PlantAmerica –
Founded in 1995, PlantAmerica offers the Internet’s best and most complete souce gardening information and seasonal products for America’s 85 million gardening households. The company’s online gardening library at www.mygardenguide.com
PlantAmerica also provides state-of-the-art web hosting services to over 1,200 of the industry’s leading garden centers, landscape firms, and wholesale growers.
Management
Lee Pryor
President and CEO
Lee Pryor has over 30 years of successful experience as a chief executive for technology companies. He began his career with Time Inc. then moved to IBM mainframe sales. Lee left IBM to found a Computer Supply Company, which grew to $48 million in sales.
Recently he has led late stage startups for investor groups.
Lee attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated from Northwestern University. He served in the Counter Intelligence Corp after college, is a former member of YPO, and has served on the Board of The National Defense University, and Kent School. He is a member of the New York Yacht Club as well as the Explorers Club of New York. His book, Cultures of Incompetency, will be published in the spring.
Joel Albizo
Vice President, Sales
Joel brings 16 years of experience in sales, marketing, and public relations with the green industry. Prior to joining PlantAmerica, he served as senior marketing executive and Internet strategist with the American Nursery & Landscape Association where he played a key role in increasing member satisfaction, building membership and growing revenues.
At ANLA, Joel also led the development of the industry’s leading web site and created ANLA-Connect, a popular Internet-based problem-solving forum. Joel is responsible for the development and implementation of Plant America’s sales program and is a member of the firm’ marketing team. Joel graduated from Towson University in Maryland and is a nationally accredited Public Relations Practitioner and Association Executive.
Kevin L. Pressley
Vice President, IT
Kevin has been a Network Engineer in the Telecommunications and Computer industry for the past 13 years. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and started his career as an Operations Manager in Switched Services for New York Telephone. During his tenure, he managed a team of highly skilled Technicians and Customer Representatives which maintained circuits for the major alarm companies in the New York State market area.
After earning a Masters in Information Systems Engineering from Polytechnic University, Kevin was promoted to Senior Engineer to write engineering recommendations for voice mail networks covering the five boroughs of New York City and Upstate New York and later writing engineering recommendations for Bell Atlantic’s local and access tandems in the Mid Atlantic market area.
After leaving Bell Atlantic, Kevin started a computer consulting company to design IT networks and train employees of several companies on the East Coast. Kevin joined PlantAmerica in September 2003 to manage IT operations. Kevin holds several certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and WatchGuard.
Donna W. Moramarco
Vice President, Content and Education
Donna Moramarco, a fifth generation horticulturist, brings more than 25 years of horticultural education and training experience to PlantAmerica. A 22-year veteran of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service, Donna was responsible for commercial horticultural training and consumer gardening programs. As vice president for content and education at PlantAmerica, she is responsible for horticultural content within the company’s web site and database as well as partnerships with not-for-profit groups and institutions.
Donna holds a B.S. degree in Horticulture from Cornell University and a M.S. degree in Education from SUNY Stony Brook. She currently serves on the EPA Review Board for Pesticide Labeling; the America in Bloom National Board; the New York State Nurserymen’s Foundation; and the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Board. Donna is a New York State Certified Nursery Professional and NYS Certified Pesticide Applicator.
Directors and Advisors
The board of directors and board of advisors represent deep and credible experience in the new media, Internet, financial, garden center retailing, growing, and horticultural distribution sectors.
Directors
Richard C. Webel, Chairman PlantAmerica founder and managing partner, Innocenti & Webel-Landscape Architects, Architects, and Strategic Planners
Edward Bennett Tax and compensation partner, Evans, Carter, Kunes & Bennett, and legal advisor to Kelso & Company
Frank Bynum Partner, Kelso & Company: Private equity investing
Thomas McPartland Board member, MIT New Media Laboratory
Samuel F. Pryor Former managing director of the Noel and Prospect Groups and co-founder of Brazil Rail Partners
Peter G. Schiff Managing Partner, Northwood Ventures