The Georgia Green Industry Association recognized several individuals as recipients of awards in various categories at Wintergreen Tradeshow and Conference in Duluth, GA last month.

The Georgia Green Industry Association’s Jake Tinga Young Professional of the Year award is given for outstanding success in the field of environmental horticulture and is offered as an inspiration to others starting out in the field. The candidate must be under 35 years of age or been involved in the industry for less than ten years.

Renee Wright - The Jake Tinga Distinguished Young Professional Award Winner

Like many second- and third-generation industry members, Renee Wright seems to have been destined to find her way back to the family business. Renee serves as the client relations manager at Bloom’n Gardens Landscape. Her route to the business included obtaining a degree in horticulture from Mississippi State University in 2014. During her time at MSU, Renee’s floral design team took home the overall baccalaureate school award from the American Institute of Floral Designer’s Student Floral Design Competition. Renee was also a member of the Young Professionals Council (YPC) American Floral Endowment program that gives networking opportunities to young industry members and students.

Since graduation, Renee has been learning the landscape trade beginning with the maintenance side of the business and now working to ensure that Bloom’n Gardens Customers are well cared for. Bright and driven, Renee embraces new challenges and has begun working with industry groups including GGIA. She certainly has a bright future in the green industry.

GGIA is a statewide trade association whose members include wholesale nursery growers, retail garden centers, floriculture growers, landscape and maintenance contractors, irrigation contractors and suppliers, allied products and services.

Media Inquiries Contact: Ashley Prater, Director of Membership Services, at 706-632-0100 or ashley@ggia.org.

GGIA is a statewide trade organization for the horticulture industry in Georgia representing wholesale growers, retail garden centers, landscape contractors, floriculture, irrigation contractors and allied products. Our hallmark event, The Wintergreen Horticultural Conference and Tradeshow, is held each January.

Online at www.ggia.org Phone: 706-632-0100 By mail: P. O. Box 2568, Blue Ridge, GA 30513

Jeremy Oxford – Chairman 2019-2020 Lanie Riner – Vice Chairperson 2019-2020