People on the Move: Hirings and promotions from SiteOne, PBI and more

Don Botkin (Photo: PBI-Gordon Corp.)

SiteOne Landscape Supply added Shannon Versaggi as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, effective Feb. 17.

Versaggi joins SiteOne following a successful 15-year career at Lowe’s Companies where she led teams covering all aspects of marketing services, product marketing, brand strategy development, loyalty programs, customer segmentation and analytics, media, planning and creative. Most recently, she was vice president of integrated marketing, media and creative. Prior to Lowe’s, she worked for SunTrust Bank for three years as a portfolio specialist and commercial banking representative.

Versaggi graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in business. She also earned an MBA in marketing from the University of Georgia.

“We are thrilled to have Shannon join our executive management team,” said Doug Black, chairman and CEO of SiteOne Landscape Supply. “She brings deep knowledge and a proven track record of results in every element of the marketing mix — from brand strategy development to execution of customercentric marketing initiatives. We are confident in Shannon’s ability to help us achieve world-class marketing at SiteOne and enhance our customers’ experience and success.”

The employee-owners of PBI-Gordon named Don Botkin as a sales representative.

Based in Dublin, Ohio, Botkin is responsible for PBI-Gordon product sales to golf course and turfgrass management customers in Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.

“We are excited that Don Botkin has joined the PBI-Gordon team of employee-owners,” said PBI-Gordon Vice President and General Manager Neil Cleveland. “His deep industry experience, combined with his proven track record in sales and marketing, will be a great asset to our valued customers in Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.”

Most recently, Botkin was a marketing manager for Nachurs Alpine Solutions, a specialty liquid chemical manufacturer. Prior to that, he was a division sales manager with StollerUSA and a territory manager with LebanonTurf Products.
Botkin holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) added four staff members to its business development and industry relations units.

Stephen Whaley has been named director of autogas business development.

Whaley manages the over-the-road market portfolio for PERC. He is responsible for growing propane autogas market share in on-highway light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle markets. He focuses on new product research and development, product launches, maintenance and growth in existing market segments, as well as potential new market development opportunities.

Whaley ran his own consulting company for the last four years. Before that, as eastern U.S. regional sales manager for Agility Fuel Solutions in North Carolina, he helped develop class 7 and 8 vehicle fleet markets for natural gas. He has a bachelor’s degree in industrial arts education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and a master’s degree in industrial education from Clemson University. He has lifetime postsecondary teaching credentials from the State of California.

Joseph Calhoun has been named associate director of business development.

Calhoun leads PERC initiatives to grow propane demand by working directly with partners across multiple industries. He is responsible for business development, product development and market development activities, which includes outreach, communications, education, research, product development, technical integrations and product commercialization.

Before coming to PERC, Calhoun worked for RegO Products as business development manager for the propane and industrial gas markets. Before RegO, he was national business development manager for Robinson Pipe and Vessel in De Pere, Wis. Calhoun holds a bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshal College and an MBA from Eastern University. He has been CETP certified, is a former board vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Propane Gas Association and has been a member of the Pennsylvania Propane Gas Association.

Erin Lee has been added as industry relations coordinator.

Lee provides customer support for the fulfillment center and provides primary support for grant administration by performing initial application review and final report analyses. She also performs general administration duties and assists with preparation and planning for industry programs and meetings.

Lee was senior quality assurance specialist with SoundExchange in Washington, D.C., for seven years. There she led Salesforce CRM training programs, developed business rules and processes and provided customer service, among other duties.

Rachel Hrabik has been named business development coordinator.

Hrabik administers PERC incentive programs and supports the business development team. Most recently, she was sales associate for the Farm Bureau Financial Services in Syracuse, Neb., for four years. Prior to that, Hrabik was an account manager with Swanson Russell, where she worked on the PERC account. She has also been a family services specialist with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Hrabik has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she majored in advertising and public relations with an emphasis on digital media and photography.

Cumberland Landscape Group, a commercial landscape company in Atlanta, promoted Kim Jenkins to the newly created role of president.

In this role, Jenkins will lead a team of dedicated professionals and serve as the chief client advocate.

“When interviewing Kim for the position at Cumberland, it was exceedingly clear that Kim was an incredible fit for our culture and our company’s needs. Cumberland’s core values of transparency, respect and teamwork were so clearly shown in her personal and professional background,” said Cumberland’s CEO Billy Van Eaton. “In Kim, we have a leader with a unique combination of soft skills, industry expertise and innovative ideas. We believe she will be an incredible asset to our company and help us deliver the professional service the Atlanta commercial community deserves in a differentiated way.”

Jenkins has more than 20 years of experience in the commercial landscaping business and brings a wealth of knowledge, customer focus and operational skills to her new role. She joined Cumberland two years ago and has served as controller where she developed and implemented a number of process improvements and reporting standards across the company. Prior to working with Cumberland, she was most recently a regional controller with TruGreen LandCare, where she spent the majority of her formative years in the industry. Jenkins began her career with Environmental Design Group, a large, regional commercial landscaping contractor in the Southeast that was eventually purchased by TruGreen in the early 2000s.

BioSafe Systems hired Kaleb Tyrone as a new sales representative in the Southeast.

Tyrone graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 2017 with a degree in diversified agriculture. He was a greenhouse manager at Fowler Plant Company and spent many summers working on the family farm at the packing shed. At BioSafe Systems, Tyrone will be helping to grow sales in Georgia, Florida and the Mid-South.

The Davey Tree Expert Co. promoted Roy Hisler to district manager, southeast Seattle Residential/Commercial (R/C) services office; Scott Lieber to district manager of the Near North Shore R/C services office in Wheeling, Ill.; Jay Maize to district manager of the northwest Seattle R/C office; Kevin Marks to market manager, South Central operating group, R/C services; and Dash Schenck to district manager, Portland, Ore., R/C services office.

Hisler joined the company in 1983 as a technician at the King of Prussia R/C office. In 1986, he was promoted to sales and service technician before transferring to the Buffalo R/C office, where he was promoted to sales and service coordinator. In 1989, he was promoted to assistant district manager and in 1992, transitioned to the role of sales arborist. A year later, he transferred to the Rochester R/C office and was promoted to assistant district manager.

In 1994, Hisler moved to Washington state, where he transitioned to sales arborist in Davey’s Southeast Seattle R/C office. In 2006, he was promoted to assistant district manager.

Hisler earned an associate’s degree in forest technology from Penn State University. He is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and a 1984 graduate of the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences, Davey’s flagship training program in biological sciences, safety, tree and plant care and management techniques.

Lieber started with Davey in 2010 as a client experience coordinator in the Illinois region before transferring to the Wheeling R/C office in 2012 as a groundperson. He was promoted to sales arborist in 2013 and then assistant district manager in 2016. The following year, Lieber transitioned to the Near North Shore office as assistant district manager.

He is a 2013 graduate of the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences and earned a bachelor’s degree in automated manufacturing technology from ITT Technical Institute, is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and an Illinois Certified Commercial Pesticide Operator and Applicator.

Maize joined Davey in 1996 as a plant health care technician at the Southeast Seattle R/C office. In 1997, he was promoted to trimmer and a year later, was promoted to foreman. In 2006, he was promoted to sales arborist at the Southeast Seattle R/C office. In 2013, Maize was promoted to assistant district manager of the Northwest Seattle R/C office.

Maize is a 1999 graduate of the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences, earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Humboldt State University and is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist.

Marks will continue to report to Andy Ferguson, vice president, Western R/C operations and will be responsible for Davey’s Colorado and Nebraska offices.

Marks started his career with Davey as a plant health care technician in 1995 with the acquisition of Wilhelm Tree & Lawn Care in Denver. In 1998, he was promoted to sales and service coordinator at the East Denver R/C office. Marks was promoted to sales arborist in the Boulder R/C office in 2005 and then assistant district manager in 2012. Marks was named district manager of the North Denver R/C office in 2015.

Marks is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Master Arborist, a Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) Certified Treecare Safety Professional and a Certified Landscape Technician and Nursery Professional.

He holds a Colorado Pesticide Applicator License and is certified in ornamental, forest, right-of-way, rangeland, aquatics and turf applications. Marks was appointed to the Colorado Pesticide Advisory Committee by the Colorado Department of Agriculture and has served as business chairman for TCIA and the Colorado Workforce Development Council.

Schenck joined Davey as a groundman in the San Francisco R/C office in 2009.

In 2010, he worked as a groundman at both the Menlo Park and San Francisco offices before being promoted to plant health care technician the same year. In 2013, he was promoted to trimmer at the East Bay R/C office and in 2014, was promoted to sales arborist. In 2017, he was promoted to assistant district manager of the East Bay office and in 2018, transferred to the Portland, Ore., R/C office as assistant district manager.

Schenck is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and is a Tree Care Industry Association Certified Treecare Safety Professional. Schenck holds a general studies degree from Weber State University.