Envu Turf and Ornamentals recently appointed Ryan Madden as national account manager for its lawn division. Madden will work alongside longtime trusted partner, Mike Dzurenko, to help lawn care professionals tackle their toughest challenges, according to the company.
“Ryan’s appointment reflects our continued commitment to the lawn industry,” said Stephanie McKay, head of key account management, Turf and Ornamentals, U.S., for Envu. “Together, Mike and Ryan bring four decades of expertise that will undoubtedly help lawn care customers adapt to industry changes with innovative solutions.”
Madden joins Envu after having served in a variety of key positions within the turf and ornamentals business for the last 20-plus years. A native St. Louisan, Madden grew up working at Westwood Country Club before moving on to study at Iowa State University. There, he earned a Bachelor of Science in horticulture, ultimately pursuing a career in turfgrass management. Prior to joining Envu, Madden spent several years as an assistant golf course superintendent, distributor sales representative, general manager and a manufacturers sales representative. His diverse experience serving the turf and ornamental market provided ample opportunity for him to build trusting customer relationships within the industry, according to the company. In addition, Madden spent time conducting his own research on various fertilizers and plant protectants, both new and old.
Ruppert Landscape makes moves with opening of new branch
Ruppert Landscape expanded its landscape maintenance operations with a new branch in Fairfax, Va. This addition strengthens the company’s presence in the state, joining existing branches in Alexandria, Dulles, Fredericksburg, and Gainesville.
“This expansion underscores our dedication to serving the community and meeting the increasing demand for commercial landscaping services in the region,” said Ethan Brown, Northern Virginia region manager. “We’re excited about the opportunities this new branch brings — not only for our company’s growth but also for creating jobs and enhancing the level of service and innovation we provide to our valued customers.”
This new location will be led by Cole Stoy, who has been with Ruppert for eight years and has overseen the Alexandria branch for two years.
This expansion has created an opportunity for Robbie Wallace to step into the role of branch manager for the Alexandria location. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing operations, including planning, budgeting, team development and ensuring exceptional customer service.
Robbie holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and economics from George Mason University and has been with the Ruppert organization for eight years. During that time, he has demonstrated exceptional customer service capabilities and led the team in renewal rates and enhancement sales, according to the company. He has also played a key role in mentoring new area managers, helping them develop the skills needed to succeed.
“Over the past year, Robbie has diligently prepared for this role, leading the team and managing the customer portfolio that remains with the Alexandria branch following the Fairfax expansion,” said Brown. “We are excited about his transition and confident in his ability to continue driving the branch’s success.”
On top of this, Ruppert Landscape also promoted Cate Deane to the position of director of training and people development.
Cate’s professional background spans customer service, project management and sales before joining Ruppert Landscape in 2019. Since then, she has held various roles, including area manager, business developer and training representative for the company’s Laytonsville branch.
“This well-earned advancement recognizes Cate’s outstanding contributions and dedication to the company’s core values,” said Mike Monde, vice president of people and culture. “We are confident that her leadership will continue to inspire growth, innovation and excellence throughout our organization.”
Multiple promotions from Davey Tree
The Davey Tree Expert Company made several key promotions in the past month, starting with the promotion of Scott Hyland to senior vice president of marketing.
“Davey has benefited immensely from Scott’s analytical and team-first approach over the years,” said Pat Covey, chairman, president and CEO of Davey Tree. “As vice president of marketing, Scott excelled at building a cohesive team committed to marketing analysis and the development and implementation of programs to both increase and promote the Davey brand and our services.”
Hyland began his career with Davey in 2003 as a communications specialist on the corporate communications team. In 2008, he was promoted to manager of sales development, then to the newly created position of director of marketing in 2014. In 2022, Hyland was promoted to his most recent position of vice president of marketing. Before joining Davey, Hyland worked in sports marketing and professional athlete representation for multiple firms.
Greg Dykes
Greg Dykes was promoted at Davey Tree to vice president of information technology (IT).
In his new role, Dykes will be responsible for hardware, technical infrastructure and support and software functions of the IT department. He will continue to develop and maintain relationships with internal and external business partners to support current technologies and identify new opportunities in the IT world.
“Greg possesses a unique way of communicating ideas and technical information in consumable ways that everyone can understand,” said Covey. “His innate ability to develop talent, foster team mindsets and lead people will provide the company with the next generation of vision and leadership to support Davey in our current and future goals.”
Dykes joined Davey in 2007 as the manager of technical services. In 2023, he began a three-year term for Davey’s President’s Council, a rotating team of managers who meet semiannually for management development and to share ideas to improve the company.
Kyle Celmer
Davey Tree also promoted Kyle Celmer to vice president of the Davey Business Development Team.
In his new role, Celmer will work to build an effective national sales presence with the direct support of the marketing team. He will continue to lead a strategic business development team focused on cultivating Davey relationships across service lines, contributing significant development to company goals and overall growth, according to the company.
“Throughout his career, Kyle has been a successful problem solver, leveraging a robust Davey IQ and a strategic operational mindset,” Covey said. “His ability to foster a strong culture and galvanize a team around a goal or challenge is exceptional. His unique perspective and leadership qualities will help us build relationships and foster company growth.”
In 2003, Celmer began his Davey career as a golf course superintendent in the Commercial Landscape Services (CLS) service line. In 2012, he transitioned to the residential/commercial (R/C) service line as district manager of Davey’s West Cleveland office. In 2017, the Davey Business Development Team started, and Celmer became a project developer before being promoted in 2021 to operations manager.
Kevin Marks
The most recent Davey Tree promotion saw Kevin Marks become the vice president of Western operations, residential/commercial (R/C) services.
“Kevin has proven himself as an instrumental figure through leading and collaborating with members of our western operating group,” said Jed Day, executive vice president and general manager, U.S. R/C operations. “Throughout his time at Davey, he has used his past experiences in the green industry to cultivate an environment of professionalism and safety, expanding the impact of his capabilities within the organization.”
Marks started his career with Davey as a plant health care technician in 1995 with the acquisition of Wilhelm Tree and Lawn Care in Denver. Since then, Marks has served in a variety of roles in the R/C service line, such as sales and service coordinator at the East Denver office, sales arborist and assistant district manager at the Boulder office, district manager of the North Denver office and market manager of the Colorado and Nebraska markets. His most recent position was operations manager of the Western operating group, which he was promoted to in 2022.
The PHTA’s four new voting members and committee chair
The Pool and Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), the trade association representing the swimming pool, hot tub and spa industry, appointed a new chair and four new voting members to the PHTA Standards Consensus Committee (SCC). The SCC is PHTA’s official consensus voting body, responsible for reviewing and voting on all pool, spa and hot tub standards to be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
The new Chair of the SCC is Bruce Carney, owner of American Pools and Spas in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. He served as SCC’s vice chair for nearly two years and has worked in the pool industry for more than 50 years with experience in pool design, construction, renovation, maintenance and management. He has contributed to many industry publications, including PHTA/ANSI standards and training manuals for PHTA, the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF), the American Red Cross and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
The SCC’s four new voting members are:
Amrit Singh Gill is manager of facility support services, FAM Design Team at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where he operates and maintains more than 160 recreational bodies of water. He helps to develop Walt Disney World’s internal standards and ensures their aquatic facilities are compliant with local regulations. Gill earned a aster of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and is a licensed professional engineer (P.E.) and a certified pool and spa pperator (CPO).
Frank Goldstein is president of Chesapeake Aquatic Consultants, in Chester, Md. He has worked in the aquatics industry for more than 50 years as a lifeguard, aquatic instructor, aquatic director and other key roles. He received the 2015 PHTA Fellow Award for making distinguished contributions that raise the professionalism of the industry. Goldstein earned a B.A. in secondary education from Shepherd College and is a certified pool and spa service professional (CSP).
Jennifer Huang is senior technical regulatory consultant for ApothaQuali Solutions in Ballwin, Mo. Huang has volunteered with the council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC), American Chemical Society (ACS) and PHTA, among other organizations, and has presented at the World Aquatic Health Conference (WAHC) and Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP) Annual Conference. She earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Truman State University.
Ashley Hofferber McKay is aquatics recreation supervisor with the city of Plano in Plano, Texas, where she maintains multiple aquatic facilities. She has been working in the aquatics industry for more than 20 years. McKay is a certified parks and recreation professional, water safety instructor, CPR instructor, lifeguard Instructor and CPO instructor. McKay is treasurer of the North Texas Aquatics Association. She attended Texas Woman’s University.
Deckorators appoint new executive vice president
Landon Tarvin, president of UFP Retail Solutions, named Ryan Kemp as the new executive vice president of Deckorators.
“Ryan Kemp has been an invaluable asset to UFP for more than two decades,” said Tarvin. “His extensive experience in retail, strong leadership skills and stable management style make him the perfect fit to lead the growing Deckorators brand.”
With more than 20 years in the building and lumber industry, Kemp joined UFP in 2001 as an account manager in Windsor, Colorado. He moved to Woodburn, Ore., where he continued his advancement into new roles, including sales manager in 2013, operations manager in 2014, GMO in 2015 and vice president of operations in 2018.
“We’re committed to pushing boundaries with new solutions while strengthening our existing product mix,” Kemp said. “Deckorators is investing $250 million over the next five years in these efforts.”
Kemp recently returned from the NAHB International Builders Show in Las Vegas, where Deckorators featured its new product offerings.
“I am very pleased to accept this new role,” said Kemp. “There’s a lot of momentum behind the Deckorators brand right now. We have something no one else is offering and plan to continue product development, capital improvements and investments.”
WorkWave appoints John Phelan as chief technology officer
WorkWave, a provider of software for service professionals, appointed John Phelan as chief technology officer, responsible for driving forward WorkWave’s focus on vertical functionality, modernization and innovation across its four core verticals — commercial cleaning, security, pest control and the green industry.
“With John’s extensive expertise in technology innovation, we have a tremendous opportunity to strengthen our focus on deepening our vertical functionalities and building out our core platforms and services,” said Kevin Kemmerer, CEO of WorkWave. “Delivering both high-quality and innovative products to our customers is our top priority, and we look forward to John’s leadership supporting our North Star and overall growth goals.”
Phelan has more than 25 years of experience and proven results in product development, cloud operations and IT transformation across high-growth software and technology industries, according to the company.
“I am excited to be joining the WorkWave team, especially during a time where technological innovation is its key priority,” says Phelan. “I look forward to driving this innovation, optimizing operational efficiency and enhancing customer experience through strategic leadership and a strong focus on collaboration.”
Phelan most recently served as executive vice president and chief technology officer at Hyland Software, being part of the leadership team that helped grow the company revenue close to 100-times during his tenure, according to the company. He is currently based in Ohio.
