November/December 2024 - 8

HEADLINES/CALENDAR
HRI Leadership Academy: Impacting
Professional and Personal Lives
By AmericanHort Staff
Front row (L to R) Susannah Ball, Adam Kobes, Christine Fortman, Denise Mullins, Matthew Foertmeyer and Melanie Bedner;
back row (L to R): Kyle Fessler, Jacob Stidhman, Tyler Richardson, Sander Brooks, Hamza Daour, Andy Klittich, Ryan Watkins and
Jonathan Jasinski. Photo courtesy of AmericanHort.
In 2022, AmericanHort and the Horticultural Research
Institute (HRI) partnered on a bold new endeavor: to develop
horticulture's future leaders today. To fulfill this mission, the two
organizations created the HRI Leadership Academy, an intensive
leadership training program for individuals seeking to strategically
and thoughtfully guide their teams and organizations.
Charting the Path Forward
The HRI Leadership Academy's inaugural class of 14
participants began their journey in fall 2022 to enhance their
management and communications skills, develop strategic
decision-making tools, and hone their motivation techniques.
The class was an example of the horticulture industry's diversity,
with participants coming from the garden retail, nursery,
landscape, greenhouse, and allied industry segments.
The curriculum, which applies equally well across professional
levels and individuals' objectives, included both in-person and
online instruction. The program culminated in a team project,
in which individuals worked together on a weekly basis toward
a common final presentation.
Growth Opportunity
The HRI Leadership Academy is a sizable commitment;
however, the year-long program proved to be life-changing
8 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024
for participants. Kyle Fessler, greenhouse production manager
at Woodburn Nursery in Woodburn, Oregon, participated to
ensure he was well prepared to steward the family business
when the transition to his generation takes place.
" I need to set myself up for future success, to learn the skills
and build the tools necessary to be an effective leader for our
organization, " Fessler said. With the HRI Leadership Academy
program, Fessler said he found " a good opportunity to help
build those skills that I'm looking for, that I will eventually need
for an expanded leadership role within the company. "
For Christine Fortman, co-owner of Berridge Nurseries in
Phoenix, the HRI Leadership Academy gave her an opportunity
for professional and personal growth. Having had a corporate
job outside of the industry before joining the family retail
garden center business, the academy allowed her to learn more
about leading a horticulture-specific business.
" I've spent the last decade getting up, going to work, doing
the work, and going home, " Fortman said. " I thought there
should be something else that I could be involved in, learn
from, and be a part of. [The HRI Leadership Academy] helped
me gain a different perspective across the industry. " Fortman
credits the HRI Leadership Academy with broadening her
view of the industry beyond retail. " There's a whole other world
of horticulture going on that I just wasn't exposed to, " she
commented, " so that was really exciting for me. "

November/December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November/December 2024