This year’s election of officers for the ASHS Board of Directors by the ASHS Membership places Dewayne Ingram as President-elect, John Lea-Cox as Research Division Vice President-elect, Anita Azarenko as Education Division Vice President-elect, and Esmaeil "Essie" Fallahi as International Division Vice President-elect.

ASHS President-elect

Dewayne L. Ingram
Department of Horticulture
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, USA


According to Ingram, “ASHS is the premiere horticultural professional society and to stay strong and relevant we must continually examine our objectives and methods in light of rapidly evolving horticultural science and changing demographics. We have to effectively and efficiently serve our traditional membership base and assess the value of current services.  However, we should also target services to horticulturists at regional universities and community colleges, as well as horticulturists in public horticulture, county/area Extension programs, and industry.  We must further examine these groups, and especially the younger professionals in those groups, to determine how we can meet their needs in a cost-effective manner. "

Education Division Vice President-elect

Anita Nina Azarenko
Department of Horticulture
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon, USA

Azarenko says, " Our continuous challenge as educators and researchers is to utilize contemporary tools and technologies to translate fundamental and integrative knowledge that can be applied in a relatively short time frame and have an impact on practitioner’s livelihoods and for human well-being. " She adds, "Horticulture is unique and is more relevant today than in a long while. We must help our membership do a better job of communicating to university and college administrators the essential and distinctive nature of horticulture to human well-being, economic vitality, and environmental sustainability in order to ensure that horticulture curricula exist into the future." "I look forward to the opportunity to actively seek and implement ideas, engage new partners, and with ASHS, improve horticulture education nationally and internationally."

International Division Vice President-elect

Esmaeil “Essie” Fallahi
University of Idaho
Parma Research and Extension Center
Parma, Idaho, USA

Fallahi says, "I believe that under the ASHS International Division, we should explore and expand numerous opportunities that will lead to the promotion of horticultural science worldwide in this era of advanced technology. Currently, there are five working groups under the ASHS International Division. This number can be increased by participation of ASHS members who are associated with and/or have connections and activities in other regions of the world. At the present time, the ASHS members of Asia and India are well-represented, each having a successful and active working group. These representations need to be expanded to other regions of the world."

Research Division Vice President

John D. Lea-Cox
University of Maryland
Department of Plant Science and
Landscape Architecture
College Park, Maryland, USA


According to Lea-Cox, "The strength of this society is its members—and fulfilling the core missions of scientific discovery, creating knowledge, and educating people could not happen without the energy, creativity, and passion of all its’ members.  As a 21-year member of ASHS, it is clear to me that we are presently going through a period of adaptation and renewal of purpose. He continues, "This is an exciting time, since I believe that there is also a change in the public perception of food quality, safety, and how horticultural crops are grown. We need to actively communicate the value of our research findings at every opportunity, not only through traditional methods, but with more accessible electronic information resources for growers, legislators and the general public.  I will work hard to provide leadership on these issues and the priorities of the membership, to strengthen and promote the value of the research we do, to all people."

Dewayne Ingram will assume his position as President-elect at the conclusion of this year’s Annual Business Meeting on August 4, 2010, during the ASHS Annual Conference in Palm Desert, California. The newly-elected Division Vice Presidents-elect will serve one year as “-elects”, and then move into their respective offices at the conclusion of the 2011 Annual Business Meeting.

Also at this year’s ASHS Annual Business Meeting, Fred T. Davies, will assume the Presidency and William J. Lamont, Jr., will become Board Chair. Moving into their respective offices after a one-year term as “-elect” will be: Jeanine M. Davis, Extension Division Vice President, and Robert L. Mikkelsen, Industry Division Vice President, and Curt Rom as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee.