2026 Speakers
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Samantha Anderson
Division of Pesticides "Pesticide Regulation Update" Julie Beale Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab Director & Diagnostician, UK Pathology “Disease and Insect Update” Julie Beale has 30 years of experience in plant disease diagnostics and has an enduring passion for “real world” plant pathology. She is the Director of the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (PDDL) at the University of Kentucky. In addition to her clinic responsibilities, she assists in teaching plant diagnostics in undergraduate and graduate level courses, and provides plant disease updates and diagnostic training to a wide variety of audiences, including professionals in the landscape and turf industries. Morgan Dunay Urban Planner: Gresham Smith “Trager Micro Forest: Designing a Research Focused Urban Forest” Morgan is a landscape designer and urban planner on the Gresham Smith land planning team. She has worked on various projects throughout her career, focusing on parks, urban design, streetscapes, and community engagement projects with significant community impacts. Forward-thinking and people-driven, Morgan believes that landscape architecture, coupled with collaboration with community leaders, can change people's lives. She is innovative in her approach to landscape architecture and design, encouraging community engagement with the outdoors, and promoting sustainability in all projects. She has received numerous awards and recognitions from the Kentucky and National ASLA, and Central State ASLA throughout her career. Kenneth Clayton UK Turf Extension Associate Extension Professor of Arboriculture and Landscape Management “Lawn Herbicides: How to Avoid Collateral Damage” Kenneth Clayton is a Turfgrass Extension Associate in the Department of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Kentucky. He works statewide with golf course, sports turf, and lawn and landscape professionals. He received his B.S. in Horticulture from Eastern Kentucky University in 2009 and his M.S. in Integrated Plant and Soil Science from the University of Kentucky in 2025. Before his current position at UK he was a golf course superintendent with close to 15 years of experience working on golf courses. He is a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GSCAA) and is on the Board of Directors of the Kentuckiana Golf Course Superintendents Association (KGCSA) and the Kentucky Sports Field Managers Association (KYSFMA). Dr. Bill Fountain UK Professor Emeritus of Arboriculture “Water: Giver of Life or Agent of Death” Dr. Bill Fountain is a graduate of Mississippi State University (BS - Horticulture) and Louisiana State University (MS & PhD - Horticulture) and has been at the University of Kentucky since 1979 where he had an extension teaching appointment with emphasis in Arboriculture and Landscape Management. Bill has been on the ISA Board of Directors since 2000. He has served on numerous ISA committees and was selected as a True Professionals Winner in 2010. Bill is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and an ISA Certified Tree Risk Assessor. He has taken two sabbatical leaves in Southeast Asia and travels there frequently to provide training for the ISA Arborist certification program and Best Management Practices. These efforts have been instrumental in leading these countries into the ISA Arborist Certification program and becoming ISA Associate Organizations. |
Katrina Kelly
Landscape Designer “Designing with Purpose: How to Transform Outdoor Spaces with Professional Design Principles” Katrina is a landscape designer and owner of EARTHeim Landscape Design in Central Kentucky. She specializes in native-plant based design, thoughtful outdoor environments, and custom residential landscapes. With over a decade of experience in design, installation, and garden planning, Katrina’s approach blends environmental awareness with practical design solutions that homeowners can apply in their own landscapes. She is passionate about helping people understand how intentional design principles create beautiful, functional, and sustainable spaces. Dr. Jonathan Larson Assistant Professor, UK Department of Entomology “Disease and Insect Update” Jonathan Larson is an Extension professor for the University of Kentucky who provides insect expertise for people dealing with issues in urban landscapes, turfgrasses, nursery crops, greenhouses, and households. He teaches across a variety of platforms using social media, videos, and traditional Extension publications. He is one of the co-hosts of Arthro-Pod, an entomology podcast. Janna Pemberton Schmidt Co-owner and Production Manager at Pemberton's Greenhouse "Best Bedding Plants and Pesticides for Summer 2026” Janna is a 6th generation co-owner and production manager in a 125-year-old family greenhouse business. She has a B.S. In Ocean Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology and an MBA from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. After 12 years working in Engineering then Public Sector Management Consulting, she returned to her family business to modernize business practices and succeed her father as head grower and general manager. She has over 25 years of experience in growing bedding, tropical and seasonal crops. David Toda RLA, ASLA: Gresham Smith “Trager Micro Forest: Designing a Research Focused Urban Forest” David, a landscape architect, has more than 15 years of experience in landscape design, construction, and horticulture. In 2024, David joined Gresham Smith after serving at a leading design firm in Chicago. His focus there was on the design and delivery of world-class private estates and public spaces. David is an exceptional designer whose creativity is shaped by his years of leading and managing the construction of custom landscapes. He understands custom design details and how to get them built. Bill Witt UK Professor Emeritus in Plant and Soil Science “Weed Control in Turf and Landscapes” |