Association Awards

ALCC Scholarship Awards

Scholarships awarded each year by ALCC benefit students at Colorado State University (CSU) and Front Range Community College (FRCC). One scholarship is granted in the name of JBK Landscape, another in memory of Todd Williams, and the remaining scholarship funds are given in ALCC’s name.

Emma Smith, sophomore at Colorado State University, majoring in Landscape Design and Contracting with a minor in floriculture, received both the JBK and Todd Williams scholarships. Smith is active in the student organization for landscape or SOLDAC at CSU. She helps to design for a friend’s landscape business. She also works part-time at a Fort Collins nursery. Those who recommend her praise her broad range of skills, desire to learn about the green industry and willingness to share her knowledge.

Erik Howshar is a sophomore at FRCC majoring in horticulture and land

Photo courtesy Travis Yaggie Justin Salisbury and Erik Howshar Colorado State University’s (CSU) horticulture program, Blomquist is one of DBG’s shining stars. She currently cares for the All-America Selections Garden and the Perennial Garden She also serves on the Trial Garden Committee for CSU and is an enthusiastic supporter of local growers and plant producers. Every project she works on and each organization she collaborates with is better because of the integrity she brings. scape technologies. Howshar participates as a community garden member and works at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Those who recommend him note his class participation, positive attitude and passion for the green industry.

Justin Salisbury is a sophomore at FRCC, majoring in horticulture and landscape technologies with a specialization in landscape design. Salisbury is a two-time ALCC scholarship recipient. He plans to operate a landscape design/build company in the future with his business partner, fellow scholarship recipient, Erik Howshar. Those who recommend Salisbury praised his maturity and professionalism.

Morgan Wolfe is a freshman at FRCC, majoring in horticulture and landscape technologies. She has volunteered in many Denver area green initiatives, including Denver Digs Trees and The Parks People, which spurred a career change from the restaurant industry to the green industry. Those who recommend her note her thoughtful insights and questions as they relate to coursework and strong management skills.

Brandon Todd Sandoval is a sophomore at FRCC, majoring in horticulture business management. He comes to the green industry after being a partner in a security company. At FRCC, he has made the president’s list and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success. One educator who recommended him was inspired by the fact that Sandoval “sees this industry as much more than a

CNGA Awards Blomquist named CNGA Person of the Year

Bridget Blomquist, Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG), was named CNGA’s 2018 Person of the Year. A graduate of

at DBG.

career. He sees work in the horticulture industry as a calling.”

Photo courtesy CNGA

CNGA 2018 Horizon Awards

Six honored with CNGA Horizon Awards

The Horizon Award acknowledges individuals who have been in the industry less than five years, exhibit the qualities and high standards exemplifying Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association (CNGA), and during that time have made a significant contribution to a CNGA firm. Six people received awards in 2018.

Photos courtesy Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association Daniel Corse

Mike Schleining D aniel Corse is the perennial department manager, Echter’s Nursery & Garden Center, Arvada. A self-starter, Corse has earned the respect of fellow workers by creating an efficient and customer friendly operation. He is an enthusiastic gardener and continues to self-educate himself in all aspects of horticulture.

Photo courtesy Eli Herrera Julie Echter

Mike Schleining, sales and marketing manager, Arbor Valley Nursery, Brighton, has an exceptional attitude and solid leadership skills. He has stepped into numerous roles within the company, community and industry, with a talent for helping, teaching and leading those around him. He is the company’s youngest person ever to become a Colorado Certified Nursery Professional. Schleining’s knowledge and willingness to help have earned him the respect of teammates throughout the company. lins Nursery. In 2017 she curated and edited the entire plant catalog to integrate with The Perfect Plant database, working independently, accurately and efficiently. In 2018, she quickly learned a variety of retail skills that make her a more versatile employee, earning year-round work in a position that is traditionally seasonal. Her personality, aptitude, care for coworkers and customers, and powerful work ethic make her a valuable asset for the nursery.

Brian Steele a third generation family member, Julie Echter has been As around the business—Echter’s Nursery & Garden Center—all her life. In charge of the hard goods department, she brings great energy and a fresh look to displays throughout the store, including a new look in signage and website development. She excels at fostering customer relationships and recently created a public relations win for Echter’s by organizing a tree giveaway on Christmas Eve and managing TV coverage with three local stations. B rian Steele, potting team manager at Britton Nursery, Colorado Springs, leads the potting crew, soil mixing operations, tractor operations, special projects, facilities, equipment maintenance and repair and training new team members. He is a gifted leader and brings an atmosphere of camaraderie and fun everywhere he goes. He is a go-getter and willing to learn anything that is thrown at him. Brian is a mover and shaker and brings a special level of energy to all aspects of

Melissa Streitmatter

elissa Streitmatter excels as a member of the production crew at Fort ColM his job.

Kevin Williams K evin Williams, horticulturist with the Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG), has taken on several high profile projects including: installation of the Steppe Garden, renovation of the lilac collection, expansion of the dwarf and unusual conifer collection (including learning to graft conifers), and replanting of a naturalistic prairie along Josephine Street. Williams has spearheaded multiple native plant collection trips. He also heads up DBG’s intern program.

CNGA Awards Two receive Exemplary Service Awards

CNGA awarded two Exemplary Service Awards for 2018. The award recognizes an individual in the industry and employed by a CNGA member firm. The individual exhibits the qualities and high standards exemplifying CNGA, has made a significant contribution to a CNGA firm and represents the best of the industry.

John Navant, Water World in Federal Heights, has worked in the horticulture industry since high school in numerous roles including assistant nursery manager, nursery manager, head horticulturist, committee work, instructor, test proctor, tour guide and volunteer. He has written articles for the Denver Post, and for CNGA’s website and member magazine. Currently, as head horticulturist, he guided Water World’s registration with the Rocky Mountain Audubon Society as a Gold Habitat Hero Site.

John Navant

Bobbi Sexton, propagation manager at Harding Nursery, Colorado Springs, puts full effort into the tasks at hand and is always willing to help anyone any way she can. Currently, she is propagating plants for Plant Select program as well as for Harding Nursery, and has designed and constructed a geothermal heating system for her propagation greenhouse. Sexton enjoys educating her staff and encouraging them to learn more. She has been in horticulture since 1980 and has been a Colorado Certified Nursery Professional for over 20 years.

Bobbi Sexton

Tonning receives Special Recognition Award

Photos courtesy Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association Tracey Tonning

ear after year, Tracey Tonning, Alameda Nursery has donated countless hours and time making donations Y for the Colorado Horticulture Research &

Education Foundation Silent Auction at the annual Industry Celebration. For more than ten years, Tonning has provided home-baked chocolate chip cookies that have become one of the most sought after and most competitive bid items. Over the years, her donations have raised more than $4,600.

Legislator of the Year Kraft-Tharp is GreenCO Legislator of the Year

Photo courtesy ALCC Representative Kraft-Tharp and Jay Hicks

Representative Tracy Kraft-Tharp was recognized as the 2018 Legislator of the Year by Green Industries of Colorado (GreenCO). Kraft-Tharp sponsored the sales tax legislation bill to simplify the system in Colorado. Lawn Care Professionals (CALCP). The award recognizes an individual who has provided outstanding service to the industry.

After moving from Wisconsin to Colorado in the mid-eighties, Walker worked at a disease clinic, an experiment station in Lamar and now serves as the Extension Specialist in Pesticide Safety Education at CSU Fort Collins campus.

Walker’s involvement on the CALCP board began in 2010 and continues today. She can always be counted on to deliver a timely CEC (continuing education credit) talk on a variety of subjects. Her knowledge and experience on many aspects of ornamental and agricultural pesticide practices make her a valued CALCP member.

Through Walker’s efforts on behalf of pollinator safety, Drift Watch and applicator safety techniques, the industry has been made better. Though this bill was signed into law, she continues to work on legislation in the 2019 session to make it more streamlined to operate in the state of Colorado, as it relates to tax collection and remittance. She also was a supporter of additional GreenCO priority bills for 2018. These included, the Colorado Nursery Act, the Snow Removal Liability Bill and Worker Compensation reform legislation.

Those who work with her find Representative Kraft-Tharp is open and receptive to GreenCO policy issues and works with GreenCO’s lobbying team to pass or help to amend impactful

CALCP Award Walker honored with Golden Gun award

hia Walker, Colorado State University Extension, received the 2019 Golden Gun Award from Colorado Arborists and T

bills to better focus on the business’s needs.

Photo courtesy CALCP L-R: Emilie Hudson, Chris Walton, Chris Martin, Thia Walker, Dan Defibaugh, Will LaPoint, Rick Roehm, Wade Grove and Luis Estrada

2018 ASLA Colorado/Wyoming Design Awards

Photo courtesy Architerra Group Discovery Park, Parker, Architerra Group American Society of Landscape Architects, Colorado Chapter, announced recipients of the 2018

Colorado/Wyoming awards at the Annual Design Awards Event. Entries are judged by a jury of noted design professionals from another state’s ASLA chapter. The awards showcase projects demonstrating careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design for our cultural and natural environment. Projects receiving awards will be featured on the ASLA Colorado website throughout the year in 2019.

Design over $500,000 Construction Budget

Honor Awards Merit Awards

Design Workshop for A Community Grove: Civitas for Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum,

Joplin Library, Joplin, Missouri Raleigh, North Carolina Design Workshop for A New Denver Icon: Civitas for Charles Schwab Regional Campus, 1144 Fifteenth Street, Denver, Colorado Lone Tree, Colorado Architerra Group for Discovery Park, Parker, Civitas for Julian B Lane Park, Tampa, Florida

Colorado Design Workshop for Festival Park, Castle Rock, CO Design Concepts for Inspirational Playground, Norris Design for Midtown Amenity Center,

Bellevue, Washington Adams County, Colorado DHM for Ouray Hot Springs, Ouray, Colorado DHM for Ridgeway Streetscape, Ridgeway, Colorado Wenk for Shoemaker Plaza, Denver, Colorado Matrix Design Group for USAFA Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Design under $500,000 Construction Budget

Merit Awards

Didier Design Studio for Sensory Garden, Denver, Colorado Dig Studio for The Square on 21st, Denver, Colorado Civitas for Valentia Promenade, Denver, Colorado

Planning & Analysis

Excellence Award

Dig Studio for Heron Pond Master Plan, Denver, Colorado

Research & Communications

Merit Awards

Design Workshop for Codify Design Workshop for Planning Advisory Service Report

Residential Design Over $100,000

Honor Award and Land Stewardship Designation

Design Workshop for Charlie Mountain Ranch, Old Snowmass, Colorado

Landmark Design

Landmark Award

Civitas for Commons Park, Denver, Colorado

Rotating Category: Urban Green Infrastructure

Honor Award Merit Award

Stream LA for The River Storm North Outfall, Norris Design for Panama Grand Park, Panama

Denver, Colorado City, Panama

Photo courtesy ProGreen EXPO Kerry Poppe

GCC Award

Gardner takes first in GCC potting competition

Bolstered by its popularity in 2018, Garden Centers of Colorado (GCC) hosted its second annual Potting Challenge during ProGreen EXPO. In this fast-paced competition, trade show attendees show off their design skills creating beautiful and practical containers. Judges looked for creativity, aesthetics and adherence to the theme.

For 2019, participants in each round were given a decade that should be reflected in the container garden’s design. Competition host Kerry Poppe, Creek Side Gardens, Littleton, wore a costume from the time period; qualifying rounds featured the 1920s, 1950s, and 1980s.

This year’s winner was Graham Gardner, Denver Parks and Recreation. A runner-up in the inaugural competition, Gardner returned in 2019 with the experience and enthusiasm to take home the top prize.

Scott Behnke, lawnCARE solutions, LLC, Littleton, placed second in the competition and Hailey Parsons, The Tree Farm Nursery & Garden Center, Longmont placed third.

ISA-RMC Awards

Klett receives Gene Eyerly Award

James Klett, Ph.D. received the 2018 Gene Eyerly Award from the International Society of Arboriculture, Rocky Mountain Chapter (ISA-RMC) for his years of extraordinary dedication to the tree industry.

Since joining Colorado State University (CSU) faculty in 1980, Klett has been deeply involved with Rocky Mountain area horticulture and has shared his knowledge and love of plants with students, green industry professionals and consumers. He works with trade associations throughout the green industry, coordinates training and ensures that top speakers and topics are selected at conferences throughout the state.

At CSU, Klett assisted in resurrecting the urban and community forestry course. He also butions to practical arboriculture within the Rocky Mountain Chapter, which includes arborists from Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming.

O’Meara’s dedication to safety and camaraderie in the industry are exemplified by the way he reintroduced a fellow arborist to tree work when the person left the job after witnessing a fatal job-related accident. O’Meara worked closely with the man for several months while he regained his confidence and began healing from the emotional trauma. O’Meara has since introduced the man to a band of arboricultural professionals who also partner with the arborist, who has been able to consistently and safely work again. established the Plant Environmental Research Center (PERC), and the annual and perennial trials gardens on the CSU campus—public gardens allowing in-person visitation. He also contributes his expertise as horticulture advisor for the Colorado Garden & Home Show.

Klett has served as ISA-RMC president, state director, advisor to the regional plant appraisal committee and education committee. Internationally, he served as the chapter representative to the international board and on the Arboriculture Research and Education Academy.

He continues to spread his horticulture passion and expertise as a steadfast contribu

James Klett, Ph.D.

O’Meara received Arborist of the Year Award

atrick O’Meara, High Country Land- scape, Ltd., received ISA-RMC’s Arborist of the Year Award for contriP

tor to many industry publications.

Also notable are O’Meara’s contributions to promoting the profession more publicly. Dressed in full climbing gear, he gives presentations in local schools and appears on local TV news shows, sharing his passion for arboriculture, and the importance of using proper safety gear and hiring certified arborists. He has also sponsored events including a Boy Scout recreational climb and the RMC Tree Climbing Competition, volunteered at Saluting Branches local events and has donated arborist time to raise funds for schools and nonprofit organizations.

He is passionate about engaging young people and showing them the potential of an arborist career. Those who know O’Meara can’t miss his tremendous love and passion for his work.

Patrick O’Meara with Sara Davis, past president; Natalie McNeill, president, and Teddy Hildebrandt, president-elect.

ISA-RMC Gold Leaf Awards City of Arvada City of Lone Tree

Nicole Plese, ISA-RMC executive director, presents Gold Leaf Arbor Day award to Ian McDonald, City of Arvada. eck Elementary and the Arvada Parks Department celebrated their 32nd consecutive Arbor Day tree planting event in 2018. Each year, 5th and 6th graders from Peck come together with city Parks P employees to plant trees throughout Arvada. Two to three weeks before Arbor Day, forestry staff visit the school to provide information about the trees, and the students make informational posters which they bring to the Arbor Day celebration. 2018 was also the 27th year that Arvada has been named as a Tree City USA.

In Montana, ISA-RMC and Association of Montana Turf, Ornamental and Pest Professionals (AMTOPP) co-hosted a Day of Remembrance teers planted 11 new trees, removed four old trees, fertilized grass and trees and pruned branches to make mowing easier. They also completed a tree inventory, which identified the need to diversify the cemetery tree population, and conducted a partial irrigation audit. Twenty-four people from around the state participated in the event.

In Colorado, 106 volunteers planted 60 trees and shrubs, removed a few trees and delivered roughly 2,000 gallons of fertilizer at Fort Logan Cemetery in Denver. This was Fort Logan’s third Saluting Branches event.

A new, second site for Colorado is the Veteran Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado in Grand Junction, where 40 volunteers planted 60 trees and removed more than 50 small, dying trees.

Olivia Montoya accepts the Gold Leaf Arbor Day award from Sara Davis on behalf of the City of Lone Tree. he City of Lone Tree was recognized for the 11th time as a Tree City USA community by having an Arbor Day observance and proclamation as well as a tree board, a tree care ordinance T and a comprehensive community forestry program. The Arbor Day

ISA-RMC Award

Saluting Branches S aluting Branches completed its fourth annual day of service during 2018, at 53 veteran cemeteries across the United States, with approximately 3,000 volunteers.

at the Eastern Montana State Veteran’s Cemetery in Miles City. Volun

celebrations offered a variety of free activities for residents.