People & Events

People

Valent U.S.A. Corp. announced that Eric Johnson has been named the company’s new vice president of technology. Johnson, who has led a wide range of business and technology initiatives during a three-decade career in global agriculture, will oversee all research and development functions, as well as all regulatory activities, for Valent. Johnson will be based in the company’s headquarters in Walnut Creek, Calif.

Better Homes and Gardens digital content manager and garden editor Justin Hancock is joining the team at Costa Farms. Hancock is filling a newly created position as consumer marketing and digital specialist. With more than 10 years at Better Homes and Gardens both on the print and digital sides, Hancock has written thousands of garden articles and blog posts, hosted a ‘Garden Doctor’ question-and-answer column and has been a garden expert on the Today Show.

Philips hired Abhay Thosar as a plant specialist for horticultural LED lighting. He will be focused on plant physiology and assume responsibility for the development of new light recipes. Thosar has a Ph.D. in plant physiology and is a certified professional agrolist from Ontario Institute of Agrologists.

Master Nursery Garden Centers hired Gerald Docksteader (Gerry) as its vice president of operations. His responsibilities will focus on vendor and member relations for Master Nursery’s network of more than 600 independent garden centers.

Dow AgroSciences recently named Tom Linnen to the position of portfolio marketing leader for the U.S. Turf & Ornamental (T&O) business division. Linnen will manage the portfolio strategies for all herbicides, insecticides and fungicides in the T&O segment. He also will oversee the account management team and work closely with distributors and formulators to develop new opportunities and technologies for the market. Jan Castanza, has accepted a position as sales representative in Western Florida at Dow AgroSciences. She replaces Maureen Clark, who has relocated to Indianapolis to work on the Crop Protection and Urban Pest Management businesses. Castanza has been with the company since 1973.

Senninger Irrigation has hired Nicole Alvarez, who joins the company as the technical writer/social media coordinator in the Clermont, Fla., office.

Company News

Netafim, an industry pioneer in dripline and micro-irrigation technology for agriculture and landscape, has been named the 2013 Stockholm Industry Water Award laureate. The commendation will be presented at a World Water Week ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 3.

Events

JULY

13-16, OFA Short Course,
Columbus, Ohio

21-27, Perennial Plant Symposium,
Vancouver, B.C. Canada;
www.perennialplant.org.

29-Aug 9 Michigan Garden Plant Tour,
Lower Michigan

31-Aug. 1, PANTS,
Philadelphia, Pa.

AUGUST

5-7, SNA,
Georgia International Convention Center,
College Park, Ga.;
www.sna.org.

6, MSU Plant Trial Field Day,
MSU campus,
East Lansing, Mich.

8, Wisconsin Nursery Association’s Summer Field Day & Trade Show,
Dheinsville Park,
Germantown, Wis.;
www.wgif.net.

8-9, VNLA Field Day and Summer Tour,
Brent & Becky’s Bulbs,
Gloucester, Virginia;
www.vnla.org.

12-14 AAS Summer Summit,
Ontario, Canada

15-17, Nursery & Landscape Expo,
Dallas Convention Center,
Dallas, Texas;
www.nurserylandscapeexpo.org.

22-24, Farwest Show,
Oregon Convention Center,
Portland, Ore.;
www.farwestshow.com.