USCC Brings Aboard New STA, Compost Use Staff Member

Hilary Nichols, a horticulturist and experienced public garden manager, is the USCC’s new Market Development Coordinator, the Council announced.

“Hilary comes to us with a collaborative, community-building background that is well-grounded in compost use, from working in botanical gardens, nurseries and landscaping companies. She will be using her expertise to build partnerships across the industry and attract more participants to utilizing compost and the STA certified compost program,” said Frank Franciosi, executive director. Her background includes working for gardens like SEEDS in NC, the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Georgia, Royal Botanic Garden at Kew in the UK, and Longwood Gardens in PA, as well as for nurseries and Bland Landscaping in NC. “Finding skilled and passionate volunteers to recruit for our work is one of her specialties that we expect to tap,” Franciosi said.

In the last garden she managed, Hilary utilized 60 cubic yards of compost a year to grow healthy plants, so she knows the value of good compost. She has 16 years of experience learning the value and then teaching about end-uses of compost: working in public gardens, for nurseries, and landscapers.

Nichols has a degree in Horticulture from North Carolina State University, and will be based in Raleigh, NC. She takes over the 18-year-old STA program from Al Rattie, who recently retired.