Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, South Carolina
Saturday, March 2, 2019
2019 CareerNext Speakers
Kyle Barnette
#Horticulture: How a Strong and Creative Social Media Game Can Bring More Fun To Your Brand
Kyle is the Executive Director of the Charleston Horticultural Society in Charleston, SC and has had a long career in the non-profit world, including management in administration and
PR/marketing. He has been honored as one of the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s prestigious “40 Under 40” Lowcountry business leaders for his contributions to the
arts as well as local business development. He has demonstrated expertise in marketing, social media and special-events planning in the arts and in horticulture and is active and prominent
force in the Charleston arts community as well. He is the Founding Artistic Director of theatre company What If? Productions and has worked as well as a tour manager, operations manager
and artistic director for several professional companies across the country.
Under Kyle’s leadership as Executive Director, Charleston Horticultural Society has experienced growing success in a newly revitalized and relocated Plantasia, extensive increase in
educational workshop programming throughout the entire year and the addition of new fundraising events while also attracting national horticulture talent for special events and programs. New
vital partnerships under his leadership vary from both local to nationally with the addition of the annual Open Days Behind the Garden Gate Tour with Spoleto USA and The Garden Conservancy.
He is also responsible for the overall re-branding of the non-profit organization’s image from social media and web programming to design and public relations.
Tony Bertauski
From Undeclared to Horticulture Program Director
A wandering journey through the turf and horticulture industry, starting as a completely green freshman in college and leading up to program director and college instructor of today's budding horticulturists.
Bertauski is the Horticulture Program Director at Trident Technical College in Charleston, SC, Garden Columnist for the Post and Courier, Author of two landscape design textbooks. 1990 BS in Plant and Soil Science at Southern Illinois University 1994 MS in Horticulture at University of Illinois
Katie Elzer-Peters
From Dirt to Digital: Transitioning from hands-on horticulture to a career in garden communications
Tips for tying horticultural skills and technological know-how together for a garden-focused career in an online world.
Katie Elzer-Peters has a BS in Public Horticulture from Purdue University, and an MS in Public Garden Management from the Longwood Graduate Program at Longwood Gardens and the University of Delaware.
Katie has worked in botanical gardens around the United States, authored nine books for Cool Springs Press, and is Editor in Chief of The Designer, the quarterly journal of the
Association of Professional Landscape Designers. She’s a digital marketing specialist, helping green industry clients through her company The Garden of Words, LLC. She works with GWA
members and other authors, helping them self publish their books and works contractually for Quarto Publishing in the United States and the United Kingdom. Katie writes web and print content
for growers, breeders, and retailers in the green industry and coaches freelancers on how to build a profitable business.
Chris Freimuth
There's Gardens in New York City?
New York City is bursting with gardens, perched on the rooftops and terraces that make up our famous skyline and tucked behind the facades of our postcard brownstones. We’ll take an insider’s look at these spaces and explore the insane process - truly, one must be insane to engage in this business- that makes it all possible.
Chris Freimuth is the founder and director of CF Gardens, a garden design, installation and maintenance firm based in New York City. His company creates and tends rooftop, terrace and
backyard gardens throughout the city and the surrounding area, working with a crew of dedicated staff to bring New Yorkers in closer contact with the natural world. He has a degree in
environmental studies from Vassar College, as well as a diploma from the School of Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden. Chris has farmed and gardened throughout the
United States and abroad, and shares his experiences regularly in writing for local and national garden and design publications.
Abra Lee
Express Yourself - Using Your Authentic Voice to Open Doors in Horticulture
Abra Lee is a 'Horticulturist Extraordinaire', speaker, columnist for Northside Woman magazine, and owner of Conquer The Soil, LLC. Abra is the former landscape manager for two international airports: George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. She has made appearances on CNN, CBS Better Morning's Atlanta and Peachtree TV and has been featured in many publications including Atlanta Magazine. Abra is a graduate of Auburn University and you can find her on all social media platforms @conquerthesoil
