AmericanHort membership elects new board leadership

AmericanHort has announced its newly elected 2025-2026 board of directors, selected by association members.

“We are honored to welcome our incoming board members, whose leadership will bring fresh energy and insight to our organization,” said AmericanHort President and CEO Ken Fisher. “As the horticulture industry continues to grow and evolve, their deep connections and commitment to innovation will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission. Together, we look forward to growing new opportunities, fostering collaboration and driving meaningful progress across the industry.”

The new slate of officers for 2025-2026 includes Kent Fullmer of Fullmer’s Landscaping as the incoming board chair and Derek Clark of South Central Growers as the board vice chair. Ed Overdevest of Overdevest Nurseries will become the immediate past chair, and J. Harvey Cotton will continue to serve as board treasurer in a non-voting position.

Fullmer is president at Fullmer’s Landscaping in Dayton, Ohio, a residential landscape design and build company. Fullmer assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the third-generation company.

Clark is the director of sales at South Central Growers, a family-owned greenhouse in Springfield, Tennessee, supplying annuals and perennials to big-box retailers. He began his horticulture career in 2005, holding key account management roles before joining South Central Growers in 2013.

Scott Valentine is the CEO of Express Seed Company, a broker and distributor of horticultural genetic products in North America. He has more than 25 years of experience in the agriculture space, with 15 in horticulture. For the past four years, Valentine has served as a member of the AmericanHort Advocacy Committee.

Bradd Yoder has worked 31 years for Star Roses and Plants, including the last eight as its president. Star joined the Ball Horticultural Company in 2015, at which time Yoder also became a member of the company’s executive committee, and recently has been added to the board of directors of Ball Tagawa Growers in California and the National Plant Network in Alabama.

Patricia Dean is CEO and a third-generation leader of Wadsworth Control Systems. She has extensive experience collaborating with growers and researchers to develop innovative climate control solutions.

Joe Allio is the president of Petitti Family Farms, a 4,000-acre collection of farms that includes Ridge Manor, Willowbend, Losely and Klyn. Under his leadership, the farms produce a diverse selection of trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses.

These new directors will join current board directors Brian Lloyd of Olsen’s Greenhouses (Utah), Emily Showalter of Willoway Nurseries (Ohio), Ken Altman of Altman Specialty Plants (California), Tom Fessler of Woodburn Nursery and Azaleas (Oregon) and Christine Fortman of Berridge Nursery (Arizona).

AmericanHort and its members expressed appreciation to outgoing board members Kurt Becker of Dramm Corporation, Matt Edmundson of Arbor Valley Nursery and Ann Tosovsky of Home Nursery, who each served a three-year term from 2022 to 2025. They also expressed special appreciation for the leadership of Rob Lando of AdeptAg, who served on the board from 2019 to 2025 and was board chair during his tenure.

The new board will be installed during the annual AmericanHort business meeting held at Cultivate’25 at 8 a.m. Sunday, July 13 in the Battelle Grand Ballroom of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.