Our Leadership

We are led by a Board of Directors that shapes our vision and strategy, and an Advisory Council that connects our work to key industry, professional, education and government circles.

Board of Directors

Anna C. Ball

CEO and Owner, Ball Horticultural Company
Anna Caroline Ball is President and CEO of the 111-year-old Ball Horticultural Company, which specializes in all aspects of horticulture, including breeding, biotechnology, production,...

John Dole, Ph.D.

Associate Dean & Director, Academic Programs North Carolina State Univ.
John M. Dole is Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs at North Carolina State University and past Chairman of the Board of the...

Charlie Hall, Ph.D.

Ellison Chair in Interational Floriculture, Texas A&M University
Dr. Charlie Hall grew up in the industry on a nursery in western North Carolina. Although an economist by training, he is currently a...

Terri McEnaney

President, Bailey Nurseries
Terri McEnaney became president of Bailey Nurseries in 2001. Along with six other fourth-generation Bailey family members, she is responsible for carrying on the...

Rodd Moesel

President and Co-Owner, American Plant Products and Services
Rodd Moesel and his wife, Dona, own and operate American Plant Products and Services in western Oklahoma City. The grandson of dairy farmers and...

Kate Santos, Ph.D.

Director, Research and Conservation, Longwood Gardens
Kate has a foundational background in botany as well as over 15 years of professional horticulture experience. She earned a doctorate in Environmental Horticulture...

Ronda Hamm, Ph.D.

Board President: Informal Educator & Global Leader
Dr. Ronda Hamm is passionate about providing enriching science and agriculture experiences for everyone. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Education...

Kate Penn

CEO, Society of American Florists
Kate leads, directs and manages day-to-day activities for SAF and is responsible for developing the overall strategic positioning for the organization. She joined SAF...

Gustavo Carranza Jr.

Sr. Irrigation Manager, Wonderful Orchards
Gustavo Carranza currently serves as the Senior Irrigation Manager at the Wonderful Orchards division based in Firebaugh, California. Coming from a multi-generational farming family,...

Ryan Hall

Head of Flowers - Americas, Syngenta
Ryan Hall is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the horticulture industry. As the Head of Syngenta Flowers America's region,...

Chris Drummond

President, Penny's by Plaza Flowers
Chris Drummond, AAF, PFCI is a third-generation florist and president of Penny’s by Plaza Flowers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in Economics...

Advisory Council

Charlie Hall, Ph.D.

Charlie Hall, Co-Chair, Advisory Council
Dr. Charlie Hall grew up in the industry on a nursery in western North Carolina. Although an economist by training, he is currently a...

Jared Barnes, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Horticulture, Stephen F. Austin Univ.
Jared Barnes, Ph.D. started gardening when he was five years old, and since then he has enthusiastically pursued how to best cultivate plants and...

Mark Broxon

Executive Director, Proven Winners
For the past 14 years Mark Broxon has served as the Executive Director of Proven Winners, the leading plant brand in North America.  His...

Debi Chedester

Executive Director American Floral Endowment
Debi joined the American Floral Endowment (AFE) in 2008, and serves as the Executive Director overseeing scientific research projects, educational grants, and scholarships. She...

Laura Drotleff

Marketing Communications Manager, Metrolina Greenhouses

Jeff Gibson

Landscape Business Manager, Ball Horticultural
For over 28 years, Jeff has managed a range of Ball customer focused sales and marketing activities, currently focusing on Ball’s steadily growing landscape...

Aurelie Jacquet, Ph.D.

Ethnopharmacologist, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Kimberley Lough

Agriculture Instructor, Sugg Middle Urban Ag & FFA
Kimberley Lough was an Environmental Consultant before landing an Agriscience teaching position in a Title 1 middle school in southwest Florida 14 years ago....

Mary Meyer Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota
Dr. Mary Hockenberry Meyer is a professor emeritus in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota and the Grass Curator for...

Mike Neff

Executive Director, American Society for Horticultural Science
Michael W. Neff has been the Executive Director of the American Society for Horticultural Science since 2000. He previously served ASHS as Director of...

Matt Rader

President The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Matt is the President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He grew up in Mercersburg, a small town in south central Pennsylvania, where he attended...

Jennifer Schwarz Ballard, Ph.D.

Vice President of Learning and Engagement Programs, Chicago Botanic Garden
Jennifer Schwarz, Ph.D., serves as the vice president of learning and engagement for the Chicago Botanic Garden. In this role, she oversees the Garden’s...

Casey Sclar, Ph.D.

H.O. Smith Endowed Director, The Arboretum at Penn State
Casey began serving as the H.O. Smith Endowed Director in August 2022. He has a master of science degree and a doctorate in entomology...

Lisa Smith

Horticulturist/ Wholesale Sales/ILCA Committee Member
Lisa Smith works for Johnson's Nursery as a Horticulturist and Wholesale Sales. She is a committee member of ILCA & the FLIP committee (Illinois...

Mary Warshauer

Former President, National Garden Clubs Inc.
Mary Warshauer of Rumson, N.J. is the former president of the National Garden Clubs Inc. Mary supports and promotes “Plant America,” NGC’s initiative that...

Jena Gizerskiy

Sales Manager-North America for Rosaprima
I am a Sales Manager-North America for Rosaprima, a company dedicated to growing the most luxurious rose varieties in the world. Rosaprima values: unequaled...

Chad Follis

Director of Educational Resources
Chad Follis joined Hummert International in 2021 as the Director of Educational Resources.  He started a mowing and landscape business at age 11 that...

Brenda Moore

President of National Garden Clubs Inc.
Brenda Moore of Oak Hill, WV is the President of National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC). Her theme for her Presidency will be “Plant America – Go Green” and...

Broch Martindale

National Nursery & Greenhouse Strategic Account Manager
Broch Martindale National Nursery & Greenhouse Strategic Account Manager Growing up in the family greenhouse business is where Broch found his passion for plants...

Aidan Williams

Sales & Operations Manager, Por La Mar Nursery
Growing up in Southern California, Aidan Williams was raised in the Agricultural Industry since he was born. His grandparents, Ron and Pat Caird, started...

Colah Tawkin

Founder of Black in the Garden LLC & Underground Arborist
Colah is the juggernaut creator, producer, and voice behind the renowned Black in the Garden (LLC) podcast. Most recently she started a national tree...

Courtney Allen

Director of National Programs, American Horticultural Society
Courtney Allen is a gardens and museums professional specializing in lifelong learning. As Director of National Programs, Ms. Allen provides vision, strategy, and leadership...

Sue Markgraf

Founder & President, GreenMark Media
An award-winning reporter, editor, field producer and media relations practitioner, Sue has more than 30 years in media and corporate, non-profit and agency communications,...

Abel Guzman

Executive Director of College Pathways
Abel Guzman returned to The Wonderful Company in 2021 to serve as Executive Director of College Pathways. In a previous role at The Wonderful...

Carrie Waterman

Horticulture Committee Chair, Garden Club of America
Carrie Waterman has served on National Committees of the Garden Club of America for the past 23 years, including Horticulture, Flower Show, Judging, and...

Sahid Nahim

Co-President, Above All Flower and New Boom Solutions
Sahid Nahim, co-president of 'Above All Flower' and 'New Bloom Solutions', is a pillar of innovation in floristry. With two decades in the industry,...

Meghan Wiesbrock

Manager of School and Camp Programs, The Morton Arboretum
Currently at The Morton Arboretum, Meghan Wiesbrock works with students at all places in their journey into STEM. Managing onsite curriculum-based nature programs, she...

Corrine Heck

CEO, Details Flowers Software
Corrine Heck, the founder of Details Flowers Software, has an impressive journey in the floral industry, evolving from an event designer to a software...

Our Staff

Jazmin Albarran

Executive Director

[email protected]

(484) 798-5934