About FNGLA

History

Celebrating 57 years of membership

Until 1951, the Florida State Nurserymen had been a part of the Florida State Florist and Nurserymen Association. In May of that year, some nurserymen members felt that with the growing importance of the nursery industry within Florida and with concerns not shared by the Florist group, a separate organization was needed.

The first official organized meeting was held in Miami on May 25-27, 1952 and a plan of organization was adopted. Dave Stabler of Winter Haven Nursery agreed to be president. James F. Griffin, Jr. came to what was then called FNGA as Executive Secretary in early 1953. Since that time, FNGLA has gained strength, popularity and clout-absorbing the Florida Foliage Association in 1993, the Florida Ornamental Growers Association in 1995 and the Florida Landscape Designers Association in 1999. During this time, FNGLA established itself as one of the largest and most active nursery associations in the country with a membership base of over 2,500 professionals.

Now in it's sixth decade serving the industry, FNGLA is in its prime! The association represents all walks of the industry--foliage, woody ornamental, citrus nurseries, floriculture producers, interiorscapers, retailers, allied suppliers and landscape professionals - as proven by the addition of "landscape" to the FNGA name-making the association the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, FNGLA. Landscape contractors, landscape designers, landscape architects and the like now have an association targeting their needs. Government representation & monitoring, professional education and marketing projects encompass just some of the services provided by FNGLA to members and the industry.

Past Presidents

2009-10 Monty Knox 1980-81 Fount May
2008-09 Rosemary Warner 1979-80 Robert L. Hartwig
2007-08 Dave Self 1978-79 Walter A. Gammel
2006-07 Paul Polomsky 1977-78 William G. Adams
2005-06 Richard Carroll 1976-77 James D. Blakely
2004-05 Bill "Rocky" Klinger 1975-76 George Russell, Jr.
2003-04 M .E. "Buck" Wurster 1974-75 John A. Blaser
2002-03 Jerry Frye 1973-74 Richard A. Gladwin
2001-02 George Hackney 1972-73 Joseph C. Shaw
2000-01 Dr. Joe Cialone 1971-72 Joseph Welker
1999-00 Jane Van Cleave 1970-71 Beverly Turbeville
1998-99 Alvaro Somoza 1969-70 Jack Christmas
1997-98 George Finora 1968-69 Lawrence W. Clements
1996-97 Alan Shapiro 1967-68 Richard C. Johnson
1995-96 Russ Mueller 1966-67 Jack Siebenthaler
1994-95 Lori Schaefer 1965-66 Jerry Turner
1993-94 Tomas Aiello 1964-65 R.E. "Ed" Brown
1992-93 Gary Roberts 1963-64 Charles Culbreath
1991-92 Sandra Guckenberger 1962-63 Charles Chaplin
1990-91 Michael Raimondi 1961-62 N. Curtis Peterson, Jr.
1989-90 William D. Reese 1960-61 Verne Buck
1988-89 Ron Arkay 1959-60 P.D. Shoemaker
1987-88 Wayne Hardy 1958-59 Roy S. Rood
1986-87 George Kimmel, Jr. 1957-58 Milton Link
1985-86 Roy G. Davis 1956-57 Edwin Fraser
1984-85 Earl Christenbury 1955-56 Gervin Pringle
1983-84 Edwin Bolling 1954-55 Hugh Lalor
1982-83 Colleen Boggs 1953-54 Charles R. Wedding
1981-82 Jerry Soowal 1952-53 David K. Stabler, Sr.