The Friends Board

We are a group of volunteers from the Portland gardening community who love to get outside, especially when that means helping out in this garden gem. You might think that we’re all fanatic rose growers (well, there are some of those) but no. We are a mix of experienced and beginning gardeners, Master Gardeners, and neighbors who love Peninsula Park, and the Peninsula Park Rose Garden.

Our Friends group was officially established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. As such, we do have an active board, consisting of garden volunteers, with career experience in the law, finance, marketing, technology, education, medicine, and public administration. But what binds us all is a love for gardens, and for this garden, in particular.

Board Members

Our board members serve 3 year terms and can often be found in the garden, especially on Fridays (snack days!). Current board members are:

• Mark Smallwood, President
• Elizabeth Parkman, Vice-President
• Laurie J. Blair, Secretary/Treasurer
• Pat Frobes, Founder and Board Member
• Yvonne Boisvert, Founder and Board Member
• Susan Atwood, Board Member
• William Coffman, Board Member
• Robert Hrdlicka, Board Member
• Julie Kupers, Board Member
• Judy Farmer, Board Member, Emeritus
• Kimberly Bown, Board Member (Ex-Officio)