Our Club History

President

Chad is a Michigan native having spent a significant amount of time in the desert southwest while in college at GVSU. Chad graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Earth Science and is the Great Lakes Stream Restoration Specialist for another nonprofit, Trout Unlimited.

Chad lives in the Lansing area with his wife, three older kids and his two dogs. When not out in the rivers or traveling the western United State and Canada, Chad can often be found in his covid project: a self designed and built greenhouse for his many species of cactus. Around December of every year Chad can be found sowing seeds of his next big crop of cactus and sometimes even a succulent. The MCSS has helped shape him into a more well rounded cactus and succulent individual and not just a hard rock and pricky cactus person.

Chad has many years raising cactus from seed and observing many species of cactus from the Mexico boarder to the rain shadows of British Columbia coastal mountains.

Vice President

Brian is an avid seed grower of South African succulents, primarily mesembs. He lives in Southeast Michigan in the suburbs of Detroit. When not busy chasing after his four young children, he enjoys playing soccer and woodworking.

Secretary

Denise's MCSS membership began in late 2021 when the Facebook algorithm dumped her on the group page. For once “they” made an appropriate match.

Denise is a fan of Euphorbia and Mammillaria, but cares for Gasteria, Crassula and many others in her collection to keep that “spice of life”. She inherited family Sansevieria from the 1950s and a beast Selenicereus from the 60s.

Denise transplanted to Michigan from the east in 1982 after graduating from URI and desiring to further studies at MSU. She resides midway between Lansing and Grand Rapids. Retired from the DNR, she's now busy fussing over nonfussy cactus and succulents, traveling, tending a few too many outdoor gardens, and occasionally teaching swim lessons.

Treasurer

Carol's love of plants definitely shows in the numbers of plants taking over the kitchen, upstairs room, downstairs room, and well lit / heated garage room. After realizing the "front room" in her old house had a separate heater she realized this was an ideal opportunity to grow cacti and provide the needed cooler rest microclimate, so she joined the club in 1997. She had even attempted growing cacti from seed when she was a teenager. Retired from the graphic arts field, she especially enjoys growing pachypodiums, euphorbias and cacti (all of which build strength in high winds during summer weather). When not tending to her plants, Carol manages to make time to draw & paint, scan vintage family photos and cater to her husband, Jim, and her cats.

Director

Kerry is a retired automotive engineer that has been actively growing cactus and succulents since 1985 and has belonged to the MCSS for almost as long. He is a Past President of the club and has occupied many other positions on the board over the years. He is a member of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America and attends their bi-annual conventions regularly, as well as regional conferences hosted by other clubs. His favorite plants are barrel cacti of the southwestern US and Mexico. Other interests include conifer gardening, traveling and collecting American art pottery.

Director

Lisa is a long time member of the cactus society and is a self-proclaimed plant hoarder. She loves all cacti and succulents, but has an affinity for hoyas, euphorbias, and haworthias. She is the author of three houseplant books (Houseplants, Grow in the Dark, and Houseplant Party) and is a freelance writer. She also writes a column for Michigan Gardener Magazine and is a co-owner of Steinkopf Nursery Garden Center and Landscaping in Farmington Hills. You can find her at www.thehouseplantguru.com Lisa lives in Livonia, with her husband John, and Henry the kitty.

Director, Web Editor

Tony only started growing succulents in 2018, but has taken to them with a passion. He and his husband live in Ypsilanti and grow almost exclusively indoors under grow lights. He primarily grows Haworthia and other Alooideae, and he enjoys experimenting with soilless potting media. When he’s not staring at plants, Tony enjoys cooking, reading, and playing video games.

Newsletter Editor

Jeff is a native of Iowa, where he started growing cacti while in kindergarten. After completing a BA in biology at Grinnell College and then working in politics for a few years, he returned to school for a Ph.D. in plant ecology at University of Georgia. Post-docs brought him to Michigan, where he worked at UM and then MSU. He is now in his thirteenth year as a professor – first at Adrian College and now at Siena Heights University. An avid conservationist, Jeff serves on the Board of the Legacy Land Conservancy. Jeff and his wife Julie live outside Tecumseh, sharing their home with 2 dogs, many Agaves, cacti, and other succulents.

Librarian / CSSA Liaison

Dave is a lifelong Michigan resident who joined the MCSS in 2009. He is a retired automotive design engineer and a former director and vice president of the MCSS. His primary interest is in cold hardy cacti, many of which populate his rock garden in Oakland Township. Dave maintains a large assortment of xeric plants and in his spare time enjoys writing articles for the newsletter. His other passions include several large planted freshwater aquariums and the guitar.