Virginia Certified Horticulturalist Program Update

Greetings to all Virginia Certified Horticulturists (VCH) and aspiring VCHs. My name is Neal Beasley and I am a licensed Landscape Architect at the Timmons Group where I have been practicing for over 13 years. Many of you may recall my previous employment while I was with Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA. I was either a Horticulturist or the Manager of Horticulture for 12 years as we effectively built the Gardens that you see there today. At Lewis Ginter, education was one of its primary missions. Now, as a Landscape Architect, I see the need for more opportunities to learn and expand our understanding of the natural world we all share. Becoming certified and maintaining your certification is an extraordinary way to stay in touch with trends. It also offers opportunities to learn about the most recent horticultural research and network with the professionals of our field while making yourself known to others.

Recently, I volunteered my time to serve on the VNLA’s Board of Directors and have been asked to Chair the VNLA’s Certification Program and Committee. Over the past several months, I have talked with members of the Certification Committee about the future of the program and shared ideas related to its progress and a more effective system of testing and re-certification. I was pleased to learn that the Certification Committee has already been actively pursuing several of these ideas and initiatives. The improvement process will take time. Please know that we are making progress and eager to keep the ball rolling so that we can better reach more and more people in our industry.

The Certification Committee has been working diligently to upgrade the VCH program in ways to modernize and bring it in line with comparable certification operations. One such noticeable advancement is the transition away from a paper administered exam to a computer-based exam. Utilizing ClassMarker, an online platform, we transitioned the VCH exam and proctored this year’s exams using the ClassMarker system. For those of you that have been in the weeds of starting your own company, establishing a new policy or procedure, or even introducing a new menu item to kids at the dinner table, you understand that we need to be patient and understanding as it may take some time to embrace change. There may be wrinkles that will have to be ironed out. As we administer the test in this fashion, we will assess and continue to implement improvements. I hope that all candidates experience an enhancement in the administration of the program and appreciate the technology relationship. Moving forward in this direction, we feel we can grow the program making it more accessible to more of you.

Have you seen the revised form for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) reporting? One of my personal goals is to make sure everyone understands the system and parameters of earning CEU credits. The CEU reporting form has been revised to more clearly show expectations. Don’t forget that 30 CEUs are required for re-certification within three-year period of a VCH credential. Each CEU must be affiliated with a learning experience, either as a student or an instructor/ presenter. If your organization hosts a seminar, lecture, symposium, etc. on the topic of horticulture (landscape, nursery, horticulture therapy, etc.) please send your program information to the VNLA office and/or myself. The program information will be reviewed. Prior to the event, we will let you know how many CEUs we will honor and attendees can earn. You can then share that information with any participating VCHs so they understand the CEU opportunities. I recommend that you download the CEU reporting form and save it to your computer, keeping it handy so that you can fill it in as you participate in learning events. It’s a fillable PDF so you can continue to populate it as you go. Looking ahead, the Certification Committee will explore alternative ways of reporting to include online processes. I understand this is a critical need and our goal is to improve the retention numbers of the VCH program. Personally, I know keeping up with CEU’s can be demanding. We will do everything we can to make VCH CEU reporting more efficient and user-friendly.

I give personal thanks to the committee’s efforts to date, specifically with the transition to ClassMarker, and we all look forward to more great things to come. Jeff Howe, Laurie Fox, Seana Ankers, Dave Seward and Shellie Archer are driven individuals that understand the importance of education, accomplishment and establishing and implementing continuously improved processes. To become certified should be a goal of every landscaper, grower, retailer, designer, caretaker, owner, teacher, therapist and administrator in our industry. What does a VCH credential mean to you? Does it build credibility? Does it allow you to work on projects that non-certified individuals cannot? Can you earn more money as a result of being certified? Does it elevate your status within your company? Does it connect you with a professional organization? Does it set a standard for learning? I would guess that all of these scenarios benefit from being certified.

Please reach out and ask how you can become a Virginia Certified Horticulturist. For VNLA member companies: how you can assist your employees with pursuing their credential as a Virginia Certified Horticulturist?

Neal P. Beasley

VNLA Certification Committee Chair