GBTS Officers (updated 9/3/2025)
President – Ann Bendersky
Ann's love of gardening began as a child when she helped tend her father's vegetable beds, fruit trees and her mother's beautiful flower beds. After Ann retired from a long and rewarding career with the Federal Government Intelligence Community, she once again pursued her gardening passion by becoming a Certified Master Gardener with the Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association in Northern Virginia as well as studying Horticulture Technology at Northern Virginia Community College. She lived near Bethany Beach part-time for 14 years where she grew extensive vegetable and flower beds. Ann moved here permanently in 2020 and is once again actively gardening.
Vice-President – Sallie Melvin​
Sallie’s first gardening was picking strawberries and cutting asparagus in her dad’s garden on MD’s Eastern Shore. She lived in Washington for 30 years nurturing 3 townhouse gardens. Sallie and Art retired and built a home in Bethany Beach in 2001. At last, they had a yard large enough to experience the joys and frustrations of creating and tending a garden with sun, shade, wet clay soil, and turkeys and deer. They loved every minute of it. Sallie was invited to GBTS by a Salt Pond neighbor and became a member in January 2018. She served as chair of the Hospitality Committee from 2018-2024. When not gardening she volunteers at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, attends live theater, reads mysteries, and avidly watches tennis.
Treasurer – Mary Williford
Mary comes to us from Plantation Lakes Garden Club (PLGC) where she was a founding member and the first Treasurer -- her first experience as a garden club member. At that time, she was recruited by Director Regina Brown to become the Treasurer for the then-newly formed Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs (CAR-SGC). She continues to serve in that capacity. Mary finds gardening therapeutic and has enjoyed learning about flower arranging, horticulture and the many other informative activities that GBTS has provided. Mary is currently a bookkeeper at The Kite Loft in Ocean City and has several other private clients for whom she provides bookkeeping services from her home. Prior to semi-retirement, Mary held many administerial positions with prominent law firms and other companies in the Washington, D.C. area.
Secretary – Joanna Haley​
Joanna is new to GBTS. She has always come to vacation in DE, and had a house here, but moved here permanently almost two years ago. Her friend from Mah Jongg, Kathy Leone, introduced her to the GBTS Garden Club. And here she is, two months later, our new Secretary. Joanna learned to love flowers from her parents. They always had gardens all around the house. Her Mom used to cut roses for her to take to her teacher at school. She fondly remembers waking up on the summer mornings and finding her Mom outside tending to her flowers and rose garden. Alva talking about her peppermint in her garden, and picking it for tea, reminded her of peppermint in her Mom’s garden. Her Dad helped too, they had a meticulous yard. Joanna carried on with the tradition and is proud that her daughters love gardening too.
Parliamentarian – Bea Nelson
Bea transferred in 2018 from the Ye Accawmacke Garden Club in Onancock, Va. She served in many positions in the Virginia garden club. Bea was also the three-time president of the Women’s Club of Accomack County as well as the Chair of the Town and Country Garden Group twice. She retired from the Verizon Business Office. Bea loves horticulture, gardening, flower arranging and traveling. In her Delaware community, container gardening allows her to continue her passion for gardening. In our garden club, she has been on the Hospice Tree Committee, making Christmas tree ornaments and on the Beach and Bay Cottage Tour Committee, in support of the Bethany Beach Library. These are both great community projects.
Bea was most recently chairperson of the ByLaws and Standing Rules Committee, and they worked on rewriting those documents from August 2024 to March 2025. In March, the motion was passed by the membership to accept the rewritten documents. Bea would like all members to read and become acquainted with the new ByLaws and Standing Rules, found in the Appendix section of the yearbook.