The Friends of the National Arboretum held the annual Cookout Under the Stars last Tuesday at the National Arboretum. The evening began with a cocktail reception in the National Herb Garden followed by an elegant dinner in the National Capitol Columns Meadow. The dinner, which fetes a different state each year, celebrated North Carolina with regional favorites that included shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes and red velvet cake.

IDFA Senior Vice President Jerry Slominski serves on the board of the Friends of the National Arboretum, the non-profit organization that provides funding for arboretum projects to increase awareness and enjoyment of the gardens and collections, advance scientific research and promote educational and public services. IDFA hosted a table that included Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and his wife, Christy, who is running for an Iowa seat in the U.S. House of Representatives this year.

(L to r) Drew Setterberg and Chelsee Woodey, IDFA director of legislative affairs; Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO; Christy and Tom Vilsack, U.S. secretary of agriculture; Jerry Slominski, IDFA senior vice president and his wife, Janet Gregor; Kyle Shreve, IDFA coordinator of legislative affairs, and his wife, Christie.

More photos are available here.

For more information, contact Slominski at jslominski@idfa.org.