The Bulletin :: Winter 2025
CGA Spotlight
By Susan Altgelt
A national medal designed to honor Ellen “Ellie” Harvey Kelly, was recently approved by the executive board of The Garden Club of America. The Ellen Harvey Kelly Metal honors Ellie‘s dedication to conservation issues by recognizing her outstanding advocacy work as it relates to the purpose of the GCA.
Ellie‘s impact on state and national environmental legislation can hardly be overstated, nor can her role in encouraging the GCA to actively participate in developing environmental policies. She was an early supporter of open spaces and led efforts in her home state of Maryland to protect Program Open Space–a program focused on conserving national resources and outdoor recreational opportunities for Marylanders. At the national level, she fought to protect Alaska’s public lands, resulting in the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, for which she was recognized by President Carter in 1980. In 1982, Ellie was awarded the Margaret Douglas Medal “for her firm and enthusiastic pursuit of conservation issues on local regional and national levels.“
Ellie was a beloved member of St. George’s Garden Club, Zone VI, from 1960 until her death in 1923. When Krissie Verbic, president of SGGC (2022-24), presented the idea of endowing a metal to honor Ellie after her passing, members enthusiastically supported it. Krissie and others took on the task of raising the $150,000 required to fund the metal, and thanks to the generosity of Ellie’s friends and colleagues, the goal was quickly reached. “Ellie’s smile was infectious, her heart was huge, and her passions were deep, which is why she had so many admirers inside and outside the GCA,” said Krissie.
Ellie‘s legacy lives on in the National Affairs & Legislation (NAL) Conference she founded. In a tribute at the 2024 NAL Conference, Karen Gilhuly, Woodside Atherton Garden Club, Zone XII, reflected on her contributions noting that Ellie “helped our officials in Congress understand the wisdom and the practicality of making the right choices for the Earth.”
“Ellie was a trailblazer and tireless advocate. She never ceased to amaze and inspire all of us in St. George’s GC and our zone. She was a force for nature!“ –Krissy Verbeck, president, St. George’s GC (2022-24)
