Many of you have seen Pam Clements working diligently in the Museum’s gardens, and you may have wondered who she is. Pam heads the garden committee of the Museum, and has a passion for and deep interest in gardening. What most people don’t know is that Pam is a banker, and quite a serious one at that. She works in risk management and assessment for MT Bank, which is headquartered in Buffalo, NY! Fortunately the bank allows her to telecommute, but she does still have to travel to Buffalo on a regular basis.
Why is she in Granville? When her daughter wanted to go to OSU, Pam realized she had no family in New York, her husband was working in Atlanta, and their families were all in Ohio. Accordingly, she negotiated a telecommuting arrangement with the bank and moved to Ohio in 2015 to be closer to family. After carefully looking at central Ohio neighborhoods, she discovered Granville with her daughter, and decided the village was the right fit.
In 2016, Pam’s siblings came for a visit, and they took a tour of the Museum. Their tour was led by the inimitable Becky Dungan, who finished by saying, “So, do you want to volunteer?” Pam didn’t say no. It was Becky that connected Pam to the Granville Garden Club, and through that organization, she began working in the Museum’s gardens in addition to becoming a docent. As work in the garden began to fill her time, she stepped back from regular tours, but still leads them on an as-needed basis. Her first love and passion are the gardens, and readers will often see her on Sundays planting and caring for them. Stop by and say hello as you walk by. Her enthusiasm for her work is infectious.
One of her plans for the 2020 season is to enhance the gardens near the weeping cherry by the west entrance of the Museum with plantings to attract pollinators, be they bees or other insects, birds, or anything else that will help feed and sustain these vital creatures while at the same time showing how integrating the correct plants into a garden only enhances its beauty.
Bryan, who is also originally from Ohio, is in information technology strategic management in the banking industry. His positions often call him away from home, and he was working in Atlanta when Pam made the decision to move to Ohio. He completely agreed with her idea that it would be a good thing to be closer to their families, and joined her here full time in 2017.
Bryan’s interest in the Museum developed when he took one of Becky’s Christmas tours and became interested in the collections. Although he jokes that “my wife made me do it,” he has proven to be invaluable, committed and deeply interested in the Museum. “I believe in the importance of volunteering in a way that celebrates history and helps to inform the present.” Bryan quickly realized that the Museum’s information technology needed to be updated, allowing for the genesis of new technological ideas available in order to reach the broadest audience possible. He has thoroughly assessed the museum’s computers, network, and software and made recommendations and changes to make everything more user friendly, but at the same time secure. Realizing the potential of the new smart television, Bryan has been hard at work to help make the museum more interactive. Stay tuned for developments in that area!
Both Bryan and Pam feel strongly in the importance of volunteerism as an opportunity to give back in a way that celebrates history while informing the future. Pam’s bank was always an advocate of volunteerism, and she is given time off for every 40 hours of volunteer time. Through their efforts, the couple has become close friends to the Museum and we are grateful to have them.