AmericanHort elects new volunteer leadership

AmericanHort announced the election of officers and three new members of the board of directors. Terri Cantwell of Bates Sons & Daughters in Lake Placid, Florida, was selected Chair of the Board of Directors, and Tom Demaline of Willoway Nurseries in Avon, Ohio was elected the Vice Chair. Dale Deppe of Spring Meadow Nursery in Grand Haven, Michigan will become the Immediate Past Chair.

Three industry leaders were selected to serve as members of the board of directors: Bob Dickman of Dickman Farms, Greenhouses & Garden Center in Auburn, New York; Lisa Minter-Bustin of Minter Country Garden in Chilliwack, British Columbia; and Seth Reed of GrowIt! Mobile in West Chicago, Illinois. Each will assume their position on the board of directors during Cultivate’16, July 9-12 in Columbus, Ohio. The board of directors is comprised of a diversity of retailers, growers, installers, and industry suppliers.

 

About the elected board members

Terri Cantwell currently serves as the Vice Chair of the AmericanHort board of directors. She previously served as the Vice President of OFA, on the board of directors for Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, and as chairperson of the former Southeast Greenhouse Conference. Terri is an owner of Bates Sons & Daughters, Inc., a third-generation family company in Lake Placid, Florida that provides caladium bulbs and pre-finished potted caladiums. Terri is passionate about promoting the relevancy of the industry in everyday lives and in engaging the next generation of professionals.

Tom Demaline is President of Willoway Nurseries, a 61-year old family business. He has served the industry in several capacities including board member and current past president of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, past board member and past president of the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), past board member of the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA), and current board member of AmericanHort. Tom also acted on the transition committee that brought OFA and ANLA together to form AmericanHort. Tom believes that businesses and consumers are very different in the industry post-recession. His vision is that AmericanHort be the unified voice for the entire industry so that together, it can work to educate consumers, potential employees, and the government that horticulture is important to the economy and the environment.

Bob Dickman is the General Manager at Dickman Farms, Greenhouses & Garden Center and the fifth generation to work within the company. Bob offers unique leadership experience stemming from his service in the United States Marine Corps. After his military service, Bob attended Montana State University with a focus in marketing. Once back at the family business, Bob has worked his way up through the company beginning with truck driver, production worker, assistant grower, and shipping supervisor. His industry service includes serving on the County Farm Bureau board and the New York State Flower Industries board. Bob is also a member of the 2014 class of GPN magazine’s 40 Under 40 and is passionate about floriculture and advocating for the success of the industry.

Lisa Minter-Bustin is a manager of Minter Country Garden, Ltd with experience in the floral, garden center, and greenhouse segments. She has served the industry on several boards and committees including ANLA Retail Board, ANLA Management Clinic Programming Committee, and ANLA Convention Committee. Lisa is a member of one of the largest garden center co-operatives in Canada (GCGC) and brings with her insights on strategies that complement both the garden retail segment and all other segments of the industry. She hopes to bridge the gap between generations and help sustain industry growth without losing its values and fundamentals.

Seth Reed, co-founder of GrowIt! Mobile, offers a diversity of experiences in industry segments including retail, landscape, nursery, GenNext, supply management, sales and marketing, and greenhouse. A consistent theme he sees in the industry is engaging young people. In order to help with a solution, Seth and his co-founder ideated GrowIt!, which is a mobile app intended to engage young consumers and help them “garden socially.” Seth offers skills in critical assessment of ideas, motivation, and dedication to see ideas through, and strong communication to advocate for ideas and strategies.