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 | Featured Speakers | | Executive Forum 2010 |
Featuring  Jeff Thredgold is President of Thredgold Economic Associates, an economic consulting and professional speaking company based near Salt Lake City, Utah. Jeff is the only economist in the world to have ever received the international designation of CSP, or Certified Speaking Professional, the highest earned designation in professional speaking. His career includes 23 years with $105 billion banking giant KeyCorp, where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. He now serves as “economic consultant” to $55 billion Zions Bancorporation, which has banks in 10 states. Jeff has appeared dozens of times on CNBC-TV, as well as numerous appearances on CNN, and is quoted regularly in the nation’s financial press. He is a monthly contributor for the national publication Blue Chip Financial Forecasts and quarterly USA TODAY economic forecast surveys. Jeff has been writing a weekly economic and financial newsletter, now entitled the Tea Leaf, for 34 years. His latest book, econAmerica, was released by major publisher Wiley & Sons. Other books include A Parent’s Letter to My Children in School; Economy by Thredgold; and On The One Hand…The Economist’s Joke Book.
|  Burton S. Sperber is founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ValleyCrest Landscape Companies. Since starting the company in 1949, he’s led ValleyCrest with vision and wisdom through six decades of dynamic growth to become the nation’s largest, privately-held integrated landscape services firm. Burt strategically charted the company's path to success and molded a people-centered corporate culture that reflects a desire to deliver unmatched horticultural expertise and unrivaled customer service. A pioneer in establishing high levels of innovation, professionalism and respect within the landscape industry, Burton has been recognized with awards and honors throughout his career as a landscape architect, contractor, business executive and for his involvement in charitable groups.
|  Kevin Kehoe has twenty three years of consulting and training experience including nine years of general management experience managing at Coopers & Lybrand, Sheraton Hotels, and S&A Restaurant Corp. He has worked with over 150 companies in the Green Industry helping them increase profits, grow revenues, acquire companies and exit for retirement. Kevin is an author whose books include Meetings That Work, Enhancing Leadership Impact, The Selling Advantage, How to Build A Five Year Plan, and The Little Red Book of Sales and Customer Service. Kevin has published over 200 articles in business and trade magazines..
|  Specializing in the Green Industry, Frank Ross is one of the country’s most highly regarded consultants. His in-depth work on several national industry financial studies along with more than thirty-five years of hands-on experience with hundreds of the most successful companies in the country gives him unparalleled knowledge of what Green Industry firms do to become profitable and what steps they must take to make money. Actively serving on several Boards of Directors in the construction and financial communities, he is widely respected as an astute construction economist and financial consultant, and is nationally known for his innovative techniques in the areas of strategic planning, job pricing and cash flow management. .
|  Specializing in Growth and Exit strategy planning, Jeff Harkness has spent the last 10 years working exclusively with the owners of contracting and service firms. Jeff has worked with numerous green industry companies throughout the country delivering comprehensive business growth, financial planning and exit strategy services. He has helped business owners’ value and seamlessly transfer their businesses to subsequent generations, facilitate employee buyouts, or exit completely with via third party transactions. He has continuously provided solutions that allow owners to maximize their compensation and profitability through various planning techniques, systems and organization structure. He has created strategies that tie key people to the company through compensation models, phantom stock and/or bonus programs..
|  Upon graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture, Bill started a 29 year career with ValleyCrest Companies in the maintenance division. In 1982, Arman was appointed VP for the Southern California Region overseeing a $25 million portfolio. While at ValleyCrest, Arman spent two years as VP of Human Resources, serving as the primary architect for the development and implementation of the national training program, performance management system, and the recruiting program for this $800 million, 10,000 employee company. Arman, a ’06 recipient of the Lawn and Landscape / Bayer Environmental Science national leadership award is currently featured in a monthly Lawn and Landscape column sharing best practices on growing great people. Recently Arman has founded a national landscape business consultancy called the Harvest Group where he serves as the Head Harvester..
|  Ed Laflamme, CCLP, author of his newly released book, GREEN SIDE UP, Straight talk on growing and operating a profitable landscaping business! (now available on CD) knows about hard work. In 1971, with 2 mowers purchased with $700.00 he borrowed from his mother, Laflamme built the largest landscape company in Connecticut. With his “X-treme Customer Service” Culture, he was able to maintain and retain companies from Aetna to GE to Xerox. After 30 years in business he sold his company and is now busy fulfilling his second dream of helping fellow landscapes learn from his experience and succeed and profit in their own businesses.
|  Steve Cesare has more than 25 years of Human Resources experience. Prior to his recent position as the Director of Human Resources with Bemus Landscape, Steve worked with Jack in the Box, the County of San Diego, Citicorp, and NASA. Steve earned his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Old Dominion University, and has authored 9 professional journal articles. As the newest member of the The Harvest Group, Steve's areas of focus will include: policies and procedures, wage and hour issues, employee safety, and strategic planning.
|  With 20 years of experience in all facets of landscape design, installation and maintenance and an intense focus on exceeding customer expectations, Jim McCutcheon is widely regarded by industry experts and the local Atlanta marketplace as a visionary leader and dynamic pioneer in the landscape industry. 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. |
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