Tree Town USA Team Members Receive Industry Honors

TreeTown USA team members received several awards and appointments from respected horticulture industry organizations in 2020.

Earlier this year, AmericanHort appointed Jonathan Saperstein, TreeTown USA’s chief executive officer, to its board of directors. Ken Fisher, AmericanHort president and chief executive officer, commented on Saperstein’s appointment saying, “Jonathan’s interest in helping our entire industry grow, the strategic business investments he’s made, and his eagerness to support the Association make him a strong candidate to sit on the AmericanHort board of directors.”

Saperstein joins four other industry leaders on the board and was elected for a three-year term. The official welcome took place during the Cultivate’20 Virtual event in July.

In August, TreeTown USA received the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association’s Summit Award, which is given to a member firm that exemplifies the association’s ideals: innovation, service, and highly ethical behavior in the way it conducts its affairs. Saperstein said, “We could not have had the honor of receiving the Summit Award this year without an amazing team of individuals who are dedicated to our customers, our industry, and to one another.”

Saperstein accepted the award on behalf of TreeTown USA during the TNLA virtual Awards Fiesta on August 14.

In May, Chelsea Johnson, southwest division scheduling manager, was inducted into the Class of 2020 of  GPN’s 40 Under 40 list. The award honors 40 individuals in the horticulture industry who demonstrate superior leadership, creativity, compassion and innovative thinking.

Johnson, who began her career with Village Nurseries in 2013 after graduating from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, stated, “I felt honored to be nominated by my peers, those who have accomplished so much in their careers within the horticulture industry. It really meant a lot to me.”

Johnson and her team of eight are responsible for procurement and production scheduling for six farms currently producing just over 14 million plants.

The 40 Under 40 honorees were featured in the May 2020 issue of GPN.