Jul 16, 2012

A Busy Weekend in Columbus By Tim Hodson

Wow! It’s really been a busy weekend in Columbus at OFA Short Course!

On Saturday afternoon, the boards of directors of OFA — the Association of Horticulture Professionals and the American Nursery & Landscape Association said they would begin “to explore the joint formation of a new trade association.” They expect to have a new organization formed in the next 12 to 18 months. Check out the news story below for all of the details. The two organizations also announced last week that they would be launching a new, joint event named “Next Level,” in January 2013 in Nashville, Tenn.

Also at Short Course, I was very pleased to announce that Dr. Charlie Hall at Texas A&M University, had been named our 2012 Hort Hero for his dedication and commitment to the advancement of our industry. Dr. Hall will be featured in the September issue of GPN. We made the announcement on the latest edition of Hort TV. Be sure to check it out. OFA’ s board also appointed Dr. Hall to a two-year term as the association’s chief economist.

Last night, we had a special reception for our inaugural 40 Under 40 recipients. Most of the Class of 2012 made it to Columbus so it was a fantastic opportunity to get them all together in one room and pay tribute to their accomplishments in person. These individuals really are setting the pace for the future so definitely keep an eye on them!

Earlier in the day, we also had Mix ‘n Mingle session with some of our 40 Under 40 folks. This provided other Short Course attendees with a chance to spend a little one-on-one time with some of the industry’s brightest young minds.

There are still two more days to go. Stay tuned to www.gpnmag.com as well as Facebook and Twitter for any other breaking news that takes place at Short Course.