Careers
Gator Grads Succeed!
Salaries for these positions range from $35,000 to $120,000.
David Ressler
Vice President of Operations
Cherry Lake Tree Farm
UF Degree:
B.S. in Environmental Horticulture, 1996
Employer:
Cherry Lake Tree Farm - Groveland, FL
Job Description:
Manages 8 to 16 employees directly and oversees 175 hourly employees for a large-tree farm that grows magnolias, live oak, crepe myrtle, holly and elm.
Personal Statement:
The ENH program provided me with a good general knowledge of plant physiology, plant propagation, and nutrition. With this base and real life work experience it was easy to build a complete understanding of nursery operations. Since the nursery industry is relativity small and needs more qualified professionals, it was easy to find a job where my skills were needed and appreciated.
Sherie Burch
Utility Arborist
UF Degree:
B.S. in Environmental Horticulture, 2003
Employer:
Ocala Electric Utility - Ocala, FL
Job Description:
Develops the vegetation management program for the electrical system by interacting with customers, linesmen, engineers, salesmen, and city employees and managers from different departments. Oversees the management of tree trimming contract crews who implement the work and assumes responsibility for the quality of their work.
Personal Statement:
My internship with the City of Gainesville allowed me to apply the knowledge I gained from ENH courses. This helped me realize my own capabilities and the value of my skills.
I enjoy the challenge of looking at the big picture to determine the best plan of action for making improvements. I also like educating the crews and customers about trees and their relationships to the electrical equipment. Most of all I love that I can be outside most of the time!
Julie Martens
Garden Writer and Editor
UF Degree:
M.S. in Environmental Horticulture, 1988
Employer:
Self employed - Des Moines, Iowa
Job Description:
Writes stories about gardening techniques, individual gardeners, and plants or plant groupings for the consumer press. Edits garden-related projects, checking for horticultural accuracy and ghostwrites for scientific researchers. Acts as editor for entire magazines by conceptualizing, assigning, and editing articles.
Personal Statement:
What I enjoy most is that my current position utilizes all the skills and training I have received and practiced through the years of my career. My personal philosophy is to make gardening fun and accessible to every level of garden practitioner.
Alison DeBatt
Analytical Chemist / Lab Manager
UF Degree:
B.S. in Environmental Horticulture, 2003
Employer:
CAMAG Scientific, Inc. - Wilmington, NC
Job Description:
Orders supplies, maintains instruments, and ensures proper safety precautions are taken when working in the lab. Analyzes samples that are sent from customers around the world using thin layer chromatography techniques. The company's client base includes small labs, herbal companies, and major pharmaceutical companies known around the world. These samples can be analyzed for impurities, concentration, identification, etc.
Personal Statement:
I love being able to come to work everyday and know that it will be nothing like the day before. In research type jobs like this, your goals and projects are constantly changing and you learn new skills and techniques almost everyday. I also have the opportunity to collaborate with scientists all over the world who are working on similar projects, and I have an unending supply of knowledge and experience available to me at all times.
Jennifer Parrish
Sales Representative Agri-Starts
UF Degree:
B.S. in Environmental Horticulture, 2004
Employer:
Agri-Starts - Apopka, FL
Job Description:
Represents the four different Agri-Starts companies as a liaison to Ball Seed and provides their sales representatives with inventory information. Confirms orders, updates inventory, and does invoicing Travels to trade shows and visits sales representatives and their customers. .
Personal Statement:
I love the nursery industry. It's a very tight group of people who are almost always more than willing to help. It's wonderful to be friends with your co-workers, customers, suppliers and competition. I love plants and it's just an added bonus to be able to work with them every day.
Mike Marshall
Vice President Marshall Tree Farm
UF Degree:
B.S. in Environmental Horticulture, 1994; M.S., 1997
Employer:
Marshall Tree Farm - Morriston, FloridaJob
Description:
Grows quality landscape trees for use in residential developments, commercial developments, and municipalities including 30 species or cultivars of shade and flowering trees on over 300 acres. Duties include growing, selling, marketing, and industry involvement through associations, organizations, and speaking engagements.
Personal Statement:
We love working with trees. We are also very involved in the green industry which is full of great people.
Ray Gillis
Research Department Assistant Manager UF
UF Degree:
M.S. in Environmental Horticulture, 1995
Employer:
Oglesby Plants International, Altha, FL
Job Description:
There are 8 individuals in the research department. This department is responsible for placing new plants into tissue culture, eliminating any existing diseases, and developing the procedures for mass production.
Personal Statement:
I began my involvement with the EH department during my final semester as an undergraduate by working with Dr. Bijan Dehgan and Fe Almira as an OPS employee. It was Dr. Dehgan who encouraged me to pursue graduate studies within the Environmental Horticulture Department. Serving as a graduate assistant to Dr. Michael Kane and Nancy Philman, I learned many fundamentals of plant tissue culture through their instruction, advice, and hands on application. Upon graduation, I was fortunate to continue working with them for two years. It is personally rewarding to work in an area of science that provides an opportunity to combine hard work, persistence, and insight to solve problems of how to provide plants that everyone might not be able to enjoy otherwise.
Jennifer Colson
Executive Director
Sawtooth Botanical Garden
UF Degree:
M.S. in Environmental Horticulture, 2005
Employer:
Sawtooth Botanical Garden, Sun Valley, ID
Job Description:
Responsible for managing all aspects of the 5-acre garden including the development of individual gardens, site maintenance, educational programs, special events, fundraising and marketing. The Garden is visited by over 9000 people a year and was founded in 1995.
Personal Statement:
Public gardens are the melting pot of fantastic plants, scientific research, valuable public education and community interaction. The people plant connection is my draw to the industry. The base knowledge provided by the ENH program is essential for managing a public garden. The three internships I completed provided the "real world" experience necessary for entering the job market well prepared. I encourage anyone to apply for internships longer than the minimum time requirement to really gain invaluable experience. Student clubs also make a difference and allows one to interact with other students and work on projects as a team with common goals.
