Awards Banquet

Each year we select an outstanding individual to honor as Horticulturist of the Year, and an Awards Banquet is held in their honor in September of that year. Past banquets have been at Descanso Gardens in La Canada-Flintridge and, more recently, at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

 

Horticulturist of the Year 2011

Gilbert Resendez

Gilbert Resendez began his long career with Monrovia Growers out in the field as a pruning craftsman in 1962. He then moved into sales and quickly rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Sales and Marketing where he helped build Monrovia's sales force into what many consider the best trained and most knowledgeable in the industry. After being promoted to Executive Vice President of the company, Gilbert spent 10 years in that position before becoming Monrovia's President from 2004 to 2007. Under Gilbert's leadership Monrovia sharpened its focus on working with independent retailers and developed their unique branding program of pots and information tags that help gardeners get the best results with their plants.

Throughout his career Gilbert has worked to help introduce superior new plants to the industry, with the goal of providing gardeners with plants that will flourish in their gardens. On behalf of Monrovia Growers he filed for and received a plant patent for Bougainvillea ‘Monka’ (Oo-La-La® Bougainvillea) in 1989, and Lagerstroemia indica ‘Moned’ (Chica® Red Dwarf Crape Myrtle) and Lagerstroemia indica ‘Monink’ (Chica® Pink Dwarf Crape Myrtle) in 1994.

His professional affiliations include membership in the American Nursery and Landscape Association, Garden Centers of America, California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers, and the Nursery Growers of California.

Today, Gilbert serves as Monrovia's Managing Director, continuing to contribute in an advisory role in operations and long-term planning. Widely known for his tremendous knowledge and love of plants, his interest in natives led him to become a member of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont where he eventually served on their Board of Overseers from 1994 to 2000. In 2002 he was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation where he currently serves as President.

Gilbert lives in La Verne, California, with his wife, Teresa. They have three children and two granddaughters.