Michael Geary Is Leaving AmericanHort
August 18, 2015 
Michael Geary
AmericanHort president and CEO Michael Geary announced last Wednesday that he will be leaving his position at the end of September to serve as CEO of the Society for Marketing Professional Services.
“I am writing to share with you that on October 8 I will begin a new professional chapter as CEO of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, an organization dedicated to creating business opportunities in the architecture, engineering and construction industries,” Geary said in an email.
His last day with AmericanHort will be Sept. 30, 2015.
“As some of you know, I grew up connected to the horticulture industry so this was not an easy decision for me,” he said. “I have loved working with our organizations and our talented members, staff and partners. However, my choice to return full time to Washington, D.C. will allow me to be closer to my family and aging parents and to re-engage with another industry I also care deeply about.”
He has served as the staff executive for the AmericanHort, American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA), America In Bloom (AIB), Horticultural Research Initiative (HRI), Nursery and Landscape Association Executives (NLAE), OFA —The Association of Horticulture Professionals and Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association (OPGMA) for more than five years.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have led these organizations and the horticulture industry during that time,” he says. “Together, we accomplished a lot, and I’m proud of our achievements. While there is still a great deal of work to be done, AmericanHort and our partners are stable and strong and in the good hands of our professional and competent staff and visionary leaders. The train will keep on moving full-speed down the track”
According to Laura Kunkle, communications and media relations specialist for AmericanHort, the AmericanHort Board of Directors will meet this week to make decisions about interim and permanent executive staffing beyond September.
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