Susan Hamilton Coming into Columbia's gateways is a whole lot more pleasurable than before 15 years ago, before Columbia Green and the Columbia Tree and Appearance Commission targeted the city's entrances for upgraded gardening. While continuing the push for better first impressions at every city access, Columbia Green has recently committed to the same task for Fort Jackson and its gates, where 3,000 visitors a week come for training graduations.

Susan Hamilton has been on the board at Columbia Green for the past six years, and she is in her second year as the organization's president.

Hamilton was born near Manhattan Beach, Calif., where her father was an electrical engineer with Hughes Aircraft. The family moved to Tucson, Ariz., a relocation necessary for her father to stay with Hughes Aircraft. Hamilton finished high school in Tucson, where her two older brothers also graduated.

Her brothers still live in Tucson. Richard is in construction, and Brian owns a custom cabinet business.

Hamilton first attended the University of Arizona for two years. Then she transferred to the University of Maryland at College Park to major in journalism and also to stay with Thomas Gross, her future husband. Gross attended medical school at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

After earning her BS degree in journalism, Hamilton worked on the education and government beats for the local newspaper at Havre de Grace, Md.

Hamilton and her husband started their family while in Baltimore. They have four children, and all four took their mother's name, Hamilton. The oldest, Erika, is a recent graduate of Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Niki is a sophomore at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Or. Leisel is a senior at Hammond Academy in Columbia, where son Max is a freshman.

After 10 years in Baltimore, Hamilton and her family moved to California, near Sacramento, for her husband's fellowship in his specialty, hip replacement surgery.

About 15 years ago, the family moved to Columbia, as there was a position offered to Hamilton's husband by Midlands Orthopaedic.

Hamilton found her family's home in Spring Valley where they still live after the usual lifetime of alterations and renovations.

Hamilton has given her fair share in time and resources to her kids' elementary education and scouting programs. She was active in her PTO, and she was a home room mom. She has been a troop leader for the Girl Scouts and a den mother (two years) for the Cub Scouts. Daughter Liesel, a senior at Hammond, is working to earn the Girl Scouts' Gold Award this year.

Her neighboring club has tennis courts, and Hamilton and her husband took up tennis in a serious way about six years ago. She continues her regular Thursday morning lessons as she competes in team tennis weekly, typically playing at the 3.5 level.

As president of Columbia Green, Hamilton urges public participation in two upcoming events: (1) a series of three workshops on tree planting and pruning and tree health care; and (2) the 19th Annual Festival of Gardens.

The three workshops are titled "People and Trees- Growing together through better education." The workshops feature trained aborists from Columbia's leading tree care firm, Sox and Freeman. The program is Saturday, April 4, from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm at the Robert Mills House, corner of Pickens and Taylor.

On May 14 and 16, in the Forest Hills Historic District and also in the Tanglewood Neighborhood, 12 residential gardens will be open for visitors in the Festival of Gardens between 9:30 am and 3:30 pm for each of the two days. There will be a tea party each day, 2- 5 pm, at the last home on the tour.

For more information on both the workshops and the gardens tour, visit www.columbiagreen.org.