Bath Gardens

Oktoberfest 2023 - September 29th & 30th

Open Days: Sundays 1-4PM, Tuesdays 12-3PM and Wednesdays 1-4 PM. 3855 Bath Edie Rd., Blythe, GA 30805

Call (706) 504-4956 For Confirmation

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Open Days: Sundays 1-4PM, Tuesdays 12-3PM and Wednesdays 1-4 PM. 3855 Bath Edie Rd., Blythe, GA 30805

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Call (706) 504-4956 For Confirmation

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Board of Directors

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ADVISORY COMMITTEE, and STAFF MEMBERS

Backgrounds and Summaries
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BATH GARDENS FOUNDATION, INC.

LORRAINE BARLETT (Vice-President)

Background: Attorney; Lieutenant Colonel (Retired), U.S. Army Judge Advocate Corps; Real Estate Business

Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Former Augusta Richmond County Planning Commission: Term Completed March 31, 2023
  • Augusta Woman’s Club: Chair for the Arts Community Service Program and AWC Chaplain
  • Affiliations with the Morris Museum and Greater Augusta Arts Council

Summary: Lorraine is a great fit for Bath Gardens due to her extensive leadership roles throughout the Augusta and CSRA communities; service on numerous boards and committees including Family Promise, Mercy Ministries, the Interfaith Fellowship of Augusta Committee, and the Augusta-CSRA Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Committee; her passion for culture, art, and music; her love of nature; and a reputation for always achieving the goals and objectives she sets out for herself.

MARYETTA BECK

Background: Colonel (Retired), U.S. Army Nurse Corps; Nursing; Masters in Public Administration and Information Security

Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Medical Reserve Corps Augusta, Georgia
  • Scouts BSA, Georgia-Carolina Council, Programs and Facilities Liaison
  • Senior Vice Commander, Military Order of the World Wars, Augusta Chapter

Summary: Maryetta is a multi-talented and proven leader who is passionate about our community’s health, security, and young people. She provides committed and consistent support to a myriad of youth leadership development opportunities through Scouts BSA, Military Order of the World Wars, and the Medical Reserve Corps. She is an ambassador for outdoor living, outdoor recreation, and self-reliance!

DAPHNE G. HOPSON

Background: Community Volunteer Leader

Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Past Regent, Colonial Dames, Augusta, GA
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, Augusta, GA (numerous leadership positions)
  • Active in Local Patriotic, Historic, and Genealogical Activities

Summary: Daphne has an incredible passion for our community’s history, traditional values, and culture, and possesses a finely tuned sense of humility, coupled with a deep reverence and respect for nature. She has served on numerous community boards including the DAR’s Peter Crawford Cemetery Board and the Augusta-CSRA Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Committee; and has had successful grant-writing and fundraising experiences.

CELESTINE JAMES

Background: Community Volunteer Leader and Advocate

Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Georgia Republican Assembly, Membership Committee Chair 2021
  • Columbia County Republican Committee, Former Precinct Chair, and 8th District Chair
  • President, “Annie’s Legacy, Inc.” a domestic non-profit corporation dedicated to providing educators and students of modest means with classroom supplies and holiday meals. Annie’s Legacy is named in honor of her mother, Annie Ruth Page Jones, who raised her family with only a 4th grade education before tragically passing away from breast cancer at age 57.

Summary: Celestine or “CJ” is described, by those who know her best, as a woman of strong moral character, a strong work ethic, and deep love for God – very much like her mother, Annie. CJ has a special passion for outreach, diversity, and affection for disadvantaged individuals, groups, and communities.

ROBERT MULLINS

Background: Attorney with Specialization in Environmental & Natural Resources Law

Memberships and Significant Activities:

  • Published Author of local history: 5 books, 25(+) journal publications
  • Georgia Association of Historians
  • Political Science Professor – East Georgia State College, Augusta

Summary: Rob is a dedicated environmentalist, committed to the preservation of our state and local communities’ natural resources, and has a deep passion for the history of Augusta and the CSRA. Rob has won numerous educational service awards, writing awards, and has previously been selected as East Georgia State College’s “Teacher of the Year.”

SAM “REGGIE” SHANNON

Background: Former Nurse at Charlie Norwood VA Center and Scout Leader [Disabled]

Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Scout Master, Troop 15, Augusta, Scouts BSA Georgia-Carolina Council (20+ Years)
  • Wood Badge Certification
  • District Award of Merit and Silver Beaver Award

Summary: Reggie is the epitome of “can do” leadership and despite being confined to a wheelchair for more than 30 years, he has never let his physical condition impede or slow him down in any way. He has served magnificently as Troop 15’s Scout Master, touching and positively impacting the lives of hundreds of young men and women. He is a role model for all who know him, young and old alike!

REBECCA SHORES

Background: American Legion Volunteer, U.S. Army (SFC, Retired)
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Adjutant, 11th District American Legion
  • Coordinator, Annual CSRA Veterans Day Parade
  • Connections with CSRA & Athens, GA “Medieval Role Playing” Group (AMGUARD)
Summary: Patriot, volunteer, and servant-leader extraordinaire! This very modest patriot has an abundance of talents including website development and maintenance; operations and coordination; and a deep appreciation for family and community.

ELLIOTT WOODWARD (Treasurer)

Background: Accounting, Finance, and Credit Management. Certified Public Accountant; Certified Management Accountant; Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Business from Augusta University.

Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Member, Georgia Society of CPA’s and American Institute of CPA’s
  • Past Member, Rotary Club of Augusta
  • Member and Past Elder at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church

Summary: Elliott’s stellar 45-year career in accounting, finance, and credit management make him ideal to oversee the finances and accounting for Bath Gardens. He is a natural fit and a genuine professional.

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Advisory COMMITTEE
BATH GARDENS FOUNDATION, INC.

KATIE GARNER

Background: Professional Artist and Local Businesswoman (Waynesboro, Georgia)

Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • National Golf Club’s official Artist from 1981-1995
  • Past President, Burkeland Garden Club and Former Burke County “Citizen of the Year”
  • Coordinator for Edmund Burke Academy’s field trips to Washington, DC, and New York City
Summary: Katie is a committed environmentalist, educator, and professional artist. She has served on numerous local boards and committees including the Burke County Racial Relations Board and the new Burke County Courthouse Development Committee. Katie’s passion for Bath Gardens and its potential as a future site for Plein Air artistic events and local talent art shows is palpable.

RITA HAMILTON

Background: Augusta Woman’s Club, Past President

Memberships and Significant Activities:

  • President, Augusta Council of Garden Clubs
  • Secretary, Iris Garden Club
  • Republican Woman’s Club
Summary: Rita is an incredibly active community leader who currently serves as Chair for the Augusta Woman’s Club Community and Civic Engagement Committee. Additionally she is a Girl Scouts of America volunteer, an Augusta Ironman Committee volunteer, and served on the Augusta-CSRA Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Committee. Rita’s passion for gardening and community service has led her to design and maintain several private and public gardens throughout the CSRA, and she is also an active board member with the Pendleton King Park Foundation.

DR. JOYCE HASKELL

Background: Augusta Woman’s Club, Immediate Past President
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Augusta Council of Garden Clubs and Vice-President, Iris Garden Club
  • Town and Country Garden Club, 20-Year Member
  • President, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 71, North Augusta, SC
Summary: Joyce has a Ph.D. in Endocrinology, with an emphasis in diabetes research, and is currently an Adjunct Professor with the Culver Vision Discovery Institute of Augusta University. She served as Committee Chair for the Gold Star Family Memorial Marker and Garden Park at Fifth and Reynold Street, Augusta, GA (dedicated in 2022) and the Augusta-CSRA Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Committee (2017-2019). Joyce is a 50-year member of the Girl Scouts of America. Her passion for gardening, history, and architecture recently led her to restore an 1830 farmhouse, located in North Augusta, SC, and its surrounding gardens.

TAYLOR HIXSON

Background: Executive Director, Room in the Inn, Chattanooga, TN

Memberships and Significant Activities:

  • Freelance Writer
  • Chattanooga Audubon Society
  • Tennessee Aquarium Volunteer – Penguin Care
Summary: Taylor is a seasoned fundraising professional with 9 years of experience in marketing, public relations, social media, grant writing, and capitol campaigns. She is committed to empowering girls to reach their full potential and at one time she and her husband considered leaving her home in Tennessee to move to Augusta to work full-time for the Bath Gardens Foundation. Taylor is an invaluable resource for not-for-profit management and fundraising.

KRISTIE JOSHNSON

Background: Community Engagement Manager, Volunteer Services and Community Engagement Office, Augusta University and AU Health System
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Former Humanities Chair, Georgia Military College, Augusta, GA
  • Published Author, Poet, and Essayist
  • MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College
Summary: Kristie is working with our Executive Director, Jim Brady, to create partnerships with Augusta University (AU), its students, and the AU Health System with the goal of increasing Bath Gardens’ visibility and volunteer base. Additionally, we hope to position Bath Gardens as an off-campus facility for educational seminars, recreational activities, and the study of wildlife and natural habitats. Kristie is a welcome addition and represents the largest post-secondary institution in the CSRA.

ERICK D. MONTGOMERY

Background: Executive Director, Historic Augusta, Inc.

Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Sons of the American Revolution, COL William Few Chapter, Augusta
  • Rotary Club, Augusta
  • Augusta Genealogical Society
Summary: Erick studied historic preservation at Middle Tennessee State University and has grown Historic Augusta, Inc. into one of the largest and most stable non-profit historic preservation organizations in Georgia and the Southeast. He worked to acquire, restore, and furnish the Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson as a house museum. He has provided extensive research for and written numerous nominations for National Register locations and National Landmarks in Augusta. He is a published author and is the recipient of the Georgia Governor’s Award in the Humanities. Erick’s knowledge of history, the community, and nonprofit management are some of his most valuable assets to Bath Gardens.

MAURINE RESCH

Background: Session Member, Bath Presbyterian Church
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Friends of the Blythe Library, Inc., President, and CEO
  • Bath Presbyterian Community Food Pantry
  • Community Leader and Volunteer
Summary: Maurine is a wealth of knowledge for everything Blythe and is a well-regarded and esteemed member of the historic Bath Presbyterian Church. She not only serves on the Bath Gardens Advisory Board but is an original and regularly participating member of the Bath Gardens Volunteer Team who serve as hosts and greeters for the Gardens’ guests on Sunday afternoons from 1-4 pm. Maurine is always willing to assist whenever and however she can and generously gives her time, talent, and wise counsel to any organization that is fortunate enough to have her support.

PHYLLIS “GIGI” SHANNON

Background: Home Care Health Specialist, Spouse: Sam “Reggie” Shannon
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Tender Care Training Center, Augusta, GA (Graduate)
  • Scouts BSA, Troop 15 and Georgia-Carolina Council Supporter
  • Co-Director, Building Worship Center Music Ministries, Augusta, GA
Summary: Gigi and Reggie serve as one of our two Foundation’s “husband and wife” leadership teams. Gigi’s special interests are health, nutrition, and outdoor nature therapy which coincide with this team’s mutual interests in outdoor Scouting activities, camping, and nature preservation. Both are great supporters and proponents of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Scouts BSA “Leave No Trace” philosophy.

NANDI SHETTY

Background: Co-Founder, Aero Science International, Inc.
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Pilot and Pilot Trainer
  • Market Development Manager, Allover Digital Inc.
  • Internet and Website Development Experience
Summary: Nandi has been a tremendous resource in developing the Foundation’s internet presence; has consistently provided sound advice for growth, marketability, and sustainability; and provides a wide vision for developing Bath Gardens into a popular destination for international visitors.

JOSEPH SHORES

Background: Vietnam War Veteran, U.S. Army; Commander, American Legion Post 150, Blythe, GA
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Finance Officer, 11th District American Legion
  • Chef de’ Train, 719 Voiture, Society of 40 Men and 8 Horses
  • American Legion Riders
Summary: Joseph and Rebecca serve as the Foundation’s second “husband and wife” leadership team. As a Vietnam War Veteran and Commander of the American Legion’s Post 150, located less than a quarter mile from Bath Gardens, Joseph and Rebecca share nearly identical interests: sharing their faith in God, our Country, and promoting a respect for nature, self-reliance, and the great outdoors.

BRYAN TUSCHEN

Background: Financial Consultant
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Fort Gordon Chapter
  • Columbia County Rotary Club, West
  • Field Agent, Knights of Columbus
Summary: Bryan’s years of experience as a Financial Consultant and extensive familiarity with Fort Gordon – Bath Garden’s largest neighbor – as well as the installation’s operations and hierarchy, make him an incredible asset to the Foundation. Bryan’s wife, Amy Tuschen, serves as Executive Director for the Fort Gordon Signal Corps Museum.

CAMPBELL VAUGHN

Background: UGA Agricultural and Natural Resource Agent for Richmond County
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Columnist for the Augusta Chronicle
  • Exchange Club of Augusta
  • Augusta University, Masters in Public Administration (MPA)
  • University of Georgia, BLA in Landscape Architecture and BS, Agricultural Business and Management.
Summary: Campbell brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and love for agriculture, horticulture, and wildlife to the Bath Gardens Foundation. Not only does Campbell provide resources for landscape management, he also offers design ideas and community resource connections that increase the gardens partners as we grow into a community, state, and regional asset.

INA VINCENT

Background: Library Media Specialist and Session Member, Bath Presbyterian Church
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Friends of Blythe Library
  • Former Library Media Specialist, Richmond County Board of Education (30 Years)
  • Former Red Cross Volunteer for many years at Eisenhower Medical Center, Fort Gordon, GA
Summary: Ina is a seasoned world-traveler who has been to all seven continents and considers herself to be an “adventure traveler!” Her most memorable travels include safaris in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; extensive travels throughout the Far East and Egypt; and a 9-day trip to Antarctica in 2006. She is known to her colleagues and friends as a passionate educator, historian, environmentalist, and naturalist. Ina is the type of volunteer who says, “I can’t do much,” and then she does so very much.
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STAFF
BATH GARDENS

JAMES “JIM” BRADY (Executive Director)

Background: Doctor of Education and Ethical Leadership; Master of Arts in Communications; and BA in Political Science and History. U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps (Former) 1980-2004; Operations Manager, Iraq and Afghanistan, 2005-2009; Communications, Ethics, and Critical Thinking Professor, University System of Georgia and Georgia Military College, 2010-2022; Adjunct Professor, Georgia Military College.
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Military Order of the World Wars, Region V Commander; Past Commander, Department of Georgia; Past Commander, Augusta Chapter; Gold and Silver Patrick Henry Awards; Outstanding Service Medal; and National Citation Awards.
  • Member, Sons of the American Revolution, 1986-Present
  • 2021 Daughters of the American Revolution National Medal of Honor Awardee.
  • Member, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
  • Chair, Augusta-CSRA Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Initiative (VWMI); leadership and coordination resulted in the $120k funding, construction, and placement of the Augusta-CSRA Vietnam War Veterans Memorial in Augusta, 2019.
  • Member, Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE); Founder, APPE National Two-Year College Ethics Bowl Program
  • Founder, Augusta University Ethics Bowl Program
  • Founder and Coordinator, Georgia Military College Ethics Bowl Program
  • Founder, Georgia State High School Ethics Bowl Program
  • Member, Georgia-Carolina Eagle Scout Review Board
  • Georgia Military College, 2020 Servant Leader Award; numerous excellence in education awards.
Summary: Jim has served in the military and academic professions in numerous and valuable ways. Though his first position with a not-for-profit, Jim is excited about the future of Bath Gardens and is committed to giving all he has to give to make the garden a local and regional asset. His dedication to success is contagious.

STEPHEN “STEVE” MELDRUM (Property Manager)

Background: Pinetucky Gun Club Manager (30 years); U.S. Air Force (Former)
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • American Legion Post 150, Blythe, GA.
Summary: Steve’s long-term employment with the nearby Pinetucky Gun Club taught him how to do almost everything! He has a “can do” personality as well as many connections within the community. Steve is willing to do what it takes to get the job done. He is respectful team player who seeks others who will help Bath Gardens grow into all it can be.

AMBER CAREY (Data Management)

Background: Administrative and Operations Management.
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • N/A
Summary: Amber is a 43-year native of Mount Pleasant, a graduate of Wando High School, and has more than 20 years of experience in Administrative and Operations Management. She is exceptionally dedicated to her family, is a Mom to two boys, and will be celebrating her 20th Anniversary with her husband in the near future. She takes pride in her attention to detail, her organizational skills, and accuracy with data management. Her favorite activities and hobbies include drinking coffee, early morning walks, gardening, watching her boys play sports, and attending family cookouts.

Catherine B. Fleming “Sweetie” (Full Time Volunteer)

Background: BA Emory University: Education, English; MED: Winthrop University: Education, Counseling & Development. Teacher; Historic Savannah Foundation, Inc.; Charlotte Chamber of Commerce; Affairs, Inc. Special Events; Christ Episcopal Church Seeds of Hope Programs; Realtor.
Memberships and Significant Activities:
  • Low Country Colonial Dames; French Quarter Board; Halifax DAR; Huguenot Church Charleston

Summary: Catherine is a “jack of all trades, master of none” who enjoys a challenge. Her passion for the restoration of Bath Gardens stems from her grandfather, Lonnie Boardman’s love of preservation, nature, and beauty. Just as her grandfather was not aware of the challenge ahead of him, Catherine says she has been “knocked to her knees” with the challenge of restoring the garden, she but perseveres thanks to the many people who support the venture with time, talent, and treasure.

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