The American Chestnut Foundation Georgia Chapter (GA-TACF) Annual Meeting Announcement
The Georgia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation will convene for its annual meeting on May 11th, 2024 at 10:00 AM, at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Building 1, Room 304 in Athens Georgia (see directions at the end). Chapter members are invited and encouraged to attend. In accordance with chapter bylaws, we will conduct several business items that require approval by the general membership. The meeting is free of charge and is also open to the general public. More details are available on the Eventbrite registration page.
Please register your attendance using the Eventbrite link below. More details about the meeting can be found there. Registration is encouraged but not required, however, lunch orders must be made using the Eventbrite registration process. Lunch orders must be made no later than Thursday, May 2nd.
P.S. There will be an option to attend by Zoom. Please email us at gachapter@tacf.org if you would like the link.
Agenda:
Morning session, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
10:00 Welcome and introduction, Jack Rogers, GA-TACF chapter president
10:10 Chapter business meeting
10:30 National strategic plan – Will Pitt, TACF National CEO
10:50 National breeding program update – Dr. Jared Westbrook, TACF Director of Science
11:25 Georgia science update – Dr. Martin Cipollini, Berry College
11:40 UGA chestnut research – Dr. Scott Merkle, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
12:00 Question and answer session
12:30 Lunch – pre-ordered box lunches will be delivered, catered by Marti’s at Midday
1:15 Following the lunch break, Dr. Scott Merkle will lead a tour of his research facilities. Additionally, the Chapter Board of Directors will hold a brief (closed) organizational session.
Jack Rogers
GA-TACF President
Directions to meeting site:
Using the street address for Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources (180 East Green Street, Athens, GA) will bring you onto East Campus Road. There is a traffic light at the intersection of East Campus Road and East Green Street. Turn on to East Green Street (there is only one way to turn) and after you pass the big brick Davison Life Sciences Building on the right, turn into the large parking lot on the right and park there. There are no parking restrictions on weekends on the UGA campus (but don’t park in the Dean’s space). The Warnell (Forestry Resources) complex is directly across the parking lot from Davison. It consists of 4 brick buildings, one of which (Building 4) is easy to see from the parking lot, since it has a crazy pattern of red and yellow bricks and white “stucco”. Take the walkway from the parking lot toward Building 4. It leads down into a courtyard formed by the buildings in the complex. Pass Building 4 on your left and when you come out on the mall, turn right on the walkway. The walkway will take you to the front of Building 1, which faces the mall. Climb the steps up to the front door. Once inside, you can turn either way on the hallway and take the steps to the 3rd floor. The door to the lecture hall where we will meet (room 1-304) is right where you exit the stairwell. Directional signs will be placed to help direct you to the room from the parking lot.
For folks who cannot climb stairs, there is elevator access to the 3rd floor of Building 1. The directions are the same as those above up to the point where you are in the courtyard. Instead of proceeding through the courtyard to the mall, once in the courtyard, follow the handicap access signs to the rear of Building 1, where you will find a door at ground level. The elevator is just inside that door. Since the door will be locked, please contact Scott Merkle (smerkle@uga.edu) prior to the meeting so he can make arrangements with you to meet in the courtyard to open the door.
