This is the first of a series of short articles about the

benefits Alameda County Master Gardeners have received from the establishment of a statewide office and the hiring of a statewide coordinator in 2006. We were very fortunate to be able to hire Pam Geisel, a longtime farm advisor and local MG coordinator in Fresno County for this role.  She has been excellent-- knowledgeable, politically savvy, forward-thinking and very competent. I have had the privilege of serving on a state advisory committee to Pam the past four years and have been able to see from the inside just how she and her office work to support and improve all county programs.

Of the many benefits that can be credited to the state office and coordinator, I think the one that has directly impacted me and all ACMGs the most has been the creation of the Volunteer Management System (VMS).  There are still a number of us who remember what it was like pre-VMS.  It seems now that our previous recordkeeping system for hours and contacts, our ability to schedule events and activities and our ability to communicate with one another was like something out of the Stone Age.  And the VMS, thanks to our statewide office, keeps improving to meet our needs even better.  Currently they are working on version 3.0, which should be done in the next 3-6 months.

Anyone else remember our Stone Age past? Are you looking forward to the new VMS system?