The Communications Committee is responsible for formulating and disseminating our Club’s messages to the public. Our goal is to foster a sense of belonging and engagement among members by keeping them informed about the Club’s goals, activities, and accomplishments. We collaborate with all Club Committees to ensure they are well represented, with the overarching aim of promoting our core missions which are to:
· To increase gardening knowledge among amateurs
· To support the protection of native plants and wildlife
· To encourage civic planting and beautification
· To participate actively in community service
· To promote cooperation in ecology and conservation
Lisa Simms- Marketing Director and Chair- leads the Communications Team of the Garden Club with Michela Tobin (Webpage Administrator and Co-Chair), Nancy Muise (Social Media Coordinator), Patty Brogdon (Web Page Support), and Karen DeCoster (Garden Club News).
This team utilizes various platforms and channels. Our primary platform, GoDaddy, is an effective marketing communications tool for the Club. This all-encompassingmarketing management tool manages our website, email campaigns, and online store, allowing us to disseminateconsistent, engaging content throughout the year.
Our club was very active this year, sending out over 300 emails to our members. These emails promote the wide variety of programs we offer throughout the year, highlighting that there is something for everyone in the Rockport Garden Club.
Michela Tobin manages our Club's online store. In 2025, this platform enabled us to sell tickets for the Rockport in Bloom Garden Tour, the Holiday Luncheon, as well as for workshops and field trips organized by the RGC Program Committee. For the second consecutive year, RGC members can renew their memberships through the store. Our webpage design offers payment methods for dues and donations, as well as options for seamless online transactions, such as Garden Tour ticket sales. Membership renewals and dues are now accessible year-round online, making it easy for prospective members to join and pay with convenience.
Lisa Simms creates Google Forms for sign-up sheets for club workshops, events, and Garden Tour surveys. This method automatically generates spreadsheets of participants and payers, creating databases for membership and workshop participants, along with records of payment. Additionally, this complimentary service manages our automated birthday greetings, which enhances member engagement.
We are continually expanding our collection of program videos. With the assistance of Thom Padick, a club member with extensive technical skills, we have created a growing library of virtual content from our meetings. Lisa has developed a method for uploading this content to YouTube, enhancing our media presence. Patty Brogdon, our newest member of the Communication Team, will work closely with Lisa and Michela to ensure continuity across all aspects of the webwork.
Our club was very active this year, sending out over 300 emails to our members. These emails promote the wide variety of programs we offer throughout the year, highlighting that there is something for everyone in the Rockport Garden Club.
Our Web Page Team, which includes Michela Tobin, Lisa Simms, and Patty Brogdon, is dedicated to creating pages that are accurate, captivating, and visually appealing. The website is continually updated to meet the needs of Committee Chairs, highlighting our philanthropic efforts and current events, all of which showcase the passion and enthusiasm of our members.
Michela Tobin also manages our Club’s Online Store. In 2025, this online platform allowed us to sell tickets to the Rockport in Bloom Garden Tour, the Holiday Luncheon as well as ticket sales for workshops and field trips organized by the RGC Program Committee. For the second consecutive year, RGC Members were able to renew their memberships through the Store. Michela organized the dues payments and donation options for seamless online transactions. Membership renewals and dues are now accessible year-round online, making it easy for prospective members to join and pay with convenience.
Nancy Muise keeps members informed through Facebook and Instagram, regularly posting about guests and special events on the RGC page. Through these Social Media portals, we can share positive happenings such as photo updates about members visiting other gardens and workshops to highlight what the club accomplishes. Photos of the gardens maintained by the club are shared to enhance appreciation for the time and effort our members contribute to the Town of Rockport, thereby reminding the general public about the club's contributions to the community.
The Garden Club News continued its publication schedule this year. Our new Editor, Karen DeCoster surveyed our members to determine the topics to address in the future. Her first issue, How To Encourage & Support Beneficial Wildlife & Manage the Rest, is chockful of information and links ensuring that the publication remains an informative resource for our members.
Additionally, we continue to expand our collection of program videos with the assistance of Thom Padick, a club member with extensive technical skills. His expertise has helped us to create a growing library of virtual content from our meetings. The Communications Team is able to expand public awareness of the Club by highlighting all of the activities that support our many missions. Inspired by our passionate members, we aim to provide engaging opportunities in which members can participate thereby enriching their experience and strengthening our community.
The Communications Team works to increase public awareness of the Club by showcasing the various activities that support our many missions. Inspired by our passionate members, we strive to create engaging opportunities for participation, enhancing their experience and strengthening our community.