Welcome    About Val    Absentee Ballot    Contact Val    In The News

B.A in Psychology 1968--Lebanon Valley College, Pa.

Master of Arts  in Teaching (M.A.T.)  1993--University  of South Carolina

1. •Master Gardener (Class of 1994)
   

2. •Master Waste Educator 1994 (recycling)
   

3. •Instructor in the Master Gardener course --composting (1999-present)
   

4. •Habitat Instructor for the SC Dept of Natural Resourses “Outdoors Woman” course (1998)
   

5. •Habitat Instructor for National Wild Turkey Federation’s “Women of the Outdoors” course (1999)
   

6. •Horticultural Volunteer at Riverbanks Botanical Gardens
   

7. •Chairman of the Children’s’ Garden,  Clemson’s Sandhills Research Station (1994-2007)
   

8. •Habitat Speaker for the  South Carolina Wildlife Federation (1997-present)
   

9. •1999 Recipient of the “F. Bartow Culp Award”  for distinguished service to the SC Wildlife Federation
   

10. •Garden Club program presenter with my own slides: “English Gardens,”  “Backyard Habitat,”  “Composting,”  and “Making Your Garden Personal.”
    

11. •Garden Columnist for the State Newspaper and Midland’s Weekend paper (1998-99)
    

12. •Certified Backyard Habitat Recipient (1995)
    

13. •Guest on  radio talk shows “Up the Creek with  Pat and Seth”  (for Pat Robertson) and “Bird Talk”  (for Jim Kelly)
    

14. •Garden featured on the Home and Garden Channel,  in the pilot series called, “The Living Garden.” (1997-present)
    

15. •Garden featured on cover of the Home Section of the State Newspaper  (Feb. 1998)
    

16. •2004 – Organized the “Save the Sandhills” campaign and march on the State House of Master Gardeners to preserve Clemson’s Public Service budget
    

17. •Friend of the Clemson Extension Award (2006)
    

18. •2004 – Ran for County Council, representing District 9 in the Northeast. Took office Jan. 2005
    

19. •2008 – Received the endorsement of “CITIZENS FOR SOUND CONSERVATION”
    

20. •Proud owner of 4 rabbits: Marshmallow, Jill, Flower, and Peach, who live in a hutch over my compost pile.
    

21. •Married 40 years to Dr. Bert Hutchinson.  Two children: Laurie, 35 and Matt, 36.
    

22. •Six wonderful grandchildren