PLANT WNY leadership is composed of combined elected and volunteer personnel. Board Members are the elected officers of this organization and are nominated by a committee and elected at its General Meeting. Board Members are elected for a one a year term as stated in the bylaws. Any member in good standing can be nominated and elected.
2023 PLANT WNY Executive Board of Directors
PLANT WNY
Joyce Janson, Executive Secretary
PO Box 188, East Amherst, NY 14051
P (716) 741-8047 :: F (716) 741-0072
President - Steven Sypniewski, Lifetime CNLP
Steve is a lifelong resident of WNY and has over 30 years in the green industry. After receiving a degree from SUNY Alfred State in Landscape Development, Steve worked for several Buffalo area landscape firms, Valley View Nursery, Alden Evergreen Nursery, Adam’s Nursery, Woodside Landscape Care, and his own firm, Hilltop Landscape & Design. Throughout his career, Steve has a wide range of landscape contracting experience, including design/build, maintenance and tree service. In addition to his lifetime CNLP, he is an ISA Certified Arborist, and a NYS certified pesticide applicator in category 3a. Employed at SUNY Buffalo State since 2011, he is currently the Assistant Campus Planner & Arboretum Manager.Vice President - Lou Sardo
Lou is a Financial Professional with Equitable Advisors. When it comes to financial and retirement planning, he specializes in working with small businesses. Lou is licensed to help with financial and retirement planning, employee group benefits, disability and life insurance solutions, buy/sell agreements and business continuation planning just to name a few.
Lou understands the green industry firsthand as he joined PLANT WNY in 2016 as a landscape business owner. He was proud to showcase his garden scape at Plantasia and has continued to participate and be a resource for his former colleagues. Lou said his key to success has been to smile, and to treat everyone with respect and dignity.
Treasurer - Peter Burke, CNLP
Peter obtained his Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture in 2001 from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry at Syracuse University. Throughout his career, he has had the pleasure of working for several well-respected Landscape Architects across the country. Peter had participated with the design and development on many award-winning projects whether as a sole designer, a team member or project manager for awards recognized at the national, state and local level throughout the country. Peter specializes in the development of residential landscape design no matter the size. His diverse portfolio includes designing high-end residential landscapes, luxury high-rise condominium towers, hotels and resorts, golf courses & communities, commercial projects, etc. In 2016, Peter relocated back home to the Buffalo area where he continued to work in the landscape industry. In 2021, he started his own company Gaelic Clover Landscape Design LLC, providing landscape design services to both residential and commercial clients and also provides additional design support to several landscape architects and landscape companies in the region.
Secretary - Ryan McMillan
Ryan is owner of McMillan's Landscaping located in Angola, NY.Director - Kristy Schmitt, CNLP
Kristy currently works at Tripi's Landscaping and lives in Buffalo with her husband and her daughter Linden (and several fish and cats). Prior to Tripi's she spent 9 years as the Director of Education at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Kristy became a CNLP in 2017 and has been an active member of PLANT WNY since 2015 when the Botanical Gardens became involved with Plantasia and the Children's Garden. One of her many plant passions is mosses and she enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for the botanical world with people of all ages. She has a background in botany and biology with her B.S. from SUNY-ESF and her masters in Science Education from Syracuse University.Committees
Arbor Day
Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens
CNLP
Trade Show & Education Conference
Erie County Fair
Foundation
Golf Outing
Historian
Membership
Landscape Awards
Leaf a Legacy
Plantasia