Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the HILA Class of 2026 print edition of Nursery Management under the headline “Kelly Marcum.”
Watch a video of Kelly from the Horticultural Industries Leadership Awards at Cultivate'26 here.
Kelly Marcum has the innate ability to identify people’s gifts and talents, even when they don’t yet know them. His leadership style is equal parts grace, observation, patience and honesty.
Kelly on helping people find their stride: “I feel like I’m a coach when I’m hiring and building a team. Not all team members can be alike. It’s my job to help them find their best place. A lot of times, it’s just watching them for a little while to see what they’re interested in. It’s fun to watch people excel when they are in the right spot and you can see they love their job. And it’s really fun when they figure things out in ways I wouldn’t have thought of to take on challenges. And there are always challenges.”
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