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Speaker Highlights:

Julie Moir Messervy is the principal designer of JMMDS, a landscape architecture and design firm in Saxtons River, Vermont, creators of parks and residential gardens around the country. Her best-known work, the three-acre Toronto Music Garden, was designed

in collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and received the Leonardo da Vinci Award for innovation and creativity. She is the author of nine books on landscape design and the creator of the Home Outside ® landscape design app and online design service.

Linda Chalker-Scott has a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and is an ISA certified arborist and an ASCA consulting arborist. She is WSU’s Extension Urban Horticulturist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture, and holds two

affiliate associate professor positions at University of Washington. Linda is the author of four books: the award-winning, horticultural myth-busting The Informed Gardener (2008) and The Informed Gardener Blooms Again (2010) from the University of Washington Press and Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens: Good Science – Practical Application (2009) from GFG Publishing, Inc. Her most recent book, How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do (2015), has received numerous national awards [American Horticultural Society best book award, best book award from the National Association of Agricultural Agents, and a National Science Teachers Association recommended book]. Most recently she is co-authoring an update of Art Kruckeberg’s Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest (UW Press), slated to be published in 2018. Her efforts were recognized in 2017 by the Association for Garden Communicators who awarded her their first Cynthia Westcott Scientific Writing Award.

Linda has also published extensively in the scientific literature and in popular magazines including American Nurseryman, Organic Gardening, and Fine Gardening. She is one of the Garden Professors – a group of academic colleagues who educate and entertain through their blog and Facebook pages.

Damien Carré

When Damien was seventeen, he started a part time summer job at the suggestion of a friend’s mom, who thought he needed more direction in his life. Although he always had a passion for the outdoors, he never thought that he could

make a career out of something that he loved so much. Nineteen years later, Damien is driven by his passion to continue exploring creative methods to engage others in appreciating this rare gem we call Earth.

Damien is a Certified Arborist and the owner of Oregon Tree Care, a unique company focused on tree preservation in one of Arboriculture’s premier locations. He takes pride in precision, skill, and community development through his work and philanthropic ventures. He currently presides on the Board of Directors for a local group, Ascending The Giants and chairs the PNW-ISA committee for the local and regional tree climbing championships.

His desire to pay it forward is exemplified through the creation of Expedition Old Growth where others are allowed to experience the world through adventure, conservation and awareness with a particular focus on our forests and the habitat contained within. When he is not “going out on a limb” in the local communities, he is out enjoying it. Damien is an avid rock climber, having climbed on three continents, has hiked the Swiss and Italian Alps and enjoys adventure canyoneering. His adventurous lifestyle and passion for the outdoors is contagious.

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Speaker Highlights:

Tom Shay’s experiences as a fourth generation small business owner provide him with the knowledge and background to present tried and proven ideas to assist owners, managers, and staff with the day to day operation of their business. During

the 25 plus years that Tom was a part of the family business, the businesses were ongoing laboratories for the techniques that Tom shares.

He presents proven and time tried ideas on the topics of business strategy, marketing, staff education, sales, and financial management. In addition to providing proven business building ideas through his writings in over 75 trade publications, Tom has authored twelve books on small business management and a college text book on small business accounting. As a speaker, Tom earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) distinction, an honor that has been earned by less than 8% of speakers worldwide. As a magazine columnist, Tom received multiple Jesse H. Neal award nominations.

Jason Cupp is a former CEO turned Kolbe Certified growth consultant, team builder and motivational speaker. He travels almost constantly, talking about everything from sales and marketing to crisis management…to clients in almost any industry, including

where his career started – the landscape design/build industry. His knowledge, experience and approachability has put him in front of thousands of people and businesses across North America and Western Europe.

You can visit his website at http://jasoncupp.com and follow him on Twitter at @jasoncupp.

Kelly Norris is an award-winning author and plantsman from Iowa and the first director of horticulture at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. As a speaker, he has garnered acclaim for his high-energy, zealous presentations on the national stage, leading many to call him

one of the rising stars of American horticulture. Kelly’s career began at age 15 when he talked his parents into buying a nursery (Rainbow Iris Farm), and since then he’s become one of the few gurus on marketing horticulture to emerging demographics.

Kelly is the youngest person to receive several awards that exemplify service and contributions to horticulture in Iowa. His curatorial work at the Botanical Garden was recognized by the Chanticleer Foundation with a 2015 Chanticleer Scholar Award that will fund two years of plant collecting across the upper Midwest in support of the garden’s permanent living collections.

Kelly holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in horticulture from Iowa State University.

Green Industry Gathering

Thursday, Jan. 18th

5:00 - 7:00 pm

Casino NightJoin your friends for fun, networking,

and delicious hors d’oeuvres.Featuring casino fun, food, raffle

& a silent auction