Advisory Member
ROY DIBLIKEducator
PAM DUTHIE
JULIA FITZPATRICK-COOPER
Grower
KIM GOODWIN
BRENT HORVATH
KEVIN MCGOWEN
Landscape Architect/Designer
MARY ALLEN
KAREN R. MOORE
DEIRDRE E. TONER
Municipal Parkland
JOHN JAMINSKI
Public Horticulture
RICHARD G. HAWKE
TODD C. JACOBSON
Retail
JEAN BRAGDON
SUSAN J. STONE
Wholesale
LAURIE MCGHEE
BRENDA H. MCMAHON
DAVE MEYER
EVALUATION TEAM BIOGRAPHIES
MARY CREIGHTON ALLEN
Landscape Architect/Landscape Contractor Plandscape Inc. Elburn, IL
Mary brings to the group 24 years of experience in the landscape industry. Her experience began with a large commercial Landscape Contractor. Her responsibilities included working with existing maintenance clients designing and coordinating landscape enhancements and seasonal color programs. Her job evolved into purchasing all plant material for their extensive installations department. Now at Plandscape Inc., Mary is in charge of the maintenance department where her responsibilities include sales, scheduling and managing crews. She is also involved in perennial garden design and installation.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
B.S. Landscape Architecture, Michigan State University Corridor Improvement Commission, City of St. Charles
JEAN BRAGDON
Operations Manager, Lurvey Landscape Supply and Garden Center
Des Plaines, IL
Jean began her horticultural career in the work-study program in high school. She has experience in many aspects of the industry, including grower/manager (of annuals, perennials, tropicals and blooming plants), floral designer and has also owned and operated an interior plantscape business. She is currently the operations manager at Lurvey Landscape Supply and Garden Center where she is the annual and perennial buyer and oversees Garden Center Operations.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
Ornamental Horticulture, Triton College and College of Lake County Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) Leadership Council Midwest Ecological Landscape Association (MELA) Board of Directors Illinois Certified Nursery Professional (ICN)
ROY DIBLIK
Co-owner, Northwind Perennial Farm
Northwind Perennial Farm, Burlington, WI
Northwind Perennial Farm specializes in growing perennials, native plants and ornamental grasses as well as landscape design and installation. Roy has been growing plants for more than 25 years. Recently, Roy was the plant purchasing coordinator for the Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millenium Park, growing 11,000 of the plants at Northwind. He was also very involved in the installation of the garden. He also installed the Sullivan Arch Garden for the modern wing of the Art Institute in Chicago. He has been teaching his “Know” Maintenance Perennial Plant Communities concept at College of DuPage since 2006.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
B.S. Recreational Outdoor Education, Western Illinois University
Author of Small Perennial Gardens: A Know Maintenance Approach; member Midwest Ecological Landscape Association and Perennial Plant Assosiation
PAM DUTHIE
Retired Landscape Designer, Author, Photographer, Lecturer
The Gifted Gardener, Northbrook, IL
Duthie operated her own Landscape Design business for 25 years and is a noted author and photographer. Her books “Continuous Bloom” and “Continuous Color” continue to be popular. She is an informative and enthusiastic lecturer nationally and in Canada and is the creator of the ‘Easy “U-Can Plan” Way to Garden’
Education/Professional Affiliations:
B.A., Miami University, Oxford, OH
Chicago Botanic Garden (instructor), The Morton Arboretum (instructor), Landscape Design Association, [founder, newsletter editor], Perennial Plant Association, Garden Writers Association, National Association of Photoshop Professionals
JULIA FITZPATRICK-COOPER
Professor, Horticulture
College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL
Julia has been a full-time faculty member in the Horticulture department at College of DuPage since 1986. She teaches courses in herbaceous perennials, woody plant identification and use, plant taxonomy, ornamental grasses and the introductory horticulture course. She has worked in a variety of horticultural industries, including arboreta, wholesale nurseries, retail garden centers, horticultural therapy programs, community education programs and taught high school horticulture programs.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
B.S. in Horticulture and M.S., Agricultural Education, The Ohio State University; Illinois Green Industry Association; Illinois Green Industry Association Horticulture Occupational and Professional Experience, Chair 2008; College of DuPage Study Abroad Scholarship Committee, Co-chair; Midwest Ecological Landscape Association, Board of Directors
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KIM GOODWIN
Grower
Hinsdale Nurseries Inc., Plano, IL
Goodwin has been in the green industry since 2000. Her experience with Hinsdale Nurseries and customer demand has required her knowledge to grow high-end quality plants. The clients of Hinsdale Nurseries demand a wide variety of mature healthy plants. Each year Goodwin trials new and underused perennials and is always offering something different for Hinsdale Nurseries customers. Goodwin’s knowledge of soils, nutrients, insects and diseases plus cultural needs of the many plant varieties she grows puts her among the top of a competitive Chicago market.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
Illinois Green Industry Association, Ornamental Growers Association, International Plant Propagators Society, Perennial Plant Association, Associate Degree in Applied Science/Ornamental Horticulture from College of DuPage, Illinois Certified Nursery Professional, and a certified Private Pesticide Applicator
RICHARD G. HAWKE
Plant Evaluation Manager
Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
Hawke has managed the Plant Evaluation Program since 1987. The Plant Evaluation Program received the Award for Program Excellence from the American Public Gardens Association in 2008. He is the author of Plant Evaluation Notes and writes periodically for Chicagoland Gardening, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, The American Gardener, Perennial Plants, American Nurseryman and NMPro. Hawke lectures widely on topics related to his research, including perennials and clematis. He teaches several continuing education classes each year and is the instructor for the herbaceous perennials certificate course within the School of the Botanic Garden. Richard received the Perennial Plant Association’s 2005 Academic Award for teaching excellence.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.S. Horticulture; member of American Public Gardens Association, Perennial Plant Association, American Horticultural Society and Garden Writers Association
BRENT HORVATH
Grower/President
Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Inc., Hebron, IL
Horvath grew up in the green industry working for his parents at their garden center, landscape and florist company. He graduated with a B.S. from Oregon State University in 1991 and started growing finished perennials for the wholesale trade. Today, Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Inc. lists more than 800 varieties and sells many more. Brent selects breeds and introduces new perennials to the trade, including Allium, Geum, Pennisetum, Penstemon, Polemonium and Sedum. He currently has four plant patents with three more pending.
Education/Pro.Affiliations:
B.S. in Horticulture from Oregon State University in 1991. Perennial Plant Association
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TODD C. JACOBSON
Head of Horticulture
The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL
Jacobson has been in the field of horticulture since 1995, gaining experience in a number of different sectors, including interiorscape maintenance, landscape construction and installation, grounds maintenance with a park district, and landscape design and planning with a local municipality, where he directed the redevelopment of their downtown streetscape. Todd is currently the assistant director of horticulture at The Morton Arboretum and oversees a display horticulture staff of 11 full-time horticulturists who are responsible for the maintenance of various gardens and landscapes on the arboretum grounds. He also directs the work of the in-house arborist and lawn crews, who maintain the many trees and turf on the grounds.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture, University of Illinois; Illinois Certified Arborist; International Society of Arboriculture; Perennial Plant Association; American Public Gardens Association
JOHN JAMINSKI
Crew Leader for Parks Department
City of Evanston, Evanston, IL
John has been in the horticulture industry for the past 20 years and working for the City of Evanston since 1995. He utilizes his wide background and knowledge in perennials, woody plant material, insects and diseases to maintain the high quality expected of Evanston parks and the Rothschild Enabling Garden at the Levy Senior Center. He is a volunteer educator at the Evanston Ecology Center and guest speaker for a north shore garden club. He has also worked in a variety of horticultural industries, including his own landscape business, wholesale nurseries, retail garden centers, and community education programs.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture, University of Illinois; B.A. in Agricultural Economics, University of Illinois
LAURIE MCGHEE
Sales Representative, Northern Illinois
Bailey Nurseries, Inc.
Bailey Nurseries, Inc. is located in Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and Illinois. McGhee’s lifelong love of gardening led her to a career in the green industry in 1990. She started her career in horticulture in a retail garden center, and then moved into the wholesale side of the industry. She recently joined Bailey Nurseries, a wholesale nursery that grows and sells the whole spectrum of plant material – trees, shrubs, roses, evergreens, fruits, vines, perennials and annuals.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
IGIA Certified Nursery Professional; Garden Center Symposium board member; Kishwaukee College Horticulture Advisory Board
KEVIN MCGOWEN
Customer Service and Education Specialist
Midwest Groundcovers, LLC, St. Charles, IL
McGowen started in the industry as a purchaser for a landscape contractor/garden center and finished as nursery manager of the company. He currently works for Midwest Groundcovers and oversees the trial and display gardens, conducts educational tours for landscape designers and architects, writes an informal blog and works as a customer service representative. He has 11 years experience in the industry.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
Self taught. Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, Perennial Plant Association, American Horticultural Society, Landscape Design Association
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BRENDA H. MCMAHON
Sales and Customer Service
Montale Gardens, Inc., Wauconda, IL
McMahon has 18 years of industry experience, including design, installation, and maintenance of display gardens. Her experience also includes nursery sales and customer service for local wholesale nurseries.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
Kansas State University, B.S., Kishwaukee College, A.S.; Board member of the Illinois Landscape Contractor Association
DAVE MEYER
GET Group, Inc. and Hoffie Nursery, Inc., Union, IL
Meyer has been planted in the horticulture industry since boyhood. His professional career began at The Planter’s Palette, where more than 2,500 varieties of plants are grown. There he propagated plant and industry knowledge, crossed it with his business background and developed into manager of the wholesale department. Transplanted to West Michigan, he budded into inventory and production planning of more than 1,400 sku’s and 15.5 million units produced annually at Midwest Groundcovers. A hybrid of sales and production, he is currently placed in an excellent environment for listening, learning, analyzing and teaching at the GET Group, Inc. and Hoffie Nursery, Inc. These companies specialize in perennial quality and are growers, propagators and suppliers to better garden centers and landscapers across Chicagoland.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
B.S. in Business Administration from Western Michigan University, ICN Professional
KAREN R. MOORE
Garden Designer
Coventry Gardeners, Ltd., Westmont, IL
Moore started Coventry Gardeners, Ltd. in 1986. It is a niche business specializing in design, installation and maintenance of perennial flower gardens. Coventry Gardeners’ gardens have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine and other publications. Coventry Gardeners was awarded an ILCA merit award for Residential Landscape Construction.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
B.S. in Education from University of Georgia; Perennial Plant Association
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SUSAN J. STONE
Garden Center Manager
Lurvey Landscape Supply & Garden Center, Des Plaines, IL
Stone has been involved in all stages of perennial production, sales, inventory management, and plant buying for several leading Chicagoland nurseries. She is a frequent lecturer for area garden clubs and an instructor at Morton Arboretum.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
Perennial Plant Association, American Horticulture Society
DEIRDRE E. TONER
Landscape Designer
D.T. DESIGN, Old Mill Creek, IL
Toner’s professional life started in the floriculture industry and soon expanded to include landscape and container gardening for the urban market. Her professional experience also includes seven years with Mariani Landscape as a project director in their Design/Build Division. Customized landscape design development and project management is now the focus of her company, D.T. Design.
Education/Professional Affiliations:
School of the Art Institute, Chicago, BFA; Master Gardener Program, Chicago Botanic Garden/Oakton Community College; ASLA, Affiliate member
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