Horticulture group recognizes Florida industry leaders at annual convention

The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) spotlighted seven industry leaders while gathering in Sarasota for the group’s annual convention.

The organization represents Florida’s environmental horticulture industry and aims to advance its interests in the state. Their site touts the industry’s benefit, saying it “generated $31.4 billion total output sales in 2020 and directly employed 266,000+ people.”

The FNGLA’s annual meeting was held at The Westin Sarasota in late June to recap the past year and usher in new leadership for the organization.

“Coming together from across the Sunshine State, the FNGLA Annual Convention is an opportunity to celebrate achievements, share best practices and make connections with one another,” said Tal Coley, CEO of FNGLA.

“Florida’s horticulture industry contributes so much to the natural beauty of our state, but these passionate professionals and businesses are also great stewards of resources, important job providers for their communities and trendsetters for flowers, plants and trees.”

The Wendell E. Butler Award, the organization’s most prestigious, was given to Van Donnan. Donnan is retired but serves as a mentor and volunteers in the FNGLA Action Chapter. He earned his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Penn State. Donnan moved to Florida to work in the Apopka area in the 1970s and ran a plant tissue lab for Oakdale Nursery.

The FNGLA presented its Outstanding Educator award to Rhonda Gracie of the University of North Florida (UNF). Gracie has spent 10 years as a horticulturist and landscape designer at UNF. She has helped contribute to the campus scenery by installing 26 educational garden exhibits.

Robert Sanford of FNGLA’s Northeast Chapter and Sanford’s Landscape & Irrigation took home the Outstanding Chapter Leader award, which goes to an individual advancing the group’s success at the local chapter level. Sanford trained at the University of Florida (UF) in Ornamental Horticulture before opening his business in 1982 and contributing significantly to the FNGLA.

Mike Ross earned the Outstanding Volunteer designation. Ross retired from his banking gig in 2012 to work instead with his wife, Jamie, in her landscape business. He’s a member of FNGLA’s Northeast Chapter in Jacksonville and has volunteered at the Jacksonville Landscape Show.

The Farm Credit/FNGLA Young Professional award went to Bud Roberts of Gary Roberts Nursery and Landscape. That award goes to an FNGLA member under the age of 39. Roberts runs the daily operations at his company in Fort Pierce and is also a member of the FNGLA Treasure Coast Chapter.

Alan Shapiro earned the FNGLA Hall of Fame award. A former president of FNGLA, he started on his path to becoming a nursery grower in Israel before moving to Florida and taking over San Felasco Nurseries in Gainesville with his wife.

Finally, Chris Moran of UF was given the Friend of the Industry award. Moran worked as a journalist for two decades, including stints at the Houston Chronicle and the San Diego Union-Tribune. But in 2014, he started work as a special assistant to the University of Florida’s Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“Congratulations to the 2023 industry award winners!” said the FNGLA’s Coley. “These talented professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs and volunteers have advanced the beautification and conservation of our great state. They are great symbols of our industry.”