Project EverGreen Executive Director Cindy Code presents Brandon Horvath, assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee, with the TOCA Environmental Communicator of the Year award. Photo: Project EverGreenThe Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) has named its Environmental Communicator of the Year.
Brandon Horvath, the assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee, was recently named the 2014 Environmental Communicator of the Year at the organization’s annual conference held in New Orleans.
The program is in its 16th year of recognizing individuals in the green industry for outstanding communications efforts regarding environmental issues.
“Brandon, through his daily work with students and industry stakeholders in the industry, epitomizes this award,” says Den Gardner, executive director of TOCA. “His commitment in environmental communications to consumers across the country and beyond helps spread the word on the importance of preserving turf and ornamentals for generations to come.”
Horvath says it is important to communicate with industry professionals so they can make real-time adjustments in their practices, and also to communicate with the future of the industry, the students, what those best practices are now and to teach them what may occur in the future and how they can communicate those changes to a broad audience.
“Students need to develop a sense of understanding that communicating effectively about the continued environmental improvements that our industry will make will lead to a sustainable, greener future, and that is what Project EverGreen, TOCA, and this award represents,” Horvath says. “It is something I am humbled to be recognized for from TOCA.”
Previous winners have included: Mark Welterlen, Bill Love, Tim Doppel, Doug Fender, Allen James, Rod Dodson, Jeff Gullickson, Kevin Trotta, Helen Stone, Allied Golf Associations of Colorado, Drs. Larry Stowell/Wendy Gelernter, Christopher Gray, Anthony Williams, Dr. Frank Rossi and Phil Fogarty.
