I come to the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt (BGLM) with nearly 20 years’ experience in bonsai including 10+ as the GSBF-Bonsai.org webmaster, 10+ as a GSBF Board of Trustee member and 12+ as the president of the Monterey Bonsai Club. I helped create the original Garden website and attended the Garden grand opening in 1999. This year I will help lead the 15^th year anniversary celebration. I have a background in publishing, technology marketing, and as a founder of a dot.com company and an international photo industry conference business. My vision for BGLM for it to develop it into a world-famous bonsai museum and a center for bonsai education. I am grateful to work with the many wonderful volunteers who make our Garden the success that it is and look forward to continue the great work of the leaders who have come before me.

—Joe Byrd
Chairman, Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt