Greetings plant people and biophilic designers,

This month, please join GPGB’s board of directors in welcoming our new executive board leadership. At the January 19 board meeting in Tampa, FL the board elected Janice Goodman, Boston Cityscapes, to serve as president, Kingston White, Morning Dew Tropical Plants, to serve as treasurer, and Jeremy Dearringer, NewPro Containers, Inc. to serve as Secretary.

Stepping off the executive board and continuing to serve as directors are former president Mike Senneff, Natura, former treasurer Mark Minutaglio, John Mini Distinctive Landscapes, and former secretary Simon May, Spruce Flowers and Events.

Janice communicated her enthusiasm for her new role when she said “Big things are happening on the green front because of Mike’s, Mark’s, and Simon’s terrific work and leadership. These are big shoes to fill and I’m excited about continuing their legacy of strategic decision-making and positioning GPGB as a catalyst for allied professionals interested in biophilia and plants.”

As founder and CEO of Boston Cityscapes, Janice brings over 30 years of industry and leadership experience to her role as GPGB’s president. An Interior Plantscape Hall of Fame inductee, a perennial project award winner in multiple competitions, and a highly active BOMA member, Janice’s relationships within and outside of the interior landscape community inform her vision for GPGB.

Jan’s goals for her time as GPGB president include developing a robust program of GPGB presentations and speaker teams to bring plant benefits information to communities of allied professionals and plant specifiers. These communities include architects, designers, real estate investors and building owners, and human resource managers.

Additionally, Janice is committed to developing a board and committee culture that reflects professional diversity and nurtures the development of innovative solutions to the barriers allied professionals experience when they advocate for the addition of plants and biophilia into their buildings.

Interior Initiative Growth Fund

The election of officers was conducted at the GPGB board meeting held in conjunction with TPIE, the Tropical Plant International Expo. And TPIE was the venue for a major GPGB announcement, the launch of the Interior Initiative Growth Fund (IIGF). Spearheaded by Mike Senneff, GPGB supporters raised over $330,00 to begin an endowment for the interior landscape industry. Nested within the National Horticulture Foundation, the earned income from the IIGF, invested in ESG funds, will be used to support research, education, and marketing projects that serve the interior landscape industry. You can read more about the IIGF here.

A Word (or two) of Thanks

The launch of our IIGF endowment was announced at the inaugural International Plantscape Awards Gala. We are deeply grateful to Elliott Bennett, I-Plants Magazine and Linda Reindl, National Horticulture Foundation, for their generous support of GPGB’s campaign to create this fund and the many hours they spent with us brainstorming and working out the details.

And then there are our outgoing officers. Jan expressed it well. Since 2017 Mike, Mark, and Simon provided the stellar leadership that grew GPGB’s social media, communications, and education programs, while maintaining the fiscal governance that allows us to accomplish these projects on our small budget.

How small? As of December 30, 2021, there are only 130 people who support GPGB’s work. To this intimate group, our heartfelt thanks for helping us accomplish our mission to bring more nature into the built environment. Thank you!

Not already a Supporter? If the spirit moves you, please join your voice with ours.

Be a catalyst for wellbeing.

#StayPlanted,

Mary Golden

Advocacy Incubator

Interested in locating a professional interior landscaper? Check out GPGB’s FIND A PROVIDER map.

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