State Chapters

TACF Meetings & Events Schedule

Chapters are the heart and members are the soul of The American Chestnut Foundation

The American Chestnut Foundation currently has 16 chapters located in Alabama, the Carolinas, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts/Rhode Island, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont/New Hampshire, Virginia and West Virginia. Chapter volunteers contribute time and energy supporting regional breeding programs, independent research, local education programs, and member recruitment, often at their own expense.

The TACF chapter system is growing in proportion to the increasing level of local enthusiasm for helping to restore the King of the Forest. The chapter system helps preserve the regional diversity of the American chestnut throughout its original range, which spanned from Maine to Georgia, and possibly even to Florida, and west to the Mississippi River. Each tree had a genetic make up that evolved to enhance its survival. From flowering early in the south, to cold-weather resistance in the north, each region was unique. Preserving the genetic material of the American chestnut is crucial to TACF's effort to breed a blight-resistant tree. TACF volunteer members work diligently toward this effort. They pollinate and harvest surviving trees and plant regional orchards of backcrossed seedlings. Chapters maximize resources at the local level, develop programs uniquely designed to each region, and promote our mission - to restore the King of the Forest to its native woodlands along the eastern United States.

Please contact your chapter representative to learn about opportunities in your
area to help restore the King of the Forest.

Click here for Science Contacts

State Chapters  

ALABAMA CHAPTER
Alabama News
David Swinford, President
(256) 464-9494
[email protected]  

CAROLINAS CHAPTER
Carolinas Website
Doug Gillis, President
(704) 542-0627
[email protected] or [email protected]

CONNECTICUT CHAPTER
Connecticut Website
Starling Childs, President
[email protected]

GEORGIA CHAPTER
Georgia Website
Dr. John R. French, President
678-575-1655
[email protected]

INDIANA CHAPTER
Indiana Website
Ben Finegan, President
317-409-2933
[email protected]

KENTUCKY CHAPTER

KY-TACF Website
Lynn Garrison, KY-TACF President
(502) 845-2371
[email protected]

MAINE CHAPTER
Maine-TACF Website
Al Faust, President
[email protected]

MARYLAND CHAPTER
MD-TACF Website
David Gill, President
MD-TACF President
[email protected]

MASSACHUSETTS/RHODE ISLAND CHAPTER
MA/RI-TACF Website
Lois Melican, President
[email protected]

Kathy Desjardin, Secretary
508-278-3565
[email protected]

NEW YORK CHAPTER
New York Chapter News
Allen Nichols, President
607-263-5105 [email protected]

OHIO CHAPTER
Ohio Website
Dr. Carolyn Keiffer, President
513-225-8385
[email protected]

PENNSYLVANIA/ NEW JERSEY CHAPTER
PA-TACF Website
John Wenderoth, President
[email protected]

Jean Najjar, Chapter Administrator
[email protected]

TENNESSEE CHAPTER
TN-TACF Website
Vicki Turner, President
[email protected]

VERMONT/NEW HAMPSHIRE CHAPTER
VT/NH News
Yurij Bihun, President
[email protected]

VIRGINIA CHAPTER
Virginia Website
Virginia Chapter Office
PO Box 158
Marshall, VA 20116
(540) 364-1922
[email protected]

Cathy Mayes, President
(540) 364-4525
[email protected]

WEST VIRGINIA CHAPTER
West Virginia News
Robert Sypolt, President
[email protected]


Other State Contacts

THE OZARK INITIATIVE
Arkansas, Missouri, & Oklahoma Contact
Susan and Gerry Cormier
501-605-0387, [email protected]
477 Old Country Lane
Cabot, AR 72023

CALIFORNIA CONTACT
Bernard Monahan
925-846-2296, [email protected]
1620 Loganberry Way
Pleasanton, CA 94566

 

Science Contacts:

Meadowview Research Farms
276-944-4631
Dr. Laura Georgi - Pathologist

Pennsylvania State University
814-863-7192
Sara Fitzsimmons - North Central Regional Science Coordinator

New England Regional Office
802-999-8706
Kendra Collins - New England Regional Science Coordinator

Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
434-906-9312
Matt Brinckman -Mid-Atlantic Regional Science Coordinator

Southern Regional Office
Tom Saielli -Southern Regional Science Coordinator

 


______________________________________________________________