Hoffman Nursery announces sales team’s Stormwater Certification

Hoffman Nursery is pleased to announce Stephen Gillis (sales and customer service manager), Jessica Hall (sales and customer service representative), and Sami Nickerson (sales and customer service representative) have obtained their Stormwater SCM Inspection and Maintenance certification from North Carolina State University (N.C. State).

Communities across North Carolina must manage stormwater with Stormwater Control Measures (SCMs) such as wet and dry retention ponds, bioretention areas, swales and stormwater wetlands to slow, filter and direct stormwater runoff. These SCMs must have annual, and sometimes more frequent, inspections and maintenance to perform as intended. This certification provides an understanding of stormwater and its effects on water quality and covers the use, function, regulations, inspections and maintenance of SCMs in North Carolina.

Because many SCMs use vegetation (green infrastructure) that is specified in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Stormwater Design Manual, Hoffman Nursery set a goal for all members of their sales team to earn this certification. They are excited to have met this goal and be able to better assist their customers with plant selections for green infrastructure measures.

“We are committed to investing in our employees and thrilled that our sales team has received this certification,” says David Hoffman, Chief Operating Officer at Hoffman Nursery. “Our core purpose is to promote better living through plants, and we are thankful for our employees’ commitment to making our world a greener place."

Gillis is a biogeographer by training and has a bachelor's degree in geography and an M.S. in environmental science from the University of Idaho. Gillis has worked in sales and customer service his entire career and has been with Hoffman Nursery since 2019. Hall has a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from Clemson University and has worked in the industry for over twenty years. She has experience in growing, research, propagation, production, design and sales. Hall joined Hoffman Nursery in 2018. Nickerson is a graduate of North Carolina State University, also with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture. She’s worked in sales for four years, joining Hoffman Nursery in August 2022.

For more information about N.C. State's stormwater workshops and certifications, visit Workshops & Conferences (ncsu.edu). To see North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Stormwater Design Manual, visit Stormwater Design Manual | NC DEQ.