FNGLA Greenline March 2015

PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Sandy Stein
FNGLA 2014-2015 President
FNGLA’s Success: Valuable Industry Relationships
“Never fail to appreciate someone who cares for you. Just because they’re always
in your life to help in some way, never fail to give thanks or recognition. To
value someone or something too lightly is a risk no one should take.”
– Unknown
FNGLA works on multiple
fronts simultaneously for the
good of our members. I have
spent significant time sharing what for me has been
most appealing and congruent with my personality.
That is our Association’s efforts around attracting more
of our industry to our roles and finding new ways
to market our products sold through retail outlets or
installed by Certified Professionals within the state
and across the country. This month though, I want to
place the focus on just how your Association has been
so successful building relationships and protecting our
Association’s political best interests in Washington and
Tallahassee.
Ben Bolusky, our CEO, came to FNGLA by way
of the former American Nursery and Landscape
Association. It was quite the coup for our Association
to have landed Ben. His connections in Washington
and his experience working for the best interests of
nursery growers and landscape contractors nationally,
maybe made acquiring him a “reach,” but thank the
powers that be, we did. Ben has been helping make
this Association a voice that has had a seat at the table
for all things important to the landscape contracting
and nursery industries for many years now. All of us
know and appreciate Ben.
Some of us may not know Jim Spratt though. Jim was
FNGLA’s in-house staff lobbyist for approximately 8
years. Though he spent most of his time in Tallahassee,
Jim is no shy-guy. He has worked hard building
relationships for us in Washington as well, and has
regularly updated your FNGLA Board of Directors on
his progress protecting our abilities to continue in the
businesses we all love.
Jim first garnered the attention of FNGLA when, as
part of the Florida Department of Agriculture’s water
policy division, he helped craft the Best Management
Practices which have been in place making our
ag-business lives manageable with respect to water for
many years now. FNGLA saw an opportunity to bring
Jim onboard and was not going to miss it.
Three years ago Jim left to start his own firm,
Magnolia Strategies, LLC, where he continues his
important work for FNGLA, as well as for other
ag-interests, all of whom understand the expertise Jim
brings to educate our legislators on issues vital to our
industries and who understand the deep respect shared
by all who know Jim. Married to Sharon and the father
of two-year old twins, James and Laura, Jim is just
getting started as a family man, yet he is our seasoned
go-to-guy and I regard him as a great friend.
If you come to our annual convention in Coral Gables
on June 12 & 13, you will be able to meet Jim. I have
no doubt you too will see just why our Association is
in such great hands in Tallahassee and Washington. If
you’re shy, don’t worry, Jim will say hi to you.
Sandy Stein
The Jungle Nursery (Miami)
sstein@junglenursery.com
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