ATLANTA, Ga. – Officers of the Southern Nursery Association (SNA) who will serve for the 2016 - 2017 term were elected during the 118th annual meeting held at The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, during SEGreen. The election, open to all active SNA members, determines representation from the four geographic regions of the association:
Chapter 1 – Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia
Chapter 2 – Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
Chapter 3 – Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee
Chapter 4 – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas
Dusty Knight, Plantation Tree Company, Selma, Alabama, was elected president succeeding Michael Hobbs, Warren County Nursery, McMinnville, Tennesse.
The complete slate of 2016-2017 officers and directors is as follows:
Dusty Knight, president, Plantation Tree Company, Selma, Alabama
Norman Cole, III, vice president/treasurer/director chapter 1, Cole Nurseries, Pipestem, West Virginia
Joseph Napoli, director chapter 2, Athens Wholesale Nursery, Athens, Georgia
Rickey Minton, director chapter 3, Triangle Nursery, McMinnville, Tennesse
Todd Ellefson, director chapter 4, Windmill Nursery, Franklinton, Louisiana
Michael Hobbs, immediate past president, Warren County Nursery, McMinnville, Tennesse
Newly elected SNA President Dusty Knight is from Franklinton, Louisiana, where he worked for Windmill Nursery and Zelenka Nursery of Folsom, Louisiana for 20 years. In 2000, he and his wife Joan moved to Prattville, Alabama, where he brought that 20 years of experience to Plantation Tree Company as manager. Plantation Tree Company has more than 400 acres of field-grown shade and ornamental trees and shrubs in production.
Knight was elected to serve on the SNA Board of Directors in 2013, representing chapter 4.
Knight and Joan have two children and three grandchildren. He is an avid hunter and fisherman, and loves to spend time with his grandchildren.
The new industry leader joining the SNA Board this year is Todd Ellefson, Windmill Nursery, Franklinton, Louisiana. Ellefson was born into the nursery industry and is the grandson of John B. Wight, Jr. He is a 5th generation nurseryman, andbegan working full time in the field at Wight Nurseries in Cairo, Georgia, in 1995. After four years in the field, he moved into a sales role with Wight Nurseries and continued in sales with Monrovia Nursery from 1999 until 2003. In 2003, Ellefson teamed up with George Hackney and John B. Wight Jr. to acquire Windmill Nursery in Franklinton, Louisiana. There he served as sales manager, then general manager, and now president and managing partner.
Ellefson has served the industry and has been an active board member in several associations. He served as president of the Southeast Louisiana Nursery Association and the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association, and was also a representative for Louisiana with the American Nursery and Landscape Association.
His work and commitment to the industry has been recognized by several associations. He was awarded the Young Professional of the Year in 2007, and Professional of the Year in 2015, by the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association. In 2009, he was presented the David E. Laird, Sr. Memorial Award by the Southern Nursery Association.
Ellefson is married to Stacy Ellefson, and they have four children Chase, Lexi, Riley and Reese.
“This 2016-2017 board represents a group of industry leaders with a broad variety of perspectives and excellent business skills that can be leveraged to the advantage of the association,” said Karen Summers, SNA executive vice president. “As a regional association we are very fortunate to have the advantage of looking around the region for members that have served at the state level and select strong leadership to lead our association. With the guidance of this group of gentlemen, I am very confident we will become stronger and better serve our membership and our industry.”
No more results found. Chapter 1 – Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia
Chapter 2 – Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
Chapter 3 – Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee
Chapter 4 – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas
Dusty Knight, Plantation Tree Company, Selma, Alabama, was elected president succeeding Michael Hobbs, Warren County Nursery, McMinnville, Tennesse.
The complete slate of 2016-2017 officers and directors is as follows:
Dusty Knight, president, Plantation Tree Company, Selma, Alabama
Norman Cole, III, vice president/treasurer/director chapter 1, Cole Nurseries, Pipestem, West Virginia
Joseph Napoli, director chapter 2, Athens Wholesale Nursery, Athens, Georgia
Rickey Minton, director chapter 3, Triangle Nursery, McMinnville, Tennesse
Todd Ellefson, director chapter 4, Windmill Nursery, Franklinton, Louisiana
Michael Hobbs, immediate past president, Warren County Nursery, McMinnville, Tennesse
Newly elected SNA President Dusty Knight is from Franklinton, Louisiana, where he worked for Windmill Nursery and Zelenka Nursery of Folsom, Louisiana for 20 years. In 2000, he and his wife Joan moved to Prattville, Alabama, where he brought that 20 years of experience to Plantation Tree Company as manager. Plantation Tree Company has more than 400 acres of field-grown shade and ornamental trees and shrubs in production.
Knight was elected to serve on the SNA Board of Directors in 2013, representing chapter 4.
Knight and Joan have two children and three grandchildren. He is an avid hunter and fisherman, and loves to spend time with his grandchildren.
The new industry leader joining the SNA Board this year is Todd Ellefson, Windmill Nursery, Franklinton, Louisiana. Ellefson was born into the nursery industry and is the grandson of John B. Wight, Jr. He is a 5th generation nurseryman, andbegan working full time in the field at Wight Nurseries in Cairo, Georgia, in 1995. After four years in the field, he moved into a sales role with Wight Nurseries and continued in sales with Monrovia Nursery from 1999 until 2003. In 2003, Ellefson teamed up with George Hackney and John B. Wight Jr. to acquire Windmill Nursery in Franklinton, Louisiana. There he served as sales manager, then general manager, and now president and managing partner.
Ellefson has served the industry and has been an active board member in several associations. He served as president of the Southeast Louisiana Nursery Association and the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association, and was also a representative for Louisiana with the American Nursery and Landscape Association.
His work and commitment to the industry has been recognized by several associations. He was awarded the Young Professional of the Year in 2007, and Professional of the Year in 2015, by the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association. In 2009, he was presented the David E. Laird, Sr. Memorial Award by the Southern Nursery Association.
Ellefson is married to Stacy Ellefson, and they have four children Chase, Lexi, Riley and Reese.
“This 2016-2017 board represents a group of industry leaders with a broad variety of perspectives and excellent business skills that can be leveraged to the advantage of the association,” said Karen Summers, SNA executive vice president. “As a regional association we are very fortunate to have the advantage of looking around the region for members that have served at the state level and select strong leadership to lead our association. With the guidance of this group of gentlemen, I am very confident we will become stronger and better serve our membership and our industry.”