Staff Biographies
Mary B. Coons - Sales and Customer Service Director, Personnel Reporting
Mary joined us in the Fall of 2001 after being a grower for over two decades. She is a 1981 graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Horticulture. Mary is our Sales and Customer Service Director and acts as our lead in-house salesperson. She is involved in all aspects of customer relations and provides outrageous service to our customers! Mary also has primary responsibility for Millcreek Gardens Personnel Reporting. She loves gardening, running, yoga and trying new microbrews!
Jay Dingledine - Head Grower - Propagation & Production
Jay graduated from The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in June 2005 with degrees in both Greenhouse Production and Management and Nursery Management. He was an intern at Millcreek during the Spring of 2005 and joined the team full time after graduating. He has previously been an Assistant Grower in the Perennial Quart and Herb Departments and is currently the Production Department Team Leader where he oversees all Production within the company.
Grant Downes - Head Grower 2-Quart Perennials & Groundcovers, Facilities Team Leader, OCNT, OCPA
Grant joined Millcreek in the spring of 2006 in the Plant Production Department. He graduated from Ohio State in 2005 with a B.S. in Landscape Horticulture, and was also a member of the percussion section in The Ohio State University Marching Band. Grant has also spent time working the Perennial Quart Department and in 2009 he assumed the role of Shipping Department Team Leader. When not at work, he enjoys music, running, kayaking, and hanging out with family and friends.
Katie Ellis - Head Grower - Quart Perennials & Herbs, OCNT
Katie joined Millcreek Gardens in the Spring of 2005 while finishing her last quarter at The Ohio State University. She graduated in June of 2005 with a B.S. in Landscape Horticulture and a minor in Spanish. Currently she is the Head Grower in the Herb Department as well as being the Head Grower for our 1-Quart Perennial Department. She enjoys traveling, reading, running, and gardening in her spare time.
Sara Gribble - Nursery Technician
Sara joined Millcreek Gardens in the Spring of 2011. She graduated from The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in March of 2011 with an Associate's Degree in Horticulture Science. In the Spring season Sara primarily works in our Shipping Department where she prepares customer orders by cleaning and checking the orders and preparing them for shipment to our customers. She also works in our IMPACT Perennial department in the winter months where she helps move, maintain and prune the plant material. She loves spending time with family and friends and enjoys reading any mystery novels. She would love to go on a road trip and travel around the states!
Brad Harvey - Growing Operations Manager, OCPA
Brad graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Agriculture in March of 2002. He majored in Landscape Horticulture, with a minor in Plant Pathology. Brad is our Growing Operations and Production Manager and oversees Head Growers and Team Leaders within the company.
Fred Higginbotham - Head Grower - IMPACT Perennials, OCNT
Fred joined Millcreek as an Assistant Grower in the IMPACT Department in March 2005 after completing a six month internship with Millcreek the previous year. In 2006 he helped develop our Groundcover line and now in addition to those responsibilities he is the Head Grower in the IMPACT Perennial Department. He has a B. S. in Agriculture from The Ohio State University, where he majored in Crop Science. Fred also comes to Millcreek with an Associates Degree in Floriculture from Alfred State. He is a skilled cook and enjoys reading and spending time with family.
Megan B. Kline - Business Office Manager
Megan graduated from Ohio University in 1998 with a B. S. in Environmental and Plant Biology. She joined Millcreek Gardens that year as the IMPACT Department Production Supervisor. Since that time she has served as the Head Grower of the IMPACT Perennial Department and has most recently transitioned to a new role as our Business Office Manager. Her responsibilities include Sales and Customer Service, Human Resources, Accounting, and Information Systems/Technology. In 2004 she was named the recipient of the Perennial Plant Association's Young Professional Award at the annual symposium in New York City. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, gardening, baking, her three labs and spending time with family and friends.
Brent Langenkamp - Assistant Grower
Brent graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Agriculture in March 2009. Brent majored in Landscape Horticulture with a minor in Plant Pathology. He joined Millcreek in the Spring of 2009 as our Shipping Coordinator and is currently an Assistant Grower in our Propagation Department.
Jen Mackan - Program and Logistics Director, Customer Service, OCNT
Jen has been with Millcreek for 15 years. She attended The Ohio State University where she earned a B. S. in Agriculture, with a major in Floriculture and a minor in Agricultural Business. She has previously served as the Production Manager and as Shipping Manager. Jen currently works in our Sales Office as our Program and Logistics Director. Her activities include maintaining the functionality of our growing software program and program data, Millcreek Gardens website data maintenance, Customer Service, and organizing our Shipping Logistics. Jen also helps in the compilation and layout of the Millcreek Gardens Catalogue. In the fall and winter she helps with plant maintenance in the Perennial Departments. Jen is an Ohio Certified Nursery Technician. In her spare time she enjoys the outdoors with her husband and animals, reading and making beaded jewelry.
Mark Noble - Facilities Department
Mark has been employed in the Maintenance Department at Millcreek Gardens for 18 years. He is responsible for maintaining heavy equipment and tractors as well operating the bobcat to unload incoming deliveries. He is responsible for building new greenhouses, running irrigation, gas, and electric lines, and installing heater and shutter systems. During extreme weather conditions, he is on call 24 hours a day to keep machines functioning properly to maintain constant temperatures in the greenhouses.
George Pealer - Owner
George has a B.S. degree in Agriculture from The Ohio State University, specializing in Horticulture. He started Millcreek Gardens with his wife, Lynda, in 1978. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association and the Perennial Plant Association. Outside interests include gardening, biking, tennis, and hiking.
Lynda Pealer - Owner
Lynda graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture. She also holds a degree in Microbiology from Purdue University. She helped establish Millcreek Gardens in 1978, and has provided a strong, steady hand in Millcreek’s growth. You may hear her answer your phone call in the spring and summer! Her outside interests include yoga, biking, hiking, tennis, and gardening.
Melynda Pealer - Accounting Coordinator
Melynda graduated from Colby College in 2004 with Distinction in Anthropology. She joined the Millcreek Gardens team in 2006 and is currently working as the Accounting Coordinator. When not at work she enjoys reading and dining out.
Laura Richards - Assistant Grower
Laura is a graduate of The Ohio State University. She majored in Horticulture and minored in Business with a Floriculture specialty. Laura joined Millcreek in 2008 after a long career in the Interior Plantscape profession. Laura is an Assistant Grower in the Herb Department and also helps in Propagation, Production and the Quart Perennial Departments during the off season.
updated 3.12.12