2011/2012 PLANET Board of Directors

Officers

President
Gerald J. Grossi, Landscape Industry Certified Technician
Owner and COO, ArborLawn, Inc., Lansing, Michigan
E-mail: jerry@arborlawn.com
Specialty Areas: Lawn Care, Holiday Decorating

Jerry Grossi has 32 years of business experience and has given back to the industry in many ways. In 2000, he served as president of PLCAA, and has been a member of the PLANET Board of Directors since 2007. He is a PLANET Trailblazer and a member of both the GIE+EXPO Policy Advisory Board and the GIE Board of Directors. Within the industry, he is involved in leadership roles with the Michigan Lawn Service Association and the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation.

President-Elect
Norman Goldenberg, Landscape Industry Certified Technician
Senior Vice President, TruGreen, Memphis, Tennessee
E-mail: normangoldenberg@trugreenmail.com
Specialty Areas: Lawn Care

Norman Goldenberg currently focuses on Government Affairs and Industry Relations at TruGreen. In addition to his 49 years of business experience in the pest control and lawn care industry, he has been a member of the PLANET Board of Directors since 2005, chairman for the Government Affairs Committee, and has served on the PLCAA Board of Directors (1992-1997 and 2002-2004). He is a member of the Project Evergreen Board of Directors (2004-2010), currently serving as the president of Project Evergreen. He is also a Board Certified Entomologist.

Immediate Past President
David Snodgrass, Landscape Industry Certified Manager
President, Dennis’ Seven Dees Landscaping, Inc., Portland, Oregon
E-mail: davids@dennis7dees.com
Specialty Areas: Design/Build, Landscape Management, Lawn Care, Interior Installation and Maintenance, Retail Garden Center, Wholesale Growing

In addition to his many years of business experience, David Snodgrass has served as a volunteer in many arenas — the ALCA Board of Directors and now PLANET from 2001 to 2010 and ALCA's Exterior Council. He served as the chair of both the Green Industry Conference Committee and the Safety & Risk Management Committee. He was on the PLANET AEF Board of Directors and is a PLANET AEF Ambassador. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Landscape Contractors Association (OLCA), from 1990–1995, including a one-year term as president in 1994.

Directors at Large

Phil Allen, Ph.D., Landscape Industry Certified Manager
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
E-mail: phil_allen@byu.edu
Specialty Area: Educator

Phil Allen is program director for the Landscape Management Degree Program at BYU and has more than 18 years of industry involvement. He has been a member of the PLANET Board of Directors since 2008. He has served on numerous PLANET committees, such as Student Career Days, Accreditation, Industry Recruitment, Education, and Governance. He was named the 2006 PLANET AEF Outstanding Educator of the Year, and currently is a PLANET Educator Trailblazer.

Michael Byrne, Ph.D., Landscape Industry Certified Manager
Owner, Hunter Lane, LLC, South Hamilton, Massachusetts
E-mail: mlbyrne@comcast.net
Specialty Areas: Design/Build/Installation, Snow Management

Michael Byrne has 25 years of business experience and has served in several leadership positions within ALCA and PLANET. He was ALCA's 2003 president, served on the ALCA Exterior Council, and chaired the Awards Committee. This is his second year on the PLANET Board of Directors.

Tom Fochtman, Landscape Industry Certified
Vice President, CoCal Landscape
E-mail: tjfochtman@cocal.com

Tom Fochtman is the co-owner of Co-Cal Landscape in Colorado, which is a full service commercial landscape contractor founded in 1992. .Currently serves on the AEF and Planning & Finance boards of PLANET, as well as a member of the Crystal Ball committee. Currently a member of Association of Landscape Contractors of Colorado. Fairly involved in Colorado Trout Unlimited and Team Summit, a ski racing organization.

Bill Horn, Landscape Industry Certified
Vice President, Terracare Associates
E-mail: bhorn@terracareassociates.com

Bill Horn has 30 years of business experience. Bill served as the PLANET Landscape Management Specialty Group Chair from 2008-2010. He also currently serves on the GIE Board of Directors as well as the PLANET Safety and Risk Management Committee. In addition, Bill serves as a PLANET Trailblazer. Mr. Horn is currently a member of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) Resource Management Committee.

Glenn Jacobsen, Landscape Industry Certified
President, Jacobsen Landscape Design & Construction, Inc.
E-mail: glenn@jacobsenlandscape.com

Glenn Jacobsen founded Jacobsen Landscape in 1978, and has enjoyed working with his industry peers on the local and national level ever since. He is a PLANET Founding Trailblazer and has served in several roles within the organization since 1995, including a PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation Ambassador, PLANET Design/ Build Specialty Group member, and presently on the Board of Directors. Additionally, Glenn was honored by Lawn & Landscape Magazine as a 2009 recipient of the Leadership Award. Most recently, Glenn spearheaded the inaugural "PLANET Gives Back" community service project in Louisville, KY during the 2011 Green Industry Conference.

Kurt Kluznik, Landscape Industry Certified Manager
President, Yardmaster, Inc., Painesville, Ohio
E-mail: kurt@yardmaster.com
Specialty Areas: Landscape Management, Design/Build/Installation

Kurt Kluznik founded Yardmaster in 1971 and is vice president of Little Mountain Homes, a home building and property development firm in Northeast Ohio. Yardmaster has locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Kurt obtained the Charter Certified Landscape Professional (CCLP) designation, now called Landscape Industry Certified Manager, and is a registered Landscape Architect in Ohio. He served as president of ALCA in 2004 and received the ALCA Lifetime Leadership Award. He has since served as the chair of the PLANET Education Committee and the Certification Board of Governors, vice chair of the Crystal Ball Subcommittee, and is currently a PLANET Trailblazer.

Jim McCutcheon, Landscape Industry Certified
CEO, High Grove Partners
E-mail: jim.mccutcheon@highgrove.net

With 20 years of experience in all facets of landscape design, installation and maintenance and an intense focus on exceeding customer expectations.  Jim received his Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia and began his career with Post Properties as a Landscape Designer. He later moved on to direct all Post Landscape Group operations in Atlanta and Charlotte, overseeing installation and maintenance activities as well as managing all sales and marketing functions. As an active member of the landscape industry, Jim serves as a chairperson for the Crystal Ball Committee of the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and board member of the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation.

Roger Phelps, Landscape Industry Certified Manager
Promotional Communications Manager, STIHL Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia
E-mail: Roger.Phelps@stihl.us
Specialty Area: Supplier

A Navy veteran, Roger Phelps joined STIHL in 2001 and is responsible for sponsorships, public relations, event marketing, social media, and trade shows. Among his responsibilities are production of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series seen on ESPN2; event marketing; and PR relationships, such as the STIHL Dogs and Logs World Championships, National FFA Foundation, and TV personality P. Allen Smith; and association relationships like the National Association of State Park Directors, ISA, and PLANET. He is also part of STIHL's environmental stewardship team.

Barbara Scheibe
Executive Director, Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association, Waukesha, Wisconsin
E-mail: bscheibe@wi.rr.com
Specialty Area: State Association

Barbara currently serves on the PLANET Board of Directors as well as on various PLANET committees such as the Green Industry Conference Subcommittee, the Association Executives Subcommittee, Certification Subcommittee, Governance Committee, and the Executive Forum Subcommittee.

Ken Taylor, Landscape Industry Certified Manager
Segment Marketing Manager, JOHN DEERE, Cary, North Carolina
E-mail: TaylorJrKennethT@JohnDeere.com
Specialty Area: Supplier

Ken Taylor has 32 years of business experience. He has been a member of the PLANET Board of Directors since 2008 and served on the GIE Board of Directors from 2001 to 2005, including serving as president in 2005. He also served on the Board of Directors of ALCA (2000) and the Outdoor Power Equipment Distributors Association (1995-1998).

Kyle Webb , Landscape Industry Certified
Owner/President, A To Z Lawn and Landscaping, Inc.
E-mail: kyle@atozlawn.com

Kyle Webb has been an entrepreneur since the age of 12; he started his own mowing business at that age with a small investment from his father Jerry.  He took that once small mowing company, and turned it into a full service commercial landscape management firm while in college.  Kyle has 31 years of industry business experience.  He has been owner and CEO of Dayton Ohio based A to Z lawn & Landscaping since 1989.  He has served on many committees within PLANET, including Education, DBI, GIC, and Executive Forum.  Kyle was recently honored as a Landscape Management Trailblazer.