Website Administrator

George Wallace

[ Email: centraljerseyorchids@gmail.com ]

George is an IT employee by day and an avid orchid grower by night. He has been growing orchids for a few years now, and has a strong focus on indoor growing. He enjoys the challenges of growing plants and sharing his knowledge with others in the orchid community.