President's Letter: Hitting the Ground Running

As I begin my term as FNGLA President, I want to express what an honor it is to represent this industry, and every member of this association. I grew up in my parents’ landscape nursery down in Broward County and worked there almost every summer of my childhood. My parents, Wes and Vickie Parrish, were involved in both FNGLA’s Broward and Miami-Dade chapters. Those members became like a second family to me along the way. I fondly remember attending trade shows, plant sales, family days, and hurricane relief efforts.

One of my goals as president is to visit as many chapter events as I’m able to this next year. And, thanks to the numerous recent chapter installations taking place, I’ve hit the ground running. I’ve so enjoyed meeting Chapter Board volunteer leaders, and members from chapters which include Frontrunners, Royal Palm, Action, and Miami-Dade.

Like our members, and even the state of Florida, each of our chapters is unique and evolving. The challenge ahead is to keep evolving, so that our association’s local chapters can continue to serve the individual needs of their surrounding members. Thankfully, the strength of our Chapters comes from our volunteers. Our leaders have had much success in finding what works and creating events which help foster member relationships.

Speaking of fantastic opportunities for connection: Last week, The 2026 Landscape Show brought our industry together in Orlando. Our trade shows are always a fantastic time to make business connections, see new things and get the pulse of the industry. I encourage you to place next year’s dates on your calendar now: August 18 – 20, 2027. I highly encourage you to plan to attend the show -- and the Knowledge College, if you can. This industry trade event is exceptional for networking, earning your CEUs, and digging deeper into topics that interest you or your business.

I hope to see you in the near future on one of my Chapter road trips!

Jennifer Parrish

FNGLA 26-27 President