Plant Geek
Jonathan may be the biggest plant geek in the world. In fact, part of his job as Brand & Business Development Manager at Bailey Nurseries is to search the world for new plants. With more than 20 years experience in the horticulture industry, Jonathan is able to use his plant geek knowledge to help Bailey Nurseries bring great plants to market.

A native of New Zealand, Jonathan speaks the language of homeowners everywhere - knowing that making gardening easy, fun and enjoyable is key. When he’s not adjusting his pocket protector, you’ll find him developing innovative marketing plans or bustin’ out a rap for Endless Summer Hydrangeas, Easy Elegance Roses and First Editions Plants. Did we mention he’s a two-time Garden Idol award winner? Take that Jay-Z!

Little Devil
When it comes to advertising account management, Tamara is red hot. She’s able to light a fire under anyone, getting the job done with style and flair. Tamara brings more than 15 years experience to her job as account manager for Initio Advertising, Inc. Companies such as Bailey Nurseries, Gerten’s Garden Center and Fed Ex have felt the heat of her passion for brand strategy development and customer retention.

Turns out Little Devil is not Tamara’s first character role. She’s also played the part of a Jurassic park dinosaur and Igor the hunchback, all in the name of client service!

Princess
Ruling over the fields of Bailey Nurseries, Terri’s magical powers ensure that each plant is extremely healthy and hearty. Blooms of every Endless Summer Hydrangea, Easy Elegance Rose and First Editions Plant burst with color as she passes by.... If only it were that easy!

As president of Bailey Nurseries, Terri doesn’t need a magic wand. She draws on her family’s horticulture roots and her own savvy business sense to run a growing business. Terri took over the top spot at Bailey in 2001, and has been with the company for 20 years.

Tourist
Kicking back and relaxing is what Alec is all about. Who are we kidding?! Alec is the Retail Specialist at Bailey Nurseries, so rest and relaxation are a mirage - sorta like a tropical vacation during a Minnesota winter.

Alec brings more than 20 years of horticulture experience to Bailey’s. His mission is to help independent garden centers develop effective consumer communications programs. Need a translator to talk to your customers? Alec is your man! His travel bag is packed with merchandizing, signage, and inventory flow tools that work. Best of all, he makes a mean rum punch!

Rock Star, Kathleen Hennessy
Kathleen has been rockin’ the public relations world for more than 15 years. A partner at Axiom Marketing Communications, Kathleen spearheads the company’s social, print and broadcast media relations groups. She’s helping clients like Bailey Nurseries and Toro generate awareness that continues to grow.

Prior to her arrival at Axiom, Kathleen honed her skills as a TV news producer for one of the nation’s largest news gathering organizations. And, in her spare time, she really is a pretend rock star, playing and singing with a local cover band in Minnesota - sans pink hair.

Todd Davis has conducted interviews at more than 450 nurseries and other horticultural facilities in 41 states, Canada and Europe. His keen journalistic insight is informed with in-the-field experience working for three landscape contracting firms and with Skinner Nurseries’ (TX) landscape distribution operation. He is a frequent speaker at nursery industry events, is a Texas Certified Nursery Professional and a member of International Plant Propagators’ Society. In 2006, he was awarded Southern Nursery Association’s Pinnacle Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the green industry.

Called both a “mad scientist” and “plant geek," LLoyd's passion is matched by his commitment to using advanced technology. Lloyd worked in market research and special projects at Ball Seed Company prior to purchasing the Peace Tree Farm property in 1983, which he and his wife, Candy, have grown from “the little greenhouses up on the hill” to an established and internationally respected operation. Lloyd is a technology guru and advocate for small growers. He has contributed to GMPro, OFA, GPN, Greenhouse Grower, and GrowerTalks, and can be seen, from time to time, palling around in front of the camera with Martha Stewart.

Katie Ketelsen is, plain and simple, a plant geek! From her grandfather's Christmas tree farm, she launched her career as the local HyVee garden center manager. Recently, she did landscape design, project management, marketing, social media and event planning for TimberPine Nursery. Today she's taking the online gardening world by storm at BHG.com, writing and contributing to the "Everyday Gardeners" blog. No matter where she's working, her perfect slice of heaven will always include fresh soil, five of the hottest new plant introductions, a watering can…and probably some chapstick.

Tina Bemis is co-owner of Bemis Farms Nursery, a small grower/retail garden center in central Massachusetts. She is a Cornell University Floriculture graduate, as well as a graduate of ANLA's Garden Center University. In addition to her primary role as grower of herbaceous plants, she creates all of the advertising, marketing, merchandising and promotional events. She teaches more than 200 workshops a year on container gardening and garden-related design projects. Along with her husband, Ed, she hosts the cable television gardening show "Bloomin’ with the Bemises."

Justin W. Hancock is the senior garden editor for the Better Homes and Gardens web site, www.bhg.com, and a serious plant lover. He's been a gardener all his life and has worked on garden books, magazines, and web sites for the last fifteen years. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa (where he's also the co-owner of a retail garden center, Loki's Garden).

Chris “Seacrest” Beytes is editor and publisher of GrowerTalks and Green Profit magazines. A former wholesale greenhouse owner, Chris now travels North America and the world for Ball Publishing, seeking out the latest news, trends and ideas. Although partial to hydrangeas, his favorite plant is Pedilanthus tithymaloides, which will probably never win a beauty contest.