Michael Bracken joins IGCA board of directors

 On Sept. 11, AmericanHort, the U.S. representative to the International Garden Centre Association (IGCA), appointed Michael Bracken, owner of Nicholson-Hardie Nursery and Garden Centers of Dallas, Texas, to the IGCA board of directors. 

Emerging from its annual congress, held from Sept. 1-6 in the United Kingdom, IGCA appointed a host of board members, including Michael Bracken. He began working for his family business at the age of 12 when his parents purchased Nicholson-Hardie, founded in 1899, in 1974. An alumnus of the University of Arkansas, Bracken worked in wholesale nursery sales in Arkansas before moving back to Dallas to work for the family business. Today he and his brother run the day-today operations of their business as co-presidents. 

Bracken began his association work in 1994 with the Texas Association of Nurseryman (TAN) as a regional board member. He has since been elected to the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA) where he served as chairman and remains engaged today. He has also served as a director for the Garden Centers of America. Bracken is passionate about supporting education and research efforts to create a brighter future for those who wish to enter the industry. 

“I am delighted to join the IGCA board and share my experiences as a garden center owner. I have learned much from the past congresses I’ve attended and look forward to working to further the organization’s mission to educate and share best practices with industry colleagues. The congress is an important benefit all of our garden center members should attend to gain worldwide prospective on international retail trends,” said Bracken.

The next IGCA Congress is scheduled for October 18-23, 2020 in South Africa. To learn more about participating in this tour, contact Sherry Johnson, CEM, CMP, VP Knowledge and Business Advancement for AmericanHort at SherryJ@AmericanHort.org or at 614-487-1117.