Our Leadership
AmericanHort is governed by experienced senior business leaders who represent diverse industry segments and share a desire to help our industry flourish.
Directors
Joe Allio
Petitti Family Farms
Ken Altman
Altman Specialty Plants
Patricia Dean
Wadsworth Control Systems
Tom Fessler
Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas, Inc
Ken Fisher
AmericanHort
Christine Fortman
Berridge Nurseries, Inc
Brian Lloyd
Olson’s Greenhouse
Emily Showalter
Willoway Nurseries
Scott Valentine
Express Seed Company
Bradd Yoder
Star Roses and Plants
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Kent Fullmer
Chairman
President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc.
Kent Fullmer is President at Fullmer’s Landscaping, Inc. in Dayton, OH, a residential landscape design and build company. Kent’s father started the business in 1962, Kent assumed ownership of the company in 2005 and continues to lead the second-generation company with passion and integrity. Kent brings high energy to the art of landscaping and his goal to provide positive personal experiences to Fullmer’s Landscaping’s clients. Kent has considerable experience working across the industry as he has served on the board of directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, is currently serving on the AmericanHort Landscape Contractor Committee, is a certified arborist as well as a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Derek Clark
Vice Chairman
Director of Sales for South Central Growers
Derek Clark is Director of Sales for South Central Growers, a second-generation family-owned greenhouse in Springfield, TN, producing annuals and perennials for the big box retailers. He began working in the horticulture industry in 2005 and held several key account management roles before joining South Central Growers in 2013. Derek is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as a graduate of EAGL, the Executive Academy for Growth and Leadership. He is passionate about helping strengthen the industry for future generations.
J. Harvey Cotten Jr.
Treasurer, AmericanHort
Harvey Cotten is a garden writer, designer, and consultant. After 22 years with the Huntsville Botanical Garden, most recently as vice president and chief horticulturist, he retired in 2014. He continues to present workshops for the Botanical Garden, Master Gardener Associations, Garden Clubs and other botanical gardens and arboreta while lecturing across the southeast on various garden topics. Harvey is very active in the industry. He currently serves as president of the Alabama Nursery & Landscape Association and is past president of the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) and Alabama Invasive Plant Council. Harvey co-authored a popular book “Easy Gardens for the South” published in 2009. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Mississippi State University. Prior to joining the Huntsville Botanical Garden staff, he was general manager of Monmouth Plantation in Natchez, MS, and co-owner of Chase Nursery Co in Huntsville.
Edward Overdevest
Immediate Past Chairman
Overdevest Nurseries LP
Ed Overdevest is the president and owner of Overdevest Nurseries, one of the leading nurseries in New Jersey where they sell to independent garden centers and distributors within a 300-mile radius of Bridgeton. Upon graduating from Cornell University, Ed returned home to become a partner in the family business, which he and his wife Gail later purchased. They led the company through a vigorous expansion and product diversification process and are proud to have their son Ryan join the team as a third-generation partner. With production facilities encompassing 290 acres, the nursery produces over 2,000 varieties of perennials, shrubs, and trees for east coast garden centers. The company has earned a sustainability certification due to their exemplary practices in conservation, and they are known for their strong labor relations and community involvement. Ed has received numerous honors including Young Farmer of the Year, Young Farm Couple, Nurseryman of the Year, Business of the Year, Grower of the Year, and several marketing awards. He has held leadership positions in local, state, and national community, business, and trade organizations.