May 19, 2020

AmericanHort Elects New Board Members, Installs Officers

AmericanHort recently announced the election of three new members to its board of directors, along with the installation of a new slate of officers.

These individuals are leaders from across the horticulture industry and encompass various experiences, skills, and backgrounds.

The official welcome will take place during Cultivate’20 Virtual, the online event debuting on July 13.

“We are excited to welcome this diverse group of new members who bring experience, creative thinking and an entrepreneurial spirit to the AmericanHort board,” said Ken Fisher, president & CEO of AmericanHort. “We also sincerely appreciate the dedication and commitment of our officers and all board members for their invaluable leadership.”

The new slate of officers will include the following individuals as new chairman of the board and vice chairman of the board:

• Tom Hughes (pictured above) is the newchairman of the board. He currently serves as president and co-owner of Hughes Nursery & Landscaping (HNL) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• Cole Mangum is vice chairman of the board. Cole is vice president of operations for Bell Nursery USA LLC in Elkridge, Maryland.

Susie Raker-Zimmerman of Raker Roberta’s Young Plants will become immediate past chairman of the board.

New AmericanHort board members, who have been elected to serve a three-year term, include:

• Mike Gooder is president and co-owner with his wife Rachel of Plantpeddler, located in Cresco, Iowa.
• Ed Overdevest is the president and owner of Overdevest Nurseries, in Bridgeton, New Jersey.
• Jonathan Saperstein is CEO of TreeTown USA, one of America’s largest nurseries.

AmericanHort would like to thank outgoing board members Mike Klopmeyer, PhD., president of Ball FloraPlant for serving a five year term, including being immediate past chairman; and Steve Castorani, owner of North Creek Nurseries; and Bob Dickman, general manager of Dickman Farms LLC.