PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The following are excerpts from Carol MacLeod’s incoming president’s remarks at NENA’s December 2, 2016 annual breakfast meeting held during New England GROWS.
It is an honor to be elected the new president of NENA.
I have always had a lifelong love of plants and nature, and was fortunate to be able to start a second career in horticulture. I went from being a counseling psychologist to starting a landscape design and installation business. My husband, Mike, shared this love of all things horticulture. We moved from Southern Connecticut to Vermont in 2002, and bought Evergreen Gardens. Evergreen is a full service garden center with a landscaping component. We are living the dream!
I joined the NENA Board in 2011. I had just stepped off the VNLA (Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association) Board when Virginia phoned to see if I would consider joining the NENA Board. In the last few years, NENA has worn many hats and has undergone an organizational transition. One enduring theme has been as a founding partner and active participant in New England GROWS. We are fortunate to have Jake Pierson as NENA's representative on the GROWS Board. New England GROWS is a vital part of the fabric of commercial horticulture in New England. It is important that we continue our active support to ensure that this conference remains strong and relevant to our industry.
NENA continues its commitment to supporting our members and the regional horticulture industry by partnering with HRI to fund research. Water is, and will continue to be, an area of importance for
the horticultural industry. In the last two years, funding Dr. Raul Cabrera's irrigation research was an acknowledgment of this important issue. Going forward, we will continue to choose areas that will have a direct impact on our industry now and in the future.
Finally, I’d like to thank my predecessor, Ed Bemis, for his service as president. Ed joined the board in 2009 and served as president for the last two years. He has been instrumental in overseeing and shepherding NENA's transition and continuing partnership with HRI. Under his leadership, NENA awarded two research grants and will soon announce a third. All of this has been accomplished with grace and enthusiasm while running, with his wife Tina, Bemis Family Farms, and being actively involved in his state horticultural association. Thank you Ed!
As we dive deep into 2017, one thing is for sure: change is in the wind and you can count on NENA’s leadership to keep our region informed and relevant.
Carol MacLeod
NENA President
PRESIDENT's MESSAGE
NENA President Carol MacLeod thanks Past President Ed Bemis, MCH for his service and leadership.