Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Fall/Winter 2008 - (Page 9)

A Proud SuPPorter of StAn Hywet HAll & GArdenS: Phyllis Lerch S tan Hywet Hall & Gardens means a variety of things to a variety of people. For Phyllis Lerch, it has meant 25 years of making memories and friends, and enhancing other visitors’ experiences. Phyllis has lived in Akron all of her life, but in 1984 she moved into the Stan Hywet neighborhood. It was then that she became involved in all that Stan Hywet had to offer, as well as with the mission of the museum and the community. “I love Akron,” she says. “My parents worked at Firestone, but most of my relatives worked at Goodyear. The rubber companies were everything back then.” Phyllis worked at Firestone High School for 12 years as a counselor, then became the first female Assistant Principal in the district. Eventually, she became the Director of Child Study and Guidance with the Akron Board of Education. Her first experience at Stan Hywet was when she stopped by the greenhouse to purchase some plants. There, she met Bill Snyder, then the Director of Horticulture. “Bill and I got to know each other well from my visits and Bill said, ‘I could use a good salesperson and you are it,’” she says. That’s when she began volunteering as a salesperson in the greenhouse. At the time, Phyllis served on the Summer on Merriman board with John Miller, the Executive Director back then. Once again, getting to know Phyllis, John suggested that she serve on an advisory group and assist with staff development at Stan Hywet. “I like the fact that there is such a variety of ways in which to volunteer and become involved. The history at Stan Hywet is just amazing — with the rubber industry, AA, the Seiberling family it just goes on and on,” she says. “I have gotten people to come to Stan Hywet because I was talking about it and they became curious. People are always asking me, ‘What can I do at Stan Hywet?’” Phyllis has volunteered in almost every capacity, from bus greeter to horticultural teacher. Her biggest area of contribution comes from her support of the Annual Fund. When asked why she supports the Annual Fund, Phyllis replied, “I don’t want Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens to close down. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is so vital to our community — if you want to keep the history, you have to support it. If you can give back to Akron, it’s the best thing to do.” For more information about supporting the Annual Fund or volunteering, please call 330/836-5533 or visit www.stanhywet.org. If you have a story you would like to tell us about your experiences at Stan Hywet please email us at stanhywet@glpublishing.com. www.stanhywet.org http://www.stanhywet.org http://www.stanhywet.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Fall/Winter 2008

Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Fall/Winter 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.