Affiliate Reps, Presidents, and Members
Summary of Minutes from the CSSA Annual Board Meeting
January 18, 2026
Held at the Huntington
At the start of the meeting, Rod Haenni (President) nominated Der-Shing Helmer, from the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society, to fill an open board position. She was unanimously approved by the Board.
Strategic Planning
The Board completed its work to define the CSSA Strategic initiatives for the next 5 years. Editing is currently being done on the document and a summary will be available on the CSSA website soon.
Nominations Committee
The Board elected the Nominations Committee for the fall 2026 elections, which will determine the Board Members for 2027. The committee includes Zack Repko (Chair), Kelly Griffin, and Rod Haenni. Affiliates are encouraged to submit nominations, including qualifications and contact information, to Zack Repko.
Following are the Officer positions up for election or re-election for 2027:
President – Current Vice President, Irwin Lightstone is running for this role
Vice President – open
Secretary – Current Secretary, Roxie Esterle, is running for re-election
Treasurer – Current Treasurer, Nick Diomede, is running for re-election
Library Update
After almost a century of partnership with The Huntington, the CSSA has been asked to move our extensive library containing many rare and out-of-print books and journals, as well as the archival history of the CSSA and the cacti and succulent hobby around the world. We continue to search for a location to house the CSSA Library, with a few potential sites being pursued.
Finance Committee
Nick Diomede presented a comprehensive financial report reflecting a healthy balance. The Finance Committee is currently reviewing all investments to make sure they are securely held.
Conservation Committee
View the Conservation Committee Report here.
Publications
CSSA is selling selected books on its website including:
Field Guide to Cacti & Other Succulents of Arizona
Cactus and Flora of Utah
Dudleya and Agave by Jeremy Spath
CSSA is publishing a new book on the genus Copiapoa by Stefan Campbell. The book is nearly complete.
Centennial and Rebranding
CSSA issued a Request for Proposal for branding consultants to submit bids to work on the redesign of the CSSA logo and create a brand package. The deadline was January 31, 2026 and bids will be reviewed soon.
Affiliate Committee
A comprehensive Annual Letter has been sent to Affiliate Representatives with links to the numerous resources available on our website.
Save the Date
CSSA Annual Show & Sale at the Huntington – June 11-14, 2026
CSSA 2027 Biennial Convention at the Westin La Paloma, Tucson – May 19-24, 2027
More Information on Upcoming Events can be found here:
- Webinars – register for upcoming and view past
- 2026 Photo Contest
