ONLA names new executive director

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association has named Kevin Thompson as executive director effective May 3. The announcement comes after an extensive search process that began last autumn. 

 

Thompson brings with him more than ten years of association management experience, having served most recently as executive director of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation and the Ohio Lawn Care Association.  

 

“We are extremely pleased to have Kevin join our association. Kevin has an impressive background including a critical knowledge of member-based organizations, trade show development skills, volunteer and staff leadership abilities, and demonstrated fiduciary expertise,” says ONLA President Dick Posey, Buckeye Resources, South Charleston, Ohio. 

 

“I'm very excited to join the ONLA team. With the support of the ONLA board, staff team, committee volunteers and members, ONLA continues to lead nursery and landscape associations in the nation. I believe that my professional experiences, coupled with my knowledge of Ohio green industry opportunities and challenges, will help me continue the rich tradition of success,” Thompson says. 

 

Thompson is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, serves on the board of the Ohio Pesticide Applicators for Responsible Regulation (OPARR), and holds membership in several professional association management societies.

 

“I'd like to honor the commitment of our search committee, chaired by Andy Harding, Herman Losely & Son Nursery, Perry, Ohio,” Posey says. “They, with the assistance of 2009 ONLA President Andy Doesburg, Thornton Landscapes, Maineville, Ohio, and the ONLA Board, did an phenomenal job. We are confident the addition of Kevin will strengthen the association and its programs and services.”

 

ONLA, with more than 1,300 members, comprises nursery stock growers, garden center operators, landscape contractors, landscape design and grounds maintenance firms, arborists, students enrolled in horticulture programs in the state and allied suppliers.