Redland Tropical Gardens and Botanical Foundation, Inc., DBA Redland Tropical Gardens incorporated in 1995, as a not for profit community investment organization. Its mission to provide education for residents, national and international visitors about Tropical Horticulture, Tropical Botany and Tropical Environment. The Foundation portion of Redland Tropical Gardens is committed to providing the funds for education through endowments, trust, scholarships, technical assistance, certified training programs, seminars and tours in our communities.

• Incorporated as Redland Tropical Gardens and Botanical Foundation, Inc. DBA Redland Tropical Garden.
• Assisted in establishing the first Pioneer Museum in Homestead/Florida City
• Created the first Eco-tourism initiative “The Bridge Between Man and Nature” in South Miami Dade County in partnership with the State of Florida, Miami Dade County, MIA, Miami Dade College, UF, Homestead Florida City Chamber of Commerce, The City of Homestead and Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
• Created and coordinated post Hurricane Andrew two-day free family event “Second Wind” which brought over 250 members of UPI and API to Homestead, FL. and the Redland Area. Event was viewed on national and international television to over 50 million people, and was attended by over 25,000 people, as well as federal, state and local elected officials to include: Congresswomen Ileana Ross Lehtinen and Carrie Meek, Governor Jeb Bush, and a host of legislators, celebrities, and local mayors from throughout South Florida.
• Established first local environmental program for at risk youth from Inner City areas in Tree Education and planting.
• Selected by federal and local government to participate in Green Master Plan for South Miami Dade County, Florida.
• Created the First MLK Legacy Garden for Seniors and Youth in Liberty City, Miami, FL in partnership with the FNGLA.
• Developed the first certified eco/agri-tour guide program in South Florida, in collaboration with Miami Dade College, the Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Center, Homestead Speedway, South Florida Workforce, and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Dade News Leader, and the Office of Commissioner Katy Sorenson.
• Graduated the first twenty tourism and hospitality graduates under the “Tropical Host” brand.
• Hosted international visitors for community tours from Senegal, Africa, Sapporo, Japan,
• Launched the first “Garden’s Gala” Fundraiser, identifying key individuals who have contributed to the South Dade environmental development plan.
• Seeded and implemented the first “Green Scene of South Florida” in cooperation with South Florida Ideas Exchange, Treemendous Florida, Boys Scouts of South Florida, etc.
• Hosted Tropical Night Bloomers Networker
• Developed volunteer roster of over 200
• Seeded initiative for Green Education, and green workforce development with MDCPS, Turner Tech.
• Created a youth Eco/Agri-Tourism Program and” The Dean of Green” an interactive musical edutainment production created to promote Green edutainment, and cleaner greener living that balances human needs with responsible care for the planet. It is a National Environmental Education Week initiative in partnership with public and private schools thru Florida and Youth oriented organizations.
• Created "Seeds to Feed Haiti", a project committed to ship vegetable seeds to Haiti's farmers for cultivation throughout the country in order to help establish agricultural sustainability. See the articles.

 Margie Buster

Founder, President and CEO of Board of Directors

With twenty-five years of experience in the Wholesale Floriculture Industry, Margie Buster leads this not-for-profit organization with a great perception of business. As a volunteer with a passion for plants she has worked in collaboration with many local and international experts in the fields of Forestry, Arboriculture, Horticulture, Botany and Gardening. She serves Redland Tropical Gardens as a tireless proponent for education on both a local and international scale.

 Ruth Campbell

Vice President,  Chair of Historic Committee &  Honorary Chair of Legacy  Committee

This widow of a third generation pioneer husband is the preservationist extraordinaire! A City of Homestead Councilwoman for 24 years, her accomplishments are too varied and numerous to list. She shares with Redland Tropical Gardens, the depth of her commitment and experience to aid in creating a delicate balance from a different perspective to round out the quality of the gardens integrity and improve the educational experience of the visitors.

Executive Director of Sustainable Programs

He is an Hawai’ian educated Horticultural/Arboricultural Consultant with 10 years of diverse consulting experience in urban, suburban, rural and natural environments, 10 years of Utility Arborist experience with FPL in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, and concurrently 26 years of U.S. Army experience in leadership positions in Hawai’i and Florida. 
He is in the Master of Project Management program at Keller Graduate School of Management.  He received his B.S. at the University of Hawai’i College of Agriculture, with post-graduate study in Agricultural and Resource Economics at the College of Tropical Agriculture in Honolulu.
He was a Co-founder of Redland Tropical Gardens.  He is a Certified Instructor – Broward County Tree Trimmer Licensing Program.  He was formerly an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist and Utility Specialist, and Landscape Inspector Association of Florida (LIAF) Certified Landscape Inspector, with a tremendous knowledge of, and passion for, tropical vegetation and the environment.

Barbara Ruiz-Gonzalez, Esq.

Vice-Chair of Legacy Committee

Barbara Ruiz-Gonzalez, Esq. is a Board Certified Tax Attorney practicing in Miami, Florida. She also has an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Miami.

Barbara focuses her practice on domestic and international tax, estates and trusts, probate, non-traditional couples and family groups, tax exempt organizations, and executive compensation and employee benefits. 

Barbara is very involved in our local community through the Put Something Back Pro Bono Program, and the Junior Achievement and The Education Fund, both of which she is an Education Volunteer.  She has authored and co-authored various articles, and is an occasional speaker at seminars on various tax and estate planning topics. She is presently an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College, Business School, where she teaches Federal Income Tax.

Barbara is fluent in Spanish.

 Mary Schneider. B.S., M.S.

Chair of Education Committee

A graduate of Winthorpe and Clemson universities and is a recent retiree after decades as an educator, department head, and director. During this time she has implemented, designed, managed and taught more than twenty-five separate projects for schools and communities.

She was Master Gardener Director for three years, worked with "The Fair" for twenty-three years while being elected President of Dade County FNGLA twice in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. No wonder she was noted Teacher of the Year 1993 and many other awards.

 Maria Jordan Henning

Vice-Chair of Education Committee

A brilliant Homestead native, she is the daughter of migrant parents who made their living from the agriculture industry. While attending junior high and high school, Maria found her passion. "agriculture." She then pursued a degree in agriculture from the University of Tennessee. During and after pursuing her degree, Maria interned and worked in various agricultural businesses such as Pioneer Hi-Bred, Tyson Foods Inc. and Monsanto to name a few. She taught agriculture at South Dade Senior High for four years. During that time she was actively involved with Dade County Agri-Council, Florida. A&M University Agriculture Advisory Board, Miami Dade County Youth Fair and Exposition  and Florida Agriculture Teachers Association. She is now a passionate advocate for agriculture education and feels that her efforts will always make a difference in the lives of her students and her community. 

Chair of Marketing and
Public Relations Committee

In 1970, became vice president of marketing and member of the Board of Directors of Key Pharmaceuticals. He served as President of certain subsidiaries and periodically taught market planning for the AMA and participated in the problem solving institute at SUNYAB.

For over 40 years, He was publisher and editor of Entertainment News & Views, the premier independent arts, dining and entertainment newspaper.  One of its features, the Arts Season Preview, was a successful, semi-annual, sought-after product and the 25th Anniversary edition was the pride of thousands.

Yveline Paul

Chair of International Affairs Committee

Yveline F. Paul was born on October 20, 1951, in Haiti.  She has lived in the U.S. since 1966.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College, of the City University of New York, where she majored in Languages and minored in Education.  She also has a Juris Doctor Degree from Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Ms. Paul founded Paul & Associates Law Firm in September of 1994 and has been a sole practitioner in that firm since then.  In addition to her life experience, Ms. Paul brings her 14 years of experience in Employment Litigation, 16 years of experience in Immigration and Criminal Defense practice and 3 years of experience in Foreclosure Defense to the clients and the communities in which she serves.  She is committed to elevating the standards of the profession band setting a new path for the law business, making use of new technologies to better serve her clients.

Ms. Paul is very active in Paul & Associates Charitable Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to contributing to the reconstruction of Haiti after the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010.

Ms. Paul is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Haitian Creole.  She has a great understanding and acceptance of various foreign cultures based on her extensive travels and her involvement in helping people from all around the world with their immigration needs.