About FNGLA

FNGLA Staff

 

FNGLA's professional staff of 12 keeps the state association running efficiently.

Executive Team

Ben Bolusky

Ben Bolusky
Chief Executive Officer
bbolusky@fngla.org

Ben has been with FNGLA since 1998. He serves as Executive Vice President and oversees Legislative & Regulatory Affairs. Ben is also FNGLA's Spokesperson and the liaison to FNGLA's Divisions.

Ben is a graduate of The George Washington University and has a Masters in Public Administration and a B.A. in Political Science. An avid Red Sox fan, Ben enjoys spending time with his two daughters and gardening.

Linda Adams

Linda Adams
Chief Operating Officer
ladams@fngla.org

Linda started with FNGLA in 1984 and provides senior management of FNGLA's tradehows and for various FNGLA departments. She is also involved with day-to-day operations of FNGLA.

Linda was born in Weisbaden, Germany and, as an Air Force brat, lived in several different places until she was 10 years old. She then became a beach brat, growing up in Satellite Beach, FL. Linda graduated from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL.

Linda is also a graduate of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute, Class IV and enjoys traveling, both in the U.S. and abroad.

"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. it's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do and you've done it." - Margaret Thatcher

Eddie Singh

Eddie Singh
Chief Financial Officer
esingh@fngla.org

Since 1994, Eddie has been a part of the FNGLA team. Eddie:

  • Manages the financial risk of the Association.
  • Responsible for financial reporting and recordkeeping.
  • Oversees the administrative aspects of the Association and its real property.
  • Manages the Finance and Administration department.
  • Manages trade show registration and associated vendors.

Communications and Public Relations

Jennifer Nelis

Jennifer Nelis
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
jnelis@fngla.org

Jennifer began her FNGLA career in 1994 after graduating from UCF with a degree in Organizational Communications. She manages:

  • FNGLA's partnership with the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
  • Florida Garden Select
  • Manages internal and external communications and the FNGLA brand
  • FNGLA communications
  • Media relations
  • Garden Writers' liaison
  • Social media manager
  • FNGLA website manager
  • Greenline editor

Government Affairs

Jim Spratt, FCHP
Director of Government Affairs
jspratt@fngla.org

Jim works mostly in Tallahassee, and has been with FNGLA since 2004. He:

  • Manages Public Policy areas of water, land & environmental issues
  • is the liaison to water management districts & state agencies
  • and is the liaison to the Research committee

Continuing Education and Career Development

Merry Mott, FCHP
Director of Certifcations and Career Development
mmott@fngla.org

Since 1994, Merry has been a part of the FNGLA family. Merry manages FNGLA's Certification programs: FCHP, FCLT, FCLD, FCLC and FCLMT.

Linda Reindl
Director of Education
lreindl@fngla.org

Linda has been with FNGLA since 1993 and coordinates the FNGLA and TPIE Short Course Programs, The Great Southern Tree Conference, Floriculture Field Days and the FNGLA Leadership Conference. Linda is also the FNGLA Endowment Fund and National Foliage Foundation Administrator.


Trade Shows

Sabrina Haines
Trade Show Exhibits Manager
shaines@fngla.org

Sabrina was born on the Fourth of July in Joplin, Missouri and travelled south to Lakeland, Florida when she was two. She graduated from Lakeland High School in 1981 and from Flagler College in Saint Augustine in 1985. She has a B.A. with a major in English and minors in Journalism and History. She began working at FNG(L)A on the trade shows in 1986 and still enjoys the challenge of working with the exhibitors. Sabrina lives in Clermont with her husband Jason and an overweight Chihuahua named Zeus.

Clay Archey

Clay Archey
Business Development Manager
carchey@fngla.org

As a third generation Floridian, Clay Archey grew up in rural North Florida outside the small town of Starke.

Clay graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and a Master of Agribusiness.

Clay previously worked with Lennar Homes and most recently with Archer Daniels Midland in their Animal Feed Subsidiary Company ADM Alliance Nutrition.

Since 2005, Clay has actively served on the Florida Farm Bureau statewide Water and Natural Resources Advisory Committee.  He also is an alumni of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources (WLIANR).
 
Clay also actively participates in St. Luke's Lutheran Church's College and Career Bible Study Group, which he founded with his wife Erin. 

 


Finance and Administration

Wayne Strauss, FCHP
Director of Information Technology
wstrauss@fngla.org

Wayne is responsible for IT governance which includes IT budgeting, forecasting IT needs and disaster recovery. Wayne also is in charge of all computer equipment needs, and exhibitor website utilities at trade show events such as The Landscape Show and TPIE.

A 1983 honors graduate of West Orange High School in Winter Garden Florida, Wayne attended Florida Technical College where he earned A.S. degrees in Electronics and Business.

Amy Di Bella
Membership Coordinator
adibella@fngla.org

Amy has been with FNGLA since 2007, She graduated in 2007 with a B.S. in Business Management from SUNY Brockport.

Hailing from Rochester, NY, Amy has experience in the hospitality industry and puts those customer service skills to use with FNGLA members. As FNGLA's receptionist, Amy greets members on the phone and in the office and assists on many FNGLA-related projects including:

  • Volunteer coordination for FNGLA's Epcot partnership
  • FNGLA's certifications

Toni Wise
Financial Accounts Coordinator
twise@fngla.org

Toni started with FNGLA in 2005 and is responsible for:

  • Assists Chief Financial Officer
  • Invoicing and Processing data for all FNGLA programs and services
  • Accounts Receivable