People and Events

New Positions
Les Evans to technical representative for commercial sales, Dramm Corp., Manitowoc, Wis.
 
Phil Pursel to territory manager for central California from Sacramento south; Sean Sheridan to territory manager for northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado and Utah, Dave Wilson Nursery, Hickman, Calif. 
 
Dean Douglas to president, Pump Solutions Group, Redlands, Calif.
 
Ron James to national sales manager, PARsource, Petaluma, Calif. 
 
Pete Benson to midwest region sales director; Steve Sturm to southeast region sales director, Van Wingerden Greenhouse Company, Mills River, N.C.
 
Chang Gue (C.G.) Kim to executive vice president, Daedong Industrial Company, Daegu, South Korea.
 
Rob Kozimor to sales representative for Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, Scarff’s Nursery of Ohio, New Carlisle, Ohio.
 
John Friel to marketing manager, Emerald Coast Growers, Pensacola, Fla.

Associations
Michael V. Geary to CEO, OFA, Columbus, Ohio.
 
Sabeena Hickman to CEO, Professional Landcape Network (PLANET), Herndon, Va.

Honors
Thomas Dudek, Michigan State University Extension, has earned the Extension’s highest level of professional recognition. The Step III level program honors those who demonstrate excellence in leadership, growth, development, outreach, meaningful community impact and more.
 
Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals has teamed up with GreenCare for Troops, a nationwide outreach program that connects local landscape professionals with men and women serving our country in the armed forces away from home.
 
Nelson Irrigation Corp., Walla Walla, Wash., received the new product award for agriculture for its R33 Rotator Sprinkler from the Irrigation Association.
 
Flower Carpet Amber, Tesselaar Plants, Lawndale, Calif., has been designated an All Deutschland Rose winner.
 
Innovative Fluid Handling Group (IFH), Rock Falls, Ill., has been certified to the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system.
 
Rudbeckia x hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’ and Begonia x tuberhybrida ‘Scentsation’ F1 hybrid from Thompson & Morgan, United Kingdom; Organic Prairie Blush Potato from Wood Prairie Farm, Bridgewater, Maine; Bonbini Lily from Dutch Gardens, Holland; Brugmansia ‘Angel’s Summer Dream’ PPAF from Logee’s, Danielson, Conn., and Honey Bear Winter Squash from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Winslow, Maine, have won 2009 Mailorder Gardening Association Green Thumb Awards.
 
Schubert Nurseries, Salinas, Calif., received the 2009 Award of Distinction from ECGC Distributors.
 
Richard Parker, Parker Interior Plantscape, Scotch Plains, N.J.; Tom Acklin, Autograph Foliages, Cleveland, Ohio and Todd Bachman, Bachman’s, Minneapolis, were inducted into the Interior Plantscape Hall of Fame.

Business changes
Monrovia, Santa Monica, Calif., has launched a new website at www.monrovia.com.

Deaths
Tom van Wingerden, 63, Metrolina Greenhouses, Huntersville, N.C., died Dec. 19, 2009. He was founder of Metrolina Greenhouses.
 
David P. Murbach, 57, Rockefeller Center, New York, died Dec. 23, 2009. The horticulturist was responsible for selecting the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for the past 26 years. He was the manager of the Center’s garden division.
 
Robert C. Miller, 55, Minuteman International/ACHLA Designs, Fitchburg, Mass., died Dec. 29, 2009. Miller was president of ACHLA Designs for the past 15 years.