Manny Rivera was born in The Chihuahuan Desert. His passion and love for cacti and succulents started when he came to a plant show for the first time at the CSSA Cactus and Succulent Show held at The Huntington Library in 1995. Thanks to a flyer that Molly from California Cactus Center in Pasadena gave him, Manny got his first taste of the world of cacti shows. He was so impressed (all while falling in love with the plants and The Botanical Garden) that he came back the following year to participate and show some of his plants. He was also the CSSA Show Head Clerk the same year!
A month later in 1995 he joined The San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society (“SGVCSS”) where he became one of the pillars of the club. Manny has not only served as a SGVCSS board member, but he is also one of the three directors of the Workshop and in charge of the “Plant of the Month.”
He started judging for the first time at The Winter Show in 2006. He has been Chairman of the SGVCSS Winter Show since 2007. In May 2010 Manny Rivera received the SGVCSS Lifetime Membership Plaque Award together with Larry Grammer and Myron Kimnach. He has participated as a judge for various local clubs such as Gates CSS, Sunset CSS, CSSA, The Intercity Show, SGVCSS Winter Show, and the LACSS Drought Tolerant Plant Festival. Manny joined the LACS Society in 2009, where it didn’t take very long until he was invited to be in charge of “Plant of the Month” the last quarter for that year. In 2010 he was officially named 2nd Vice President and President of Los Angeles Geranium Society for 5 years (2008-2013).
This month he is giving us a presentation on staging. As he has been a judge for the Gates CSS for several years, he will provide our members particular insight and skill regarding showing our plants. His talk will most certainly help us improve our skills on staging and the importance of doing it. Fun fact: his favorite succulent is the genus Pelargonium.
Gates Cactus and Succulent Society 