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.
Read more at floridapolitics.com