When the AmericanHort Board of Directors meets in Columbus, OH at Cultivate’17 in July, they will welcome three newly elected Board Members to the 13 member Board and install a new slate of officers. The AmericanHort Board of Directors is comprised of leaders from across the breadth of the horticulture industry and encompasses various experiences, skills, and backgrounds.
The Board welcomes newcomers
? Steve Castorani, CEO/President of North Creek Nurseries
? Tom Hughes, owner of Hughes Nursery & Landscaping
? Cole Mangum, Vice President of Production at Bell Nursery.
Teri Bates, current Chairman of the Board, will become Immediate Past Chairman of the Board and continue her involvement by advocating for industry growth, unification, and broader collaboration across all segments of the supply chain.
Tom Demaline will assume the role of Chairman of the Board and offers deep knowledge of the horticulture industry, as well as a history of dedicated involvement with the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Horticultural Research Institute. Demaline’s vision for AmericanHort is an organization that provides a unified voice for the entire horticulture industry. That voice gets stronger and stronger as more businesses stand behind AmericanHort, and it’s Demaline’s intention that with a strong voice, AmericanHort can better educate consumers, potential employees, and the government about the economic and environmental significance of horticulture.
Mike Klopmeyer is the new Vice Chairman of the Board and is the current general manager of Darwin Perennials. His long involvement with the horticulture industry provides Klopmeyer with sound perspectives on how it has evolved and where it is going. Klopmeyer says, “I look forward to continuing my participation on the Board. I believe that AmericanHort is the pivot point for bringing together the important segments of our dynamic industry and supporting the continued success of our member community.”
Steve Castorani has vast experience in greenhouse, nursery, and garden center retail. Castorani is co-founder of North Creek Nurseries and the American Beauties Native Plant ® brand. Castorani’s industry involvement includes roles as president of the International Plant Propagator’s Society, president of the Delaware Nursery and Landscape Association, and member of the Delaware Invasive Species Council. Northcreek Nurseries was voted 2015 Grower of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association and 2016 Operation of the Year by Greenhouse Grower magazine.
Tom Hughes is a fourth generation nurseryman, and his business grows nursery stock to support their design/build landscape business. Hughes has served his community and industry in various capacities including Land Use Committee Chair for the Shueyville United Methodist Church, President of the Prairie (K-12) School District Foundation, industry representative for the Kirkwood Community College Horticulture Advisory Committee, a Agriculture Committee Member for the Iowa State University Foundation, and board member and president of the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association.
Cole Mangum oversees production at Bell Nurseries, including greenhouse production of an estimated 90 million annuals. Mangum has dedicated himself to advocating for various facets of the industry over the course of his career. This includes serving on the National Leadership Cabinet for the Seed Your Future Initiative, as Horticulture Representative for the Maryland Agricultural Commission, and as board member for the Greenhouse Grower Technology Advisory Board. Mangum is committed to keeping the horticulture industry strong and as a viable career path long into the future – both at a local and national level.
These new board members will be formally inducted to the Board of Directors at Cultivate’17, July 15-18 in Columbus, Ohio. AmericanHort and its members thank Dale Deppe, Terri McEnaney, and Sid Raisch, whose Board terms end in July 2017, for their years of dedication to AmericanHort and the entire horticulture industry. #
The AmericanHort community includes professionals from all facets of the industry. From growers to retailers, breeders to installers, suppliers to innovators, students to researchers, and everyone in between, businesses across the horticulture industry call AmericanHort their inspiration, voice, community, success, business partner, leader, and advocate. With $163 billion of market influence and the generation of 1.15 million jobs, the horticulture industry is a key player in the global economy. AmericanHort supports businesses in their continuous growth and success with knowledge resources, staff development, in-person meetings, and government advocacy. The strength of our influence depends on the strength of our collaboration, and AmericanHort unites the industry as a major force. What we do together matters. #WWDTmatters.
Source: AmericanHort