PLANET Awards First James Martin Associates Scholarship

The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and the ALCA Education Foundation (AEF) announced the creation of the James Martin Associates and Martin Family Annual Scholarship at PLANET’s Executive Forum held in Las Vegas in February. The first James Martin Associate Scholarship was awarded during PLANET’s Student Career Event held at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, March 23-27.

The recipient, Jeoffrey Kochem, is a landscape management major from the Penn State University.

James Martin Associates, Inc., the nationally recognized firm of landscape architects and contractors from Vernon Hills, IL, and the Martin Family have a 20 year history of supporting higher education initiatives with the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana. In 2003, the company became the first founding member of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Education and Charitable Organization (ILCECO) Scholarship Program.

The recent contribution to the AEF marks their first sizeable donation to AEF, the industries leading national educational foundation for which they have been recognized as Ambassadors of AEF. More than just a title, an Ambassador is able to establish the criteria for the award of their scholarship.“The ALCA Education Foundation Ambassadors Scholarship Program provides a special opportunity for donors to personally experience the ‘gift of giving,’” says James P. Martin, President, James Martin Associates, Inc. “By helping educate a new student each year into the future, I know this scholarship will provide years of pleasure — knowing we’ve been able to turn a small amount of our success into meaningful significance for the future leaders of our industry. ALCA (Associated Landscape Contractors of America), and now PLANET, has helped our company grow, mature, and prosper in many, many ways. It gives all of the associates of James Martin Associates and the Martin Family special pleasure and pride to join the distinguished group of AEF Ambassadors.”