Project EverGreen Completes Staten Island Project
On Sept. 17, Staten Island’s Joe Holzka Community Garden received a boost when more than two dozen landscape contracting professionals and community volunteers came together as part of Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Communities initiative to revitalize this beloved community space.
The specifics of renovation, which is valued at $50,000, included:
- Installing new paver walkway and patio.
- Installing gravel base and diamond grid.
- Laser measurements, staking, grading, leveling using skid-steer loaders and buckets.
- Excavating a new path connecting the two garden spaces and weaving through the existing garden to draw people into the community garden.
- Planting about 200 native perennials.
- Clearing brush from the fences.
Named for life-long Staten Island resident Joe Holzka, a prominent figure in social and political spheres, the 17,000 square feet garden is a green oasis and gathering place for community members. Holzka is remembered for his work on the Staten Island Greenbelt and other public spaces such as Snug Harbor helping create a living legacy of his commitment to municipal improvement.
“Project EverGreen has partnered with NYC Parks GreenThumb for 10 years to renovate community gardens across the city,” said Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “It’s vital that residents have access to healthy parks and gardens to offset the negative effects of urban heat islands. Well-maintained trees, plants and grass sequesters more carbon leading to the production of more clean air that everyone benefits from.”
The lead donor for the project was ConEdison with support from GreenThumb, the community gardening program of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
Green Lawn Fertilizing/Green Pest Solutions Names New President
Green Lawn Fertilizing/Green Pest Solutions promoted Josh Willey to president. Willey will retain his title of COO.
“Josh has been instrumental in our success,” said founder, owner and CEO Matt Jesson. “He played a pivotal role in growing our revenue from $10 million to more than $50 million over the last eight years. Josh is an incredible leader who understands that a people-centric approach is core for us. He cares deeply about our team members’ development. With this promotion, we know that Josh will help the company accelerate its growth beyond the $100-million revenue mark while expanding into new markets.”
Prior to becoming COO of Green Lawn Fertilizing/Green Pest Solutions in 2022, Willey held business development and operational roles within the company, beginning in 2017. He previously served as regional director of Scotts Miracle-Gro for more than 15 years. In recent years, Willey attended executive programs at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University while graduating from Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program.
Focal Pointe Adds to Executive Team
Focal Pointe named Luke M. Williams as chief financial officer (CFO).
Williams’ appointment follows a period of accelerating growth for Focal Pointe as the firm continues to bring best-in-class service and value creation to its stakeholders throughout the Midwest.
“It’s a great privilege to join Focal Pointe at such a pivotal time in their growth,” said Williams. “The team’s unwavering commitment to being people-first, combined with their focus on technology sets them apart to deliver outstanding value to customers and stakeholders. I’m looking forward to collaborating with a talented team as we continue to set the course for the company’s future.”
Williams has a distinguished career, having served most recently as vice president and corporate controller at West Star Aviation, where he played a pivotal role in integrating acquisitions and driving process improvements. He began his career at Ernst & Young and spent 14 years at American Railcar Industries, a public company until it sold in 2018. Williams served in various financial roles at ARII, including 5 years as Sr. Vice President, CFO and Treasurer. Williams has been involved in numerous strategic transactions throughout his career, driving value for stakeholders.
Williams is a certified public accountant in the State of Missouri. He attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where he received both a bachelor's and master’s degree in accounting.