Hal Horwitz (1940?2015) was a pediatric dentist and an avid photographer specializing in native orchids. Hal and his wife, Helen, were early supporters of the Native Orchid Conference and the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC). Dennis F. Whigham is Distinguished Scientist Emeritus at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and Founding Director of the NAOCC, which was established as a program of the Smithsonian Institution based at SERC. Jay O'Neill retired after a forty-year career at SERC. He was instrumental in developing and maintaining the NAOCC and Go Orchids websites and continues to promote NAOCC's educational initiatives. Julianne McGuinness is a contractor responsible for many aspects of NAOCC operations, including its partnerships, project coordination, fundraising, newsletter, and websites.