Massachusetts Orchid Society

While still pursuing her career as a model and actress in Manhattan, Carri’s involvement with orchids began 40 years ago with her first Phalaenopsis orchid.  Having served on the Board of Directors of the well-known Greater New York Orchid Society for over 20 years, she has also served on several American Orchid Society committees, among them being the Education Committee, Membership Committee & the Public Relations Committee.

In 1990 Carri was one of the original “gang of five” who founded and formed the 29-year old International Phalaenopsis Alliance, Inc. (IPA), serving first as Membership/Corresponding Secretary, then First Vice President, President and currently as Regional Director for New England, New York & eastern Canada.  In 2004 Carri was honored with the IPA Award of Distinction for her contributions to the world of Phalaenopsis Orchids.

Since becoming an Accredited American Orchid Society Judge in 1998, Carri has also had the privilege of judging both national and international orchid shows.  Beginning in 2007, she has traveled to Taiwan each year to serve as an AOS Judge for their annual Taiwan International Orchid Show (TIOS), with the 2019 show being her 13^th anniversary year of judging that amazing show.  She also served as a permanent member of the AOS/TIOS Coordinating Committee in charge of organizing AOS judging for this annual international show. 

In 2018 & 2019 the TIOS Show chose to focus exclusively on preparation of International Judging for the 2020 WOC in Taichung, Taiwan, for both Ribbon & Medal Judging, without the inclusion of AOS judging.  She has been privileged to be invited as a VIP, along with two other fellow AOS judges (Carlos Fighetti & Alan Koch), to serve as a Team Captain for those two shows & work with TOGA on all the details involved in judging the now rescheduled 2020 WOC.   

As a small commercial grower for 35 years, Carri focuses her orchid business, the orchidPhile, on being able to offer her clients the newest in cutting-edge Phalaenopsis species and hybrids in addition to other orchid genera which grow happily under the same conditions as Phalaenopsis.  Of increasing importance to her clients is vivid color, heavy substance flowers that will provide them with long-lasting displays, fragrance and multitudes of flowers with more compact growth and spike habits.  In the last two years she has also seen Taiwan’s increased interest in breeding some new & more unique intergeneric hybrids utilizing Phalaenopsis as one parent.

She participates in orchid shows year ‘round, along the east coast, New England & eastern Canada, creating an exhibit at each and managing her sales tables.  She also has traveled across the country & around the world as an international speaker to orchid societies & Symposiums on various topics involving the genus Phalaenopsis.

At last count her collection numbered in the thousands, ranging from very young plants to orchids in full bloom.  To date she has received over 100 AOS flower quality awards, numerous AOS Show Trophies and Cultural Awards.  So despite her BA from Northwestern University in pursuit of what her parents considered an important stepping stone to an “important career”, she maintains that we never really know where life is going to take us!