NEWS FROM KNLA
EXCITING CHANGES for our KNLA Board!
Tammy Carey Passing the Baton to a New Executive Director
Goodbye to Board Member, Patrick Carey
I prefer to say “See You Later” as opposed to “Goodbye”! As a married, busy mom of two teenagers, it has been quite a job to handle the many responsibilities that I’ve had over the past two years. I loved getting to spend lots of time with our members and developing new relationships, as well as strengthening existing ones. I knew this would be a tough transition, but I didn’t quite expect the volume of ideas and execution necessary to drive a ship of this size with the type of passion that we have in the nursery industry. There are good things to come, so please help me in welcoming Melanie Fransen to the team as the new Executive Director!
Patrick has been on the KNLA Board many different times over his career at Riverfarm Nursery. He has been a valued member of the team, always provides good ideas, and never fails to follow through with his plans of action. He is very well connected to many areas of horticulture and has been a huge success in procuring sponsorships, speaker ideas, determining venue choices, and is in all things dependable. We will miss Patrick as he gets back to work to focus on the nursery and his family.
Introducing Melanie Fransen
We are so excited to welcome Roscoe Klausing to our team! Roscoe owns Klausing Group, a commercial landscape and grounds management company in Lexington and Louisville. In addition to his work at Klausing, Roscoe has been very involved in the NALP (National Association of Landscape Professionals), which is an organization that supports the education and welfare of horticulture professionals across the country. In addition, Roscoe has been the face of the KNLA at meetings with the Kentucky Fatality Task force; a Labor Cabinet division that focuses on Fatalities in the different industries in Kentucky. Through his work with the NALP and this task force, we will provide educational opportunities and training to our members to hopefully lessen the number of work-related deaths in the horticulture industry and encourage growth in learning.
Melanie Fransen is the new Executive Director as of early October. Melanie is the Logistics Manager/Assistant to a family from Florida, with a focus on accounts receivable/ payable, managing horses, staff, vendors, travel arrangements, business meetings and a variety of other duties. For the past 14 years, she has done extensive event planning for small to large events, worked for non-profit, membership-based organizations and served on numerous volunteer committees. Melanie is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a BA in Agricultural Communications. In her free time, Melanie enjoys riding and competing her double registered paint and quarter horses. In the coming months, Melanie will be working with the Board to develop new membership initiatives and plans for the Winter Showcase and Summer Outing. Please do not hesitate to contact her at melanie@knla.org if you have any questions or suggestions.
NURS ERY VIEWS • WINTE R 2019
New President — Jeff Wallitsch Jeff Wallitsch has been a well known and loved member of our Board of Directors for many years. The last two years, Jeff has served as KNLA Vice President. You know him best for his work at the KNLA check-in for any of our events or you may have interacted with him while assisting customers at Wallitsch Nursery and Garden Center. Jeff has been a “behind the scenes” awesome contributor to the KNLA and has taken the lead on many of our new projects. Have you taken the time to check out the new website? Jeff has been working diligently to get it transferred to something more user friendly, easier to update, and with the ability to work in direct conjunction with our membership and events software. Take a look if you haven’t already at www.knla.org. We are looking forward to a great two years with Jeff at the reins!
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Welcome New Board Member, Roscoe Klausing
Welcome New Board Member, Jacob Stidham We are very excited to welcome Jacob to the Board! Jacob is the Nursery Manager at the historical Yew Dell Gardens. Jacob is interested in all things horticulture and has been very involved in our Board since he began over the past year. Jacob is championing the idea to hold silent plant auctions at our events! Please contact Jacob at jacobs@yewdellgardens.org if you would like to donate or offer support of any kind.
Thank you, Kim Fritz We would like to thank Kim Fritz for her long-term commitment to the KNLA. She was with the team as President through a rough transition and helped pull the Association back to what it once was. The past two years, Kim has been a helpful Past President and also served as our Treasurer, taking care of filing taxes, paying bills, and with all things financial. We will miss Kim as she gets back to running her business, Village Green Wholesale Nursery, in Springfield, KY.
