One of the many lessons my mother taught me when I was young, was that we should always arise early, and jump start each day in a positive way.
As a young man, I took this counsel to heart and started my mornings in a very positive way by getting up, getting dressed and getting out of the house long before Mom could find me and put me to work. Eventually though, she would always find me.
Those early lessons from Mom eventually took root as I learned the importance of starting each day guided by the core values of hard work, honesty, service, and putting people above things. Doing this has allowed me to find joy while working hard in this challenging industry to grow beautiful plants with the greatest people.
Six years ago, Mike Hiller, who was serving then as the Oregon Association of Nurseries president, encouraged me regularly to join the OAN. He frequently invited me to “just come and see what it is about.” I am grateful for his persistent invitations and decided to check it out.
Since coming and seeing what the OAN is about, I have been blown away by what happens day in and day out on our behalf. I learned that many of their core values aligned with my own. So … I joined.
Since that first meeting, I have served the nursery industry in various ways. Just this last year, I was given the awesome opportunity to be OAN president. It has been an incredible experience to serve the Oregon greenhouse and nursery industry in this capacity.
I have been equally impressed with the quality of people who have served, and continue to serve, the OAN. They have been great mentors for me and are great resources for each of us. I would be remiss if I did not take a few moments to say thank you to a few individuals/groups:
Josh Robinson: For being such a positive example. You are generous with your time and support, and that shines through in your leadership and interactions with people.
Jeff Stone: The strongest advocate any group of people could possibly have, he is the backbone of the OAN. Your attention to detail and ability to make every meeting impactful was not lost on me. I appreciate your endless effort on our behalf.
The OAN staff: There is so much that happens behind the scenes; thank you for your hard work to ensure the organization runs smoothly.
The Bountiful Farms family: You make it look easy, thank you for your consistent effort each and every day. I love what I do because of the people I work with.
My wife Lisa and our family: Your support means the world to me; thank you for being so flexible with your time and for making every day fun and exciting.
Lastly, I want to thank you, my peers. I have enjoyed getting to know you better and learning more about the motivations that keep you functioning at a high level every day. I have come away from our interactions more optimistic about the future of our industry here in Oregon.
The future is unknown and there are still many challenges ahead to navigate, but I am confident in our leadership, who are guided by core values to help prepare for and navigate the future challenges that await.
Your incoming OAN president, Amanda Staehley, will do a tremendous job. She understands the ins and outs of the industry, she is politically savvy, and works incredibly hard. Her skill set will benefit the OAN as a whole, and I am excited to see her excel in her new role.
Thank you for this opportunity to serve!
Todd Nelson, OAN President (2022-2023)
President’s Message from the October 2023 issue of Digger magazine | Download PDF
