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Angela Myers/ Plant Care Technician – Angela joined PLANTZ in 2009. She leads the team with the most positive customer feedback, spreading her signature smile and excellent plant skills to each of her customers. She also has an AS degree in Agriculture from HCC. Fun Fact- She loves spending time with her fiancé Rich, her 2 kids and their 3 huge dogs. She still finds time to volunteer for causes she believes in, including Tampa Bay Watch. Favorite Plant- the Cattleya orchid (and every bromeliad in the world!) |
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Mary Ann Howard/ Plant Care Technician – Mary Ann climbed aboard when PLANTZ bought the Lakeland-based Plant Manager in 2006. Hailing from Homeland, FL, Mary Ann delivers outstanding customer service with a southern style all her own. Ask anyone in Polk County…she’s the best. Fun fact- Mary Ann loves to take care of people. She also loves to smile. In her spare time she’s been known to also catch some pretty awesome fish. Favorite plant- the lovely little Caladium. |
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Curtis Ashmore/ Plant Care Technician and Captain of Happiness – Curtis has been with PLANTZ since 2006 and serves as a plant care technician. Fun fact – Believe it or not, but Curtis is in a rock band and bangs the drums pretty hard. Rumor has it that he bills himself as an amateur chef and is self-proclaimed “grill master” in his neighborhood. Favorite plant – the Madagascar Dragon Plant-(aka Dracaena Marginata). |
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Jeff Drake/Plant Care Technician and Utility Guy – Jeff joined the company in 1999 and is the most tenured of our service team. Jeff splits his time between interior/exterior plant care and performing plant installations, and flat-out gets stuff done. Fun fact – Jeff’s budding collegiate baseball career was cut short by a shoulder injury. These days Jeff enjoys fishing in his spare time and getting pulled around by his 80 lb. wolf-mix dog. Favorite plant – the flowering Tabebuia tree. |
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Keith Lindquist / Plant Care Technician – Keith joined the team in 2009 to help with the holiday rush, and he liked it so much he stayed. An Auburn University grad and former computer teacher, Keith handles many customer engagements that require both interior and exterior plant care in hotels, hospitals, and law firms. Fun fact – Keith is a freelance photographer, and he’s for hire. Favorite plant – Dracaena Lisa Cane.  |
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Andrew Normington/ Plant Care Technician – Andrew is the most recent addition to our service team but comes with extensive plant care experience. A native of Massachusetts, Andrew spent most of his career at CityScapes of Boston. We’re glad he’s joined us as a plant care technician and hope we can convert him to a Rays fan! Fun Fact- Andrew loves to garden. In his spare time he enjoys visiting art museums and is quite a history buff. Favorite Plant- the Hoya. |
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Ralph Thoresen, Jr / Plant Care Technician - Lucky for us, Ralph found the PLANTZ website while looking for work and said "that looks like a good company and a great group of people to work with." He comes to us with more than 35 years of Florida plant experience, having worked at Webb's Nursery (wholesale) and the infamous Beckett Lake Nursery (retail), both in Clearwater. In his spare time (what's that?) he enjoys spending time his wife and rescue pets (2 dogs and a cat), listening to music, grilling and gardening. Favorite plant - Quercus virginiana - the stately southern Live Oak. |
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Steve Stanford joined the company in 2004 and serves as president. A 1986 graduate of the University of Florida, Steve combines plant, people, and technology skills in his day-to-day management of the company. He a Florida Certified Pest Control Operator, and is very active in the community. Fun fact – Steve was a professional water skier at Sea World. Favorite plant – Cynodon dactylon / Bermudagrass. |
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Susan “Sue” Waltzer is the most senior member of the PLANTZ team and serves as the company’s Operations Manager. Sue joined the company in 1997 and has served as a plant care specialist. Currently, she is responsible for new customer installations, shop operations, and supporting the entire team through plant procurement and plant placement. Fun fact – Sue hasn’t missed a Daytona 500 in 30 years. Favorite plant – Poinsettias, of course! |
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Susan Griffith joined the company in 2007 and currently serves as our Customer Services Manager. She is responsible for translating customer expectations to our team of plant care specialists to produce exceptional results for customers. Working in the interior plant business since 1990, she is an accomplished industry veteran. She is a certified interior horticulturist and is currently working on becoming LEED certified. Fun fact- Don’t look for Susan on land on a sunny Saturday- she’s usually out bonding with nature on her kayak and cleaning garbage from bay-area estuaries and beaches with her dog. “We live in a paradise. We can’t take it for granted. The cleaner we keep it, the cleaner it will stay!” Favorite plant- Bambusa Chungii, the beautiful tropical blue bamboo. |
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Diana Gansel is our Office Manager and Chief Party Officer. Diana joined the company in 2004. A QuickBook’s expert, she works closely with customers to ensure that our invoicing is timely and accurate. When she’s not playing bookkeeper, Diana works as CPO with event and party planners to produce exceptional foliage experiences for party guests. Fun fact – Diana spent part of her career as a snow ski instructor in the “Ohio Alps”. She celebrated her 65th birthday by doing a tandem parachute jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Favorite plant – Foxtail Palm
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Dara Leslie is our part-time Chief Financial Officer and has worked with Steve on ventures dating back to 1984. She earned a BS from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration and an MBA at the University of North Florida. She’s married, and the mom of 2 great kids. She’s also working on becoming a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. Fun Fact – Dara volunteers extensively in the community and serves at the Plant High School Athletic Foundation Treasurer. Favorite plant – Magnolia grandiflora. |