Ones To Watch: Dave Doolittle
September 16, 2008 
As part of Greenhouse Grower’s 25th anniversary, we are profiling people we expect to shape the industry for the better over the next 25 years. Now in its 12th week online, our Ones To Watch series continues with Dave Doolittle of Terra Nova Nurseries, who was featured in our September issue.
Age – 29
His Job – As the marketing director at Terra Nova Nurseries, Dave places a heavy emphasis on university trials. He works directly with botanical gardens and garden writers, soaking in knowledge to help his Terra Nova colleagues improve their understanding of the plants they sell.
Helping Hands – Jerry Church and John Rader of EuroAmerican Propagators and Ken Brown of Terra Nova have all played major roles in Dave’s career development. Jerry’s work ethic, John’s advice and Ken’s knowledge are all qualities that have shaped Dave, and he one day hopes to work with younger generations the way his mentors inspired him.
Perennial Heaven – The breeding at Terra Nova continues to blow Dave away. “I have the pleasure of attending our breeders meeting every Friday, and I look forward to it like Christmas,” he says.
Out To Help – Dave is currently a member of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, and he looks forward to becoming more involved with the organization.
Twenty-Five Years From Now–Automation is going to play a larger role in growing operations than people expect. Dave is stunned to see how advanced some of the nurseries in Europe are, and he thinks it’s just a matter of time before U.S. growers become as reliant on machines.
Why He’s One To Watch–Some nurserymen struggle to develop programs that appeal to Generations X and Y, but Dave is quick to develop ideas that involve his peers.
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