AmericanHort welcomes new board members, officers
AmericanHort recently announced the addition of three new industry leaders to the AmericanHort board of directors, along with the incoming slate of board officers.
“We are pleased to have these respected industry members join the AmericanHort board to share their expertise and perspective as we continue to deliver on our mission,” said Ken Fisher president and CEO of AmericanHort. “The board plays an important role in shaping the future of the organization and we thank those who volunteer to serve the industry in this way for their dedication to the advancement of horticulture.”
The new slate of officers for 2023-2024 include Rob Lando as the incoming board chairman and Ed Overdevest as the incoming board vice chairman. Jon Reelhorn of Belmont Nursery will become the immediate past chairman, and J. Harvey Cotten will continue to serve as board treasurer in a non-voting position.
Rob Lando is best known in professional circles for his co-founding and building of Ohio based AgriNomix, North America’s largest supplier of automation to nurseries and greenhouses. In 2022, AgriNomix, Zwart Systems, Bellpark Horticulture and Plantech Control Systems joined forces to become AdeptAg where Rob continues to be involved as the new entity grows. Rob also consults and coaches with other firms within the Horticulture industry.
Ed Overdevest is the president and owner of Overdevest Nurseries, one of the leading nurseries in New Jersey where they sell to independent garden centers and distributors within a 300-mile radius of Bridgeton. With production facilities encompassing 290 acres, the nursery produces over 2,000 varieties of perennials, shrubs, and trees for east coast garden centers. The company has earned a sustainability certification due to their exemplary practices in conservation, and they are known for their strong labor relations and community involvement.
The AmericanHort membership has elected the following new board directors:
Derek Clark is director of sales for South Central Growers, a second-generation family-owned greenhouse in Springfield, Tennessee, producing annuals and perennials for the big box retailers. He began working in the horticulture industry in 2005 and held several key account management roles before joining South Central Growers in 2013. Derek is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as a graduate of EAGL, the Executive Academy for Growth and Leadership. He is passionate about helping strengthen the industry for future generations.
Brian Lloyd is CEO of Olson’s Greenhouse, a fourth-generation, family-owned group of companies growing, distributing, and merchandising bedding plants to mass market retailers throughout the Western United States. Brian has degrees in Marketing and Ornamental Horticulture from Utah State University and an MBA from the Marriott School of Management at BYU. He is an active member of YPO International, a worldwide leadership community of chief executives, and an alum of the Harvard Business School Owner/President Management program.
Emily Showalter is the chief of human resources at Willoway Nurseries Inc. in
Avon, Ohio, a third-generation family-owned business and one of the largest wholesale growers of quality nursery stock in the Midwest. Emily grew up in the family business, graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Agriculture, completed the Goldman Sachs 10k Small Business Program, and is a graduate of EAGL, the Executive Academy for Growth and Leadership. Emily served as President of the Ohio Green Industry Association in 2020 and serves on area Horticulture program advisory boards
These new directors will join current board directors Kurt Becker, Dramm Corp.; Matt Edmundson, Arbor Valley Nursery; Kent Fullmer, Fullmer’s Landscaping; Steve Mostardi of Mostardi Nursery; Lyndsi Oestmann, of Loma Vista Nursery; and Ann Tosovsky, Home Nursery Inc.
AmericanHort and its members express appreciation to outgoing board members, Mike Gooder, Plantpeddler Inc., and Jonathan Saperstein, Everde Growers, who each served a three-year term from 2020-2023; and Cole Mangum, Bell Nursery USA LLC, who served on the board from 2017-2023 and was board chairman during his tenure.
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