Feature Articles

PJ Ellison Kalil has been selected 2002 Grower of the Year by Greenhouse Grower Magazine (see December 2002 issue).

PJ ELLISON-KALIL NAMED "GROWER OF THE YEAR"
By Cathy Ganske (Banner Press)

One of the nation's leading green industry magazines, Greenhouse Grower, has named Brenham's own PJ Ellison-Kalil as their "Greenhouse Grower of the Year". Ellison-Kalil was featured in the magazine's December 2002 issue with a cover color photograph of her holding one of Ellison's Greenhouses' famous poinsettias, and a definitive three-page article describing her meteoric rise to the greenhouse industry's leader status. Ellison-Kalil is the first woman chosen for the honor in the magazine's 15-year history of "Grower of the Year" awards.

The article was written by Laura Henne, associate editor of the magazine, which is based in Willoughby, Ohio. (Ben Desoto was the cover photographer.) Henne delves briefly into the origin of Ellison's Greenhouses in 1968, and tells her readers about Ellison-Kalil's return to the greenhouses after 12 years of absence during which the honoree obtained more education and business experience. She stresses Ellison-Kalil's passion for the floriculture industry and her tireless work in promoting the industry throughout the State of Texas and nationally.

Henne writes, "By those who know her best--and even some who have only met her once--PJ has been described as passionate, unique, tenacious, focused, kind, witty, strong, generous, intelligent, genuine and charismatic. "The article mentions Ellison-Kalil's involvement as a board member of both the Floriculture Industry Research and Scholarship Trust and the Floral Marketing Association, and her participation in several statewide and local organizations. Also, the article tells of the impact upon the industry created by the annual Poinsettia Celebration and the recent shipment of two huge Texas Size poinsettias to the White House in Washington, D.C., both of which are seen as excellent avenues to promoting consumer awareness.

In a half-page "Pro-PJ" sidebar with photographs, several key industry colleagues add their comments about PJ's strengths, her involvement in the community, and her many contributions to the industry.About the magazine's choice of Ellison-Kalil as the first woman to be named "Grower of the Year", Henne sums it up with this quote: "Women are smart, tenacious, strong people and there's so much more opportunity for women in floriculture today," PJ says. "If a woman has a dream and a commitment, she will not let go and that's a strong asset in our industry." And it was Brenham's own PJ Ellison-Kalil whose personal dream and commitment led to national attention and to the honor of being named the nation's "Grower of the Year".