PLNA hires new director of government relations

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association (PLNA) has hired Katherine (Katie) Hetherington as director of government relations. Hetherington, from an eight generation farm family in Ringtown, Schuylkill County, comes to PLNA from the USDA Farm Service Agency where she is a loan officer helping farmers with business and financial planning.
 
"We are delighted to have someone with Katie's background and experience in helping agricultural businesses join PLNA," said Dan Eichenlaub, chairman of the PLNA board of directors and president of Eichenlaub, Inc., a Pittsburgh area landscape contracting firm. "Not only does she have impressive academic credentials and experience, but her experience growing up on a farm with greenhouses and other horticultural operations gives her an understanding of the real problems that businesses in our industry face daily."
 
Hetherington graduated from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences with two Bachelor of Science degrees, one in agribusiness management and a second in agricultural and extension education. After college, she worked for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, assisting with projects in Egypt, Brazil, China and Russia. She also served as a legal intern with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, working on the ACRE program, the Right to Farm Act and conflicts between local governments and agricultural businesses.
 
In her current position with USDA, Hetherington is responsible for a portfolio of farms, providing the farm owners with business, technical and financial assistance.
 
"I am excited to have the opportunity to work with an industry that is close to my heart," said Hetherington. "I have been a passionate advocate for agriculture my whole life and am looking forward to working with the green industry to promote their message of environmental improvement through the greater use of trees and plants."
 
PLNA has been at the forefront of the movement to use trees and plants to improve air quality, water quality and human health. Pennsylvania's plan to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay relies significantly on the use of watershed tree plantings, vegetated stream buffers, rain gardens and other "green" infrastructure to improve water quality in the Bay watershed.
 
Hetherington starts her new position with PLNA January 3, 2011.