Diane Blazek – All-America Selections/National Garden Bureau
(second term expires 2025)
For more than 30 years, Diane has been immersed in gardening both personally and professionally. She brings a passion to the subject based on a history in the field of horticulture publishing as well as a love for gardening and culinary exploration. Growing up on a small family farm in northern Missouri, Diane spent years helping her parents plant, tend and harvest a large home vegetable garden. As the president and publisher at Ball Publishing for 15 years, she led the way in connecting the commercial side of the industry with consumers via the live focus groups called Consumer Buzz Live! Diane also managed Ball Publishing’s entry into consumer garden book publishing. Since December of 2009, Diane has been leading both All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau through an exciting period of growth as they establish themselves as inspirational resources in the minds of garden communicators, public gardens, growers, garden retailers and home gardeners. All-America Selections has doubled in size with the addition of trials for Vegetative Ornamentals and Herbaceous Perennials, an expanded website, more Display Gardens and an ever-increasing social media presence. National Garden Bureau has also more than doubled in size with the addition of new programs, social media, therapeutic garden grants and new membership categories. With both organizations, the connection to the consumer is of topmost importance and by using that connection, she provides direction and insights to the industry as well as to GardenComm, an organization for Garden Communicators where she serves as a National Director. Diane serves as Executive Director of All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau.
Ricardo Campos – Ball Seed Company
(first term expires 2024)
Ricardo Campos has been appointed the North American National Sales Manager for Ball Horticultural Company, an international supplier of horticultural products with a nationwide sales force in the North America and sales representatives in Central and South America. Campos is also the LED Solutions Manager for the company. For the past several years, he has been leading a partnership with Signify/Philips to assist flower and vegetable growers, research institutions, and the cannabis and hemp community in adapting innovative lighting technologies.
Jim Daly – Smithers-Oasis
(second term expires 2024)
Jim Daly is Vice President of Global Floralife & Grower Operations and Corporate Research with Smithers-Oasis. Jim leads Floralife and Grower divisions for Smithers-Oasis along with companywide research. A recognized leader in the research and development of post harvest care and handling products, Jim Daly has been in the floral industry for more than thirty years. During that time, he has worked on every continent except Antarctica, spending time in over thirty-three countries in the world, working with the flower and plant markets. His contributions have included work on improved manufacturing procedures for care and handling products, innovative approaches for crop treatments, and developing products for all stages of transport care, from grower to end consumer.Jim has published many articles on trade within the floral industry. He co-authored the Flowers and Plant Care manual published by the Society of American Florists and wrote the Floralife® Care and Handling manual. He has conducted seminars on care and handling around the world, educating growers, transportation companies, and a wide range of retailers including wholesalers, supermarkets, big box chains and independent businesses. Jim has served on numerous committees for the Society of American Florists, including the Wholesale Council, and is the current chair elect for the American Floral Endowment.
Jan Patranella – Ball Horticultural Company, Retired
(second term expires 2024)
Jan Patranella, recently retired from the Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, Illinois. She graduated with a Floriculture degree from Texas A&M University and an advanced degree from The Ohio State University. During Jan’s 42 years of service, she held various positions. In her early career she managed the Seed Department, Customer Relations and Supplier Relations Departments. For the last 17 years, she directed corporate strategy for the Ball companies in Asia and Australia, The Gardens at Ball and Technical Services. Jan was active in industry organizations, such as American Seed Trade Association, Cultivate, National Garden Bureau, All America Selections and local community outreach programs.
Liza Roeser – FiftyFlowers Founder
(second term expires 2025)
Liza Roeser disrupted the flower industry after completing a Peace Corps assignment in Ecuador – one of the world’s largest exporters of cut flowers – in the 1990’s. She saw and seized the opportunity to export directly from farm to consumer and founded Farm Exports in 1998 and FiftyFlowers in 2003. Today, Liza is an active champion of the flower industry and is a member of the board of The Society of American Florists, the Association for Wedding Professionals International, and NorCal Flower Association. Liza advocates for the industry on Capitol Hill annually as a lobbyist for the flower industry, working with lawmakers to make sure the voices of her peers are heard. She also serves on the Board of Entrepreneurs Organization and takes pride in mentoring budding entrepreneurs. Liza speaks at conferences and on stages around the world, sharing her knowledge and passion for flower sourcing, entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment in business. She has been nominated as Idaho Business Review Woman of the Year (2019) and has been featured in Inc.com, Idaho Business Review, BRIDES, as the feature cover story of Greenbelt Magazine, and interviewed on many broadcast outlets. Follow Liza on Instagram @TheFlower CEO.
Lloyd Traven – Peace Tree Farm
(first term expires 2024)
Friends and fellow horticulturalists have called Lloyd a ‘mad scientist’ and ‘plant geek’ due to his passion for growing quality plants matched only by his commitment to using advanced technology combined with sustainable and organic growing techniques. Lloyd graduated summa cum laude from Delaware Valley College of Science & Agriculture in 1979 and attended Cornell University Graduate School in floriculture and ornamental horticulture. In the 1980’s Lloyd worked in market research and special projects at Ball Seed Company developing Spark Plug, pelleted seed products and worked on the Genesis Seed project.
Lloyd and wife Candy purchased the Peace Tree Farm property in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1983. They have grown Peace Tree Farm from ‘the little greenhouses up on the hill’ to an established and respected operation among international horticulture. Lloyd is a technology guru and advocate for small growers, being among the first to successfully invest in sophisticated environmental control systems for their operation. He conducts seminars and makes presentations at growing industry conferences and conventions. As an author Lloyd has contributed to GMPro Magazine, OFA Bulletin, Greenhouse Product News, Greenhouse Grower, and GrowerTalks. He is a member of the Council of Advisors for GMPro Magazine and Greenhouse Product News
Debbie Hamrick – Director, Specialty Crops with the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation.
(first term expires 2025)
Prior to joining Farm Bureau, Debbie enjoyed a high-profile 20-year career in the ornamental industry with Ball Horticultural Co. During her career Debbie has visited more than 20 countries on five continents and was recognized as an industry leader in identifying new trends. She has been a frequent, respected speaker and served as keynote at horticultural conferences in Canada, China, Colombia, Japan, Taiwan, the Netherlands, the Philippines and the United States. Through her work she traverses the state to interact with the network of support to farming and agriculture businessmen and women. She’s recognized as a connector and convener within the agricultural and local foods community. Debbie’s resume includes business start-ups within the publishing, online and meeting fields. Much of her earlier career was spent developing the business community within the international floriculture industry across five continents.