TAKING THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED TO BECOME CNLA PRESIDENT

BY STUART SERVICE

Prior to and during his time with the CNLA, Bill was education chair at the BCLNA, where he “took certification under my wing.” He noted that the biggest impact of his tenure was copying Landscape Ontario’s education program. Although not as big as LO’s program, Bill’s west coast imitation consistently drew an annual attendance of about 600 people and created a stable revenue source for the provincial association. “Education has probably always been at the top of my list for things that I want to accomplish,” he said. “I was on the BCLNA board for over 20 years as well, and I often refused to step up into other positions – like executive positions or whatever. My passion was with the education side, and I didn’t want to lose my portfolio in education.”

Bill Hardy, CLHM wv- CNLA President

BILL HARDY TRAVELED A UNIQUE PATH through the CNLA over more than two decades to become the association’s newest president. His introduction to the CNLA occurred soon after building the first searchable plant database in North America. Bill and a colleague created what was like the earliest stages of a website before the Internet, building for the British Columbia Landscape & Nursery Association (BCLNA) a Buyers’ Guide Directory on a Bulletin Board Service accessible via dial-up modem.

At the time, Bill attended CNLA meetings as a guest while he was tasked with re-purposing the database for Canadanursery.com, which was the association’s first foray onto the web. At the same time, Bill was working to launch the Landscape Certification Program nationwide. Due to being a regular at the CNLA with ongoing projects and frequent presentations, an IT position was created for him on the board.

Growers

Jamie Aalbers, Growers Sector Specialist jamie@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

A policy at CNLA, which only allows seats on the executive board to be occupied by business owners, “Always annoyed me,” Bill said with a laugh. “I always felt I contributed in a huge way, and I was able to do that because I had the support of the employers that I was working for.”

Garden Centres

Anne

Kadwell, Landscape & Retail Sector Specialist anne@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

Climate Change

Frydda

Sandoval, Environmental Policy Coordinator frydda@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

When the International Garden Centre Association toured British Columbia in 2008, Bill and his wife Renata Triveri were captivated upon the IGCA’s visit to Trice Farms Pond & Garden in Maple Ridge, BC. Bill and Renata told the owner to give them a call if they ever considered selling the business. That call happened a few years later in 2011, and on January 1 of 2012, Bill and Renata were now owners of Grow & Gather (Trice Farms Ltd.). This new business venture opened the door for Bill to join the executive committee and, as of February 7, to become President of the CNLA.

Government

Leslie

Sison, Industry & Government Specialist leslie@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

Certification

Edith

Oyosoro, Certification Coordinator edith@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

“I’ve been involved with the association for so long that being CNLA President is business as usual,” he said. “If I had to pick a theme, for the first year that would be: ‘Stop, reflect and focus.’ Let’s look at what we need to prioritize and focus on that. The second year theme would be: ‘Stop, reflect and finish.’ I want to help things along and wrap up some of our longstanding projects.”

Communications

Stuart

Service, Media Coordinator stuart@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca