Eric Hopkins Receives Leadership Award
Class V’s Eric Hopkins has been named Leadership Palm Beach County's 2012 Leadership Excellence Award recipient in recognition of his vast volunteer contributions. Many of his colleagues and friends came to congratulate him at the award dinner in April including, left from right, Class V's Halsey Beshears, Kelly Hollis, Class V's Toby Basore, Eric, Ramsey Simmons and Class V's Francisco Pines. Congratulations Eric! 

ALUMNI NEWS

Class VII’s Charlie Wilson was featured in a recent article in the Tampa Tribune. The story covers his company, Sunridge Harvesting, his family, his relationships with area businesses and includes information about WLI. To view, click here.




Sean Brantley (Class VII), vice president at Emory Brantley & Sons in Pinellas Park, was appointed to the Pest Control Enforcement Advisory Council. The council consists of 11 members and advises Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs on pest control enforcement issues. Congratulations!



Class II alumni Rick Roth attributes much of his and his farm’s success on his father, saying, “Dad taught me honesty, the value of hard work, and how to treat people.”

Rick and his farm were recently featured in a Southeast Farm Press article. Roth Farms is one of the most diversified farming operations in Florida producing sugar cane, radishes, lettuce and leafy vegetables, Chinese cabbage, parsley, sweet corn, green beans and rice, in addition to palm trees and other landscaping plants. The farm also includes a 60,000 square foot state-of-the-art packinghouse. Rick continues his father's lifework, who began farming in the area in 1948.

To read the article, click here.


Class II's Bob Adair was featured in the November, 2011 Farm Press article about the Florida Research Center’s activities and research of better ways to control the ever-growing list of citrus diseases. Currently at the top of the list is citrus greening disease or Huanglongbing (HLB). At the forefront of his current research activities is the investigation of new nutrient forms for use within a foliar fertilization program as a means to reduce tree stress and slow the disease progress that will hopefully increase the productive life span of symptomatic trees. HLB, a bacterial disease native to China, “undoubtedly poses the most serious threat that the Florida citrus industry has ever faced”, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bob is the executive director at the Florida Research Center for Agricultural Sustainability, Inc. (FLARES).

Carlton Ward (Class VII) will begin a nearly 1,000-mile trek through the Florida peninsula to highlight the need for maintaining a habitat corridor through the area. He’ll join a biologist, a conservationist and a filmmaker to document their journey and share their story. Carlton is quoted in a story published by FloridaEnvironments.com, “I would like state leaders to keep Florida’s green infrastructure and agriculture production as a priority,” he said. “Just in those simple terms, this is important. This is our last chance to get it right.” To read the rest of the story, click here.