Ruppert Landscape made three recent promotions, including Eric Long to branch manager of the company’s Laytonsville, Md. landscape maintenance branch, Mark Anderson to branch manager of the company’s Richmond North (Va.) landscape maintenance branch and Kevin Hill to branch manager of the company’s North Florida landscape installation branch.
In these new roles, each of them will oversee all aspects of the branch’s operations, including the safety and development of team members, strategic planning, budgeting, training, customer service and daily operations.
Eric Long
Long holds an associate degree from Raritan Valley Community College and is a Certified Landscape Technician (CLT). Before joining Ruppert, he gained experience in general contracting, focusing on building and renovating homes and businesses. Eric began his career with Ruppert in 2012 as an assistant field manager, and his talent and dedication quickly propelled him through several promotions. In 2018, he was honored with the company’s Branch Impact Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions and dedication. Earlier this year, he was promoted to associate branch manager, where he accelerated his preparation for the branch manager role.
“Eric has truly excelled as associate branch manager, helping to drive the team to new heights,” said Melissa Dunk, region manager. “His versatility, leadership and commitment to excellence will continue to be key drivers of success as he leads the Laytonsville team.”
Mark Anderson
Mark joined Ruppert Landscape in August 2023 as associate branch manager of the Richmond North branch. He brought with him nearly 20 years of industry experience in the Richmond market, having previously worked with two well-established local companies.
“Though Mark has only been with Ruppert for a short time, his extensive experience and leadership have already made a significant impact, helping the team consistently deliver the high level of customer service and quality that our clients expect,” said Dave Sharry, region manager. “I’m excited to see what Mark and his team will accomplish in the years ahead.”
Kevin Hill
Kevin brings more than 30 years of landscaping experience and holds several industry certifications. He joined Tree Amigos in 2008 as a construction foreman and later transitioned to maintenance management, overseeing a premier portfolio. In 2011, he took on leadership of the irrigation team, and by 2012, he advanced to construction manager in the landscape division. When Tree Amigos joined Ruppert in late 2023, Kevin was promoted to associate branch manager, and his continued success led to his promotion to branch manager of North Florida this August.
“Kevin brings an infectious can-do attitude that inspires pride and commitment throughout the team,” said Rob Huether, region manager. “He has an exceptional ability to troubleshoot and fix almost anything and is relentless in mastering new challenges. His dedication and leadership are tremendous assets to our North Florida branch.”
Stacy Lynn Bourgeois joins Neighborly as new chief marketing officer
Neighborly, one of the largest home services companies, appointed of Stacy Lynn Bourgeois as its new chief marketing officer (CMO), effective as of Dec. 2. She will serve as a member of Neighborly’s corporate leadership team and report directly to CEO Mike Davis.
“Stacy Lynn brings a wide array of experience in business and brand strategy, organizational leadership, customer insight, data analytics and marketing technology,” said Davis. “Her expertise and innovative approach to marketing will be instrumental in helping us better connect with our customers, differentiating our brands, making Neighborly and our service brands ridiculously easy to do business with while navigating an increasingly competitive landscape.”
Bourgeois’ mixed background in both franchising and non-franchised business makes her uniquely qualified to deliver for both our customers, end-consumers, and franchise business owners, according to the company.
Bourgeois is a strategic marketer who has driven double-digit growth while compiling a breadth of experiences. Throughout her career, she has launched new physical and digital products as well as a new restaurant concept at Yum! brands, stood up several new teams such as performance marketing and data science, implemented a new marketing technology stack and led Pizza Hut through an agency review and countless creative campaigns.
She joins Neighborly from Amazon, where she broadened her scope from marketing to business more holistically in several high-ranking roles. In her time with Amazon, she enhanced the discoverability of preowned products, increased conversion rates, simplified customer experience, improved operations and owned a multibillion-dollar P&L, according to the company.
“I am thrilled to be joining the incredible team at Neighborly and support our franchise owners,” said Bourgeois. “Customers invite Neighborly and our brands into their homes, which is deeply personal and requires tremendous trust. My goal is to earn this trust by listening to and innovating for customers in a way that builds lasting relationships with our amazing brands.”
Bourgeois will be based in Irving, Texas.
9-year-old social media star joins John Deere
John Deere is partnering with Jackson Laux, a 9-year-old farmer and viral social media sensation known for his love of tractors and farming. Laux will create content for Deere’s social media channels throughout the next year as the company’s new John Deere Chief Tractor Kid, teaching the importance of agriculture alongside chief tractor officer Rex Curtiss.
“Wise beyond his years, Jackson brings a fresh perspective to an industry that has been around since the beginning of time,” said Jennifer Hartmann, global director of strategic public relations and enterprise social media. “Creating content alongside Jackson will help us introduce agriculture to a new generation in fun, unique formats that capture the true day-to-day life of a farmer.”
Laux first went viral on TikTok in November 2023 when his cousin posted a video of him in response to the comment “farm kids are just built different” — and he hasn’t looked back since. Coined as the youngest tractor expert by his followers, Laux has worked on his family’s farm in “good old South Whitley, Windy-ana” since the day he could walk. Laux comes from a family of fifth-generation farmers.
“Farming is really cool, and I want to show other kids my age why they should get into farming too. And show farmers of all ages why they should take the time to teach us younger ones,” Laux said.
Deere’s chief tractor officer, Rex Curtiss, visited Laux’s family farm where Laux taught him how to plow fields, harvest corn and take care of his prized chickens. Laux will continue to inspire the next generation of farmers as Chief Tractor Kid, highlighting the stories of the people who are our source of food and fuel.
Watch the story unfold on TikTok and Instagram by following @JohnDeere.
TenCate Americas hires new vice president of corporate communication
TenCate, a manufacturer, distributor and installer of synthetic turf for sports and outdoor living applications, hired Jessica Flagg as vice president of corporate communication for its Americas operations.
“We are thrilled to add someone with Jessica’s vast communication and leadership experience to our team,” said Joe Fields, president and CEO for TenCate Americas. “Her proven track record of leading both U.S. and global teams in sustainability communications will be invaluable as we continue to expand our sustainability initiatives and achieve our vision of building healthier, more beautiful communities.”
Flagg joins TenCate after 15 years at Eastman, a $9 billion global producer of plastics, fibers and chemicals, where she held several communications positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she was the senior marketing communications manager for plastics and circular economy, where she led a team to reposition the company as a sustainable innovation company after the launch of Eastman’s advanced recycling solutions.
“I am honored to contribute my communication expertise to a dynamic and growing company,” Flagg said. “I look forward to using my skills to help drive the expansion of the company’s reach and enhance its impact, all while supporting its continued success and innovation.”
Flagg graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in communication and holds a Master of Science degree in communication from Radford University.
