Horticultural Research Institute Announces 2026 Board Leadership and Trustee Appointments

Jennifer Gray • January 22, 2026

HRI recognizes outgoing trustees Leigh Geschwill and Ed Bemis for outstanding service and stewardship

COLUMBUS, OH – January 20, 2026 — The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the research affiliate of AmericanHort, has announced its 2026 Board of Trustees leadership and governance updates, including new officers, term renewals, and the appointment of a new board member.

HRI’s Board of Trustees provides strategic direction and oversight for the organization’s national efforts to advance horticultural research, strengthen the connection between research outcomes and industry use, and invest in the future of the green industry through education, scholarships, and leadership development.

2026 Board Leadership

HRI is pleased to announce the following officer transitions effective January 2026:

Mark Yelanich, PhD (Metrolina Greenhouse) will serve as 2026 President
Ed Tankard (Tankard Nurseries) will serve as 2026 President-Elect
Jonathan Berry (J Berry Nursery) will assume the role of Immediate Past President

In addition, Ryan Overdevest (Overdevest Nurseries, LP) has joined the Executive Committee to serve with Treasurer Dan Batson (GreenForest Nursery, Inc.), Jim Eason (Eason Horticultural Resources), Development Committee Chair Harvey Cotten (Horticultural Consultant & Author), and John Rausch (Star Roses & Plants).

HRI extends sincere appreciation to Jonathan Berry for his dedicated service and leadership as 2025 Board President, helping guide HRI’s continued focus on industry relevance, research impact, and long-term stewardship.

New Trustee Appointment

HRI welcomes Matt Foertmeyer (Foertmeyer & Sons Greenhouse), who will begin a three-year term representing Region II.

Foertmeyer is a second-generation greenhouse grower and owner currently serving as head grower for Foertmeyer & Sons Greenhouse, the company his parents founded in 1988. He currently serves as the Greenhouse Community Connector Coordinator for AmericanHort, and is a routine volunteer with The Ohio State University’s Department of Horticulture & Crop Science. A graduate of the inaugural class of the HRI Leadership Academy, Foertmeyer is also a frequent speaker and moderator at industry conferences and is known for his commitment to developing the industry’s workforce and strengthening opportunities for grower success.

Trustees Continuing Service

HRI also recognizes the trustees appointed to second three-year terms: Shane Brockshus (Bailey Nurseries), Mike Hiller (KCK Farms), Matt Sawyer (Bennett’s Creek Nursery), Simon Traskey (Star Roses & Plants), and Lloyd Traven (Peace Tree Farm).

HRI gratefully acknowledges the continued service of current trustees who will remain on the board in 2026: Jonathan Jasinski (Microplant Nurseries), Peter Mezitt (Weston Nurseries), Amy Morris (N.G. Heimos Greenhouses), Denise Mullins (Smith Gardens), Ben Rough (J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.), Bennett Saunders (Saunders Brothers), Steve Taber (Southwest Wholesale Nursery), and Maria Zampini (UpShoot LLC).

Recognition of Outgoing Trustees

HRI extends sincere appreciation to Leigh Geschwill (F and B Farms and Nursery) and Ed Bemis (Bemis Farms Nursery) as they conclude their service on the Board of Trustees effective January 2026. Bemis has completed two six-year terms on the board, and Geschwill has completed multiple terms of service, including her leadership as HRI President.

“Leigh has been a remarkable leader for HRI and a steadfast champion for research that strengthens the horticulture industry,” said Jennifer Gray, HRI Administrator. “Her leadership helped reinforce a culture of stewardship and accountability, and her influence is reflected in HRI’s continued focus on connecting research investment to practical, actionable outcomes for growers and businesses. We are deeply grateful for her service.”

Gray also recognized outgoing trustee Ed Bemis for his dedicated service to HRI. “During Ed’s service on the Board of Trustees, he brought thoughtful guidance and a steady industry perspective—especially elevating the needs and viewpoints of garden retailers,” Gray said. “His commitment to HRI’s mission and to ensuring our work stays grounded in real-world industry priorities has made a lasting difference.”

Gray added that HRI is equally grateful to Jonathan Berry for his leadership as 2025 President and his continued service as Immediate Past President in 2026, ensuring strong continuity within the organization’s Board of Trustees.

For more information about HRI and its work to fund, support, and share horticultural research, visit www.hriresearch.org.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Share This Post

Soilless Substrate Science - Ushering in the Next Generation of Growing Media

By Jennifer Gray • May 28, 2026

Soilless Substrate Science (S3) is a national transdisciplinary collaboration developed to support growers as we advance to the next generation of substrates. Our team is leading North American efforts to develop new substrate materials and techniques, and working with growers to support implementation, as we support the global transition to substrates that go Beyond Peat. In this webinar, Dr. Jeb Fields will discuss the S3 team efforts surrounding identification of new substrate materials, processing and development, and grower support. We will explore wood fiber processing, sugarcane bagasse substrate development, stabilization of organic fibers, databasing substrate materials, and opportunities for growers to get involved. Overall, attendees will learn about US efforts to develop domestically-sourced substrates and advance substrate science as we move towards the next generation of substrate science. Our Speaker Dr. Jeb Fields is a production horticulturist who works with growers in Florida and throughout the country to support more effective and efficient production practices through his environmental nursery research program. Jeb’s primary interests include growing media & substrate science, irrigation & fertilizer management, whole plant-water relations and plant abiotic stress physiology. Jeb is an internationally recognized substrate scientist, the leader of the Beyond Peat project through the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative, and the national S3 (Soilless Substrate Science) team which pursues advancements of the global substrate industry and development sustainable substrate materials and practices, including substrate stratification. Jeb is the editor for Nursery & Landscape Insider, a biweekly e-newsletter from Ball Publishing, that reaches over 32,000 stakeholders worldwide. For his efforts, he has been recognized with numerous awards, honors, and leadership positions. Prior to joining UF, Jeb was a professor and research station director with the LSU AgCenter. Jeb studied at UF for his B.S., NC State University for his M.S., and Virginia Tech for his Ph.D. – with all degrees focusing on production horticulture.

A soft-focus background of varying shades of green, suggesting grass, foliage, or a forest landscape.

Understanding Why Rose Rosetting Disease Appears in Distinct Regions of a Shrub Rose Plan

By Jennifer Gray • April 9, 2026

This webinar dives into the problem of rose rosette virus. Shrub roses consist of multiple canes attached to a root system and produce beautiful spring growth in the form of new flowering stems and branches. Experts will provide an overview of how rose rosette virus first attacks flowering growth and can move throughout the stem. At the same time rosette symptoms appear in mature distinct stems of a plant and may be absent from others. The research delves into understanding how the vascular system connects the flowering stems and above ground canes. The research is to understand how virus movement between adjacent stems and only appears to cause disease in a few but not all canes of the same plant. This research is important to explore potential management approaches to safeguard rose.

From Propagation to Consumers: HRI Research Powers Every Link in the Green Industry Supply Chain

By Jennifer Gray • March 24, 2026

The horticulture industry continues to change as new technologies, production practices, and consumer expectations reshape the marketplace. Research plays an essential role in helping growers, landscapers, and retailers adapt and succeed. That’s exactly where the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) enters the chat. Every year, HRI selects and funds research projects that advance horticulture. In 2026, HRI is investing more than $560,000 in 18 research projects that target challenges across the horticultural supply chain, including plant production, pest and disease management, landscape plant performance, and consumer insights. “What makes HRI research so valuable is that it focuses on real challenges the industry is facing right now,” said Mark Yelanich, HRI President and Research Director at Metrolina Greenhouses. “The 2026 HRI-funded projects were selected because they develop knowledge, processes, or tools that businesses can actually use.” HRI’s four strategic research priorities guide funding decisions, focusing on quantifying plant benefits, creating innovative solutions, gathering consumer insights, and producing practical solutions to industry challenges. The 2026 projects reflect these priorities across the horticulture supply chain.