PPA and Halleck Horticultural award 11 scholarships

HILLIARD, Ohio –The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) identifies 11 dynamic young professionals as winners of the Halleck Horticultural Young Professional Scholarship Program.

PPA recognizes the desire of those starting their careers to engage with the industry, but also the expense of professional memberships. Therefore, PPA has created a new, lower-cost young professional membership category for professionals 30 years and younger. The membership includes full benefits for only $50 per year. Helping to spread awareness for PPA’s new membership category, Leslie Halleck of Halleck Horticultural and Southern Regional Director for the PPA, generously sponsored 11 full-year memberships for young professionals.

PPA has identified a group of talented young professionals you’ll want to watch. Each young professional winner exhibits a desire to enhance not only their own career, but also the future of the perennial and green industry.

Recipients of the 2015 PPA Young Professional Scholarship, sponsored by Halleck Horticultural, are as follows:

Evan Bean, Castle Rock, Washington
Mason Day, GrowIt!/Ball Hort, Saint Charles, Illinois
Dean Dietrich, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Henrico, Virginia
Zach Hammaker, ZH Design, LLC, Media, Pennsylvania
Jared Hughes, Foertmeyer & Sons Greenhouse/Groovy Plants Ranch
Amy Irions, Hoerr Nursery, Peoria, Illinois
Jessi Knickerbocker, Loma Vista Nursery, Louisburg, Kansas
Abbey Lueth, City of Overland Park, Olathe, Kansas
Amber VanDyken, Visser Greenhouses Inc., Ithaca, New York
Greg Ward, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri
Kelly Willett, Kelly Willett Landscape, Eagle River, Arkansas

Although the scholarship opportunity has concluded, the PPA continues to offer the new membership rate for young professionals. Halleck noted the benefits of a young professional joining PPA.

"The top three reasons a young professional would want to join PPA are access to information, professional development and career networking opportunities. The PPA journal and newsletters offered to members are a great resource for information on new perennial plants, design, growing techniques and other valuable industry information. The annual PPA Symposium draws excellent speakers and offers up a cornucopia of continuing education opportunities," she says. "The PPA includes an incredible group of people from which to network and learn; that also means if you're young and looking for career opportunities, you'll have access to established industry professionals that you may not otherwise ever meet. Plus, they're fun!"