GROWING RESUME
- Started growing in late 60’s with father, competitively started in 1992.
- Have grown giant pumpkins for competition every year since 1992, first GPC weigh-off October 1995.
- Won first GPC weigh-off at Canfield OH in 1997 with 801.5
- Have had 10 total first place finishes at GPC sanctioned weigh-offs
- I have attended &/or competed in almost 70 GPC sanctioned weigh-offs
- Grown over 50 pumpkins that exceeded 1,000#’s in weight
- Have held Ohio (1) & Pennsylvania (2) state records
- Set the world record in 2000 @ 1,140#’s & twice close missing WR by 11# & 25#’s finishing 2nd & 3rd in GPC in 2011 & 2009.
- Have finished in the top 20 for GPC 7 times.
- Member of 1,400-1,500-1,600-1,700-1,800-4,000-5,100# clubs
- Innovated – plant & red zone focus with 1 pumpkin to maximize space & number of plants which is used by most all growers today.
GPC & CLUB PARTICIPATION
- Charter member of the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers fall of 1994,
- OVGPG board of directors 1998 – 2006
- Helped plan & execute weigh-off day, summer tour & picnic, spring seminar beginners & advanced.
- Introduced lifting ring & helped implement it with lifting devise changing how we handle & weigh pumpkins at Canfield which has been adopted by sites worldwide.
- GPC Executive Committee 12/2004 ? 12/2014
- First President for GPC held office for 10 years
- Was a part of GPC: rules revision, bylaws, officers, obtaining tax exemption, logo & patent on it, website, implementing BP spread sheet, taking sites to Europe & the world, site expansion from 22 ? 105, sponsor acquisition,
- GPC awards: Hall of Fame – Jepson Vine of Honor – Biggest overall & champions trophy – Grower of the Year – HH clubs – growers coats – small categories – Master Gardener – NYC/NYBG big 3 promotion – European championship – Rookie of the Year – GPC awards show
GENEROSITY OF TIME
- Attended every advanced seminar given by the OVGPG, presented & sat on ?expert? panels many times including beginners seminars.
- Traveled to 6 different clubs to present to their growers
- Attended first International Growers Seminar in spring 1996 & have attended all but 3 years since including a streak of 13 in a row.
- Participation at IGS includes: presented, HH panels, MC, organized, obtained speakers, & help transform this seminar into the GPC ?Big Show?.
- Help to rotate the Big Show to other regions including Europe to make it accessible to more growers.
- Donated thousands of seeds to clubs worldwide to make money since 1995 including proven seeds 801.5, 705, 904, 1,495 these donations have generated well north of $100,000 to help sustain club activities to further the sport/hobby.
- Spent countless hours mentoring numerous growers.
- Have been interviewed by almost all Club newsletters.
- Was a featured Heavy Hitter in “How to grow giant pumpkins 2”
- Been interviewed for countless local, regional, national newspapers & magazines.
- Have been on many local & national TV shows promoting growing including Today, Live with Kelly & Michael, Good Morning America, The Chew.
CLOSING
I would like to thank all the HOF members & GPC Executive Committee members past & present for the many years of support to work as a team giving up so much personal time to obtain a common goal. For all of you I leaned on for advice with countless hours of phone calls & e-mails to help build the GPC to what it is today & allow me to obtain so many growing accomplishments. I am truly blessed to have such great friends & colleagues; I am humbled by being considered for the voting ballot to be a member of the GPC Hall Of Fame. I thank all of you for all of this & more from the bottom of my heart