Leadership & Staff
Lockerly Trustees
President
Joe Sama
Buckhead;
Director of the Reynolds Owners Association
Vice-President
Crystal Law
Milledgeville; Financial Advisor, Edward Jones
Secretary
Barbie Pressas
Millegeville; VP/Branch Manager Citizens Bank of the South
Treasurer
Derek Williams
Milledgeville; President & CEO, Century Bank & Trust
Rex Bishop
Eatonton; Retired Horticulture Instructor/Program Director/Vice President.
Sandy Mercer
Sandersville; Retired GDOT Transportation Engineer
Heidi Niergarth
Milledgeville; Retired Family Physician
John Jackson
Manager, Georgia College & State University; District 4, Baldwin County School Board
Greg Tyson
Milledgeville; Area Manager, Georgia Power
Mary Pat Matheson
Atlanta; Anna and Hays Mershon President & CEO of Atlanta Botanical Garden
Jeffery Wells
Milledgeville; Vice President Online Academics Georgia Military College
Gus Pursley
Milledgeville; Owner, Fowler Flemister Concrete
Emeritus
Suzanne Engel,
New Vernon, NJ; Trustee, E.J Grassmann Trust
Lockerly Staff
Jennifer Pollard,
Executive Director
Jennifer Pollard, a 1995 GCSU graduate with a BA in History, assumed this leadership role in January 2017. Mrs. Pollard brings 20 years of experience in fundraising, strategic planning and non-profit management, along with the professionally recognized CFRE (Certified FundRaising Executive) credential, which she has held since 2008.
A.D. Williams has been an employee of Lockerly Arboretum over 10 years. A native of Milledgeville, A.D. is skilled in lawn and machine maintenance.
Vicki Folendore,
Office Manager
Vicki Folendore manages the administrative functions for the Lockerly Arboretum Foundation. Vicki is a Milledgeville native, and before joining the Lockerly staff she worked at Georgia College & State University in University Advancement.
Kensey Amerson,
Director of Education
Kensey is a Georgia native who has spent the last 15 years guiding outdoor adventure programming and teaching environmental education from Alaska to Tennessee. In 2019, she received her masters in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism from the University of Utah. She lives in Milledgeville with her husband, son, 2 dogs, barn cats and 35 chickens.
Carter Payne,
Horticulturist
Carter Payne hails from Western North Carolina but now resides in Milledgeville. Carter is a graduate of Southern Crescent Technical College with a degree in Environmental Horticulture. With a passion for ecological landscaping, he is committed to the stewardship of Lockerly’s grounds. When not working, Carter enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, although rather inefficiently, as he makes frequent stops to ID plants along the way.
Sarah Melito,
Marketing Consultant
Sarah Melito is a Canadian who has been transplanted in Milledgeville. A marketing professional for over 15 years, she wants to help bring Lockerly to a larger audience. A strong believer that public gardens are a communities greatest treasure.