The Greenery welcomed Ken Thomas to its executive team as vice president of operations. An industry veteran, Thomas brings with him a wealth of industry knowledge and executive-level experience.
Over his 30-year career, Thomas has owned and operated three successful landscape companies including Scapes Group in Atlanta, one of America’s top 150 companies. He is a longstanding member of NALP/ACLA and past president of the Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association.
“Ken is an astute businessman with an impressive landscape industry background,” says Bill Davoli, COO of The Greenery. “With his expertise and leadership experience, we are confident that he will help lead The Greenery to new heights.”
In addition to his leadership role at The Greenery, Ken and partner Ben Gandy will continue to support and promote the landscape industry as principals of Envisor Consulting.
Grunder Landscaping Co. added Jon Steinbrunner to its team of professional landscape designers.
He has more than 10 years of experience designing, selling and building landscapes and hardscapes. He studied landscape architecture at The Ohio State University. With his robust horticultural knowledge and portfolio of design-build and landscape contracting projects, he will be an asset to Grunder Landscaping’s valued clients and prospects.
Joseph Paul, executive vice president and CFO of The Davey Tree Expert Co., has been named to the Robin Autopilot board of directors.
Paul has more than 30 years of financial experience. He joined Davey Tree as treasurer in 2005 and has been CFO of the company since 2013. Prior to joining Davey Tree, Paul was a corporate controller for AccessPoint Openings, a holding company of distribution and manufacturing companies in the building products industry. He also served in various capacities including director of business expansion and integration at Applied Industrial Technologies, and he was an audit manager with Deloitte & Touche. He is a certified public accountant.
Dauer Manufacturing, a wholesale supplier in the LED lighting industry, hired a new regional sales director, Curtis Butts, as the company continues its expansion throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The move comes on the heels of former Kichler executive, Tom Rowe, joining as national sales director.
Butts joins Dauer as regional sales director, Central Division. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, he will be responsible for distributor exclusive territories in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas and Louisiana. Butts’ low-voltage lighting sales career spans 15 years in aiding customers to add lighting services to their business model and facilitate their growth. He was the lighting champion for a green industry irrigation distributor for nine years. Prior to joining Dauer, he worked four years at Kichler as a factory representative in Texas and Oklahoma.
In addition to the new regional sales director, Dauer hired Debbie Carrabine, who joins as a customer care specialist, after 21 years as manager of customer care in the landscape channel for Kichler. She joins Dauer’s seasoned customer in providing customer support on orders, shipment status, inquiries and responsive customer service. Carrabine will also help direct Dauer’s new distributor and contractor rewards programs.
In recognition of their long-term dedication and significant contributions to the Entomological Society of America (ESA), five entomologists have been selected as Honorary Members of the Society in 2020.
Honorary Membership acknowledges those who have served ESA for at least 20 years through significant involvement in the affairs of the Society that has reached an extraordinary level. Candidates for this honor are selected by the ESA Governing Board and then voted on by the ESA membership.
This year’s honorees will be recognized during ESA’s Virtual Annual Meeting, Entomology 2020, Nov. 11-25.
ESA’s 2020 Honorary Members are:
- May Berenbaum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Mike Ivie, Montana State University
- Michael Merchant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
- Gary R. Mullen, Auburn University
- Lisa G. Neven, USDA-ARS
