Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Blazek.
Diane, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been the Executive Director since 2009 but before that I had spent 15 years in the horticulture industry with Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, IL. As the former Executive Director retired, I know the opportunity existed to take over this organization. Both organizations were very well-established but needed some new blood. To me, it was the perfect opportunity to move from B2B to B2C as both organizations work directly with consumers as well as garden communicators. Because I had 15 years’ experience in the industry, it was an easy move to make with many contacts in place but the opportunity to make new contacts was fantastic.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Pretty smooth! I have had great people on the Board of Directors for both organizations. They have encouraged, supported and pushed the organizations forward under my leadership. We had a great, long-term staff in place when I started so they kept things going while I ran forward to forge a new way. When that staff retired we were able to find new, fresh minds and ideas which have really moved us forward in recent years. As small non-profits, budgets are always a concern but we have been able to do a ton of new initiatives with little cash.
National Garden Bureau and All-America Selections – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
All-America Selections is a plant trialing organization, the only one of its kind in North America. We were founded in 1932 by Southern Seedsman Ray Hastings, to trial new, never-before-sold plant varieties next to varieties already on the market. Only if the entries perform BETTER than the comparisons do they become AAS Winners. There are regional trialing groups but nothing else nationwide, in fact, we are in the U.S. and Canada. There are other international trialing organizations but all except the Royal Horticulture Society were founded after All-America Selections and were structured on our successful model. Today we are celebrating our 85th anniversary and our trialing methods have remained true to Mr. Hasting’s vision. Once a plant becomes an AAS Winner, then we promote the brand to the horticulture industry, garden communicators, public gardens, garden retailers and consumers.
National Garden Bureau was founded in Chicago! The inspiration of James H. Burdett, the National Garden Bureau was born in 1920 in the wake of World War I. He perceived the increasing need of suburbanites for basic instruction in backyard gardening. Because of his unique background as both a former newspaper journalist and an advertising manager of a seed company, he appreciated the role of the media in public education. He pioneered the idea of enlisting horticultural writers and broadcasters in the noble effort of mass education to create a population of gardeners. In the process, he improved the lives of citizens.
The Bureau came of age during World War II when the government encouraged homeowners to grow Victory Gardens. By means of annual posters promoting “Beauty and Abundance in Your Garden” and other materials, the Bureau promoted seeds and gardening on the home front. Then, the postwar years saw an emphasis on community beautification and the Bureau responded with a film, brochures, programs, and information sheets to help gardening communicators further this cause among the public. Incorporation as a not-for-profit organization soon followed.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Hearing from members, judges and others in the industry who recognize the huge strides we’ve made in making both organizations more visible and viable for the long-term.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5201 Walnut Ave, Suite 3, Downers Grove, IL 60515
- Website: www.aaswinners.com and www.ngb.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aasgardenwinners/ and https://www.instagram.com/national_garden_bureau/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AASWinners/ and https://www.facebook.com/nationalgardenbureau/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/nationalgarden/
Image Credit:
National Garden Bureau and All-America Selections
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