Michelle Opela
Company
Costa Farms
Job Title
IPM Manager
Accomplishments
- Responsible for developing a biological integrated pest management program to reduce company’s chemical input and increase the use of beneficials.
- As technical support manager, helped grow the company’s young plant division and developed technical support material.
Extracurricular
Not Only Does She Grow Plants at Work: “When I get home from working with plants I hop into taking care of my 400+ plants and I love every bit of it.”
Fun Facts
A Regional Delicacy: Michelle’s favorite food is the pork belly and watermelon taco at White Duck Tacos. “If you ever find yourself in Asheville, North Carolina, this is a must try!”
An Appropriate Childhood Nickname: “My nickname growing up was ‘Bug’ and now I work
with bugs!”
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GPN recognizes and honors 40 industry professionals under the age of 40 who represent the next generation of leaders shaping the future of green innovation.
