New Jersey Nursery Landscape Association Recognizes Brian Oleksak
Brian Oleksak, professor and chair of the Department of Landscape and Horticultural Technology (LHT) at County College of Morris (CCM), recently was presented with the 2020 Distinguished Service Award from the New Jersey Nursey Landscape Association (NJNLA).
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes the contributions of individuals who have given their time and resources to support and grow the horticulture industry in New Jersey. Along with being an active member of NJNLA, Oleksak, of Newton, teaches online courses for association members. A video featuring Oleksak receiving the award, can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ach-bIVKcBs&feature=youtu.be/. The NJNLA is the leading organization for the advancement of green industry businesses in New Jersey.
As a professional horticulturalist, Oleksak is particularly concerned about the introduction of invasive species, both plants and insects, into North America. As he notes, horticultural professionals stand at the forefront of fighting invasive species through education and coordination with government agencies.
Oleksak earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Pennsylvania State University and his master’s in ornamental horticulture from The Ohio State University. He joined the full-time CCM faculty in 2003 and has served as LHT chair since 2012. At CCM, he teaches Plant Identification, Herbaceous Plants, Horticultural Soils and Introduction to Botany.
To learn more about the LHT program at CCM, go to https://bit.ly/CCMLHT/.
