Archives: Speakers

Koppert Biological Systems, Inc.

After obtaining a Master of Science in Ecology at the University of Amsterdam in 2003, Engelkes began his career at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, focusing on tri-trophic interactions between plants, insects, and predators. This resulted in 2010 in a PhD through Wageningen University and publications in a range of scientific journals. He also spent 3 years at the University of California, Berkeley, working on the biological control of pests. Currently, Engelkes is responsible for R&D for Koppert Biological Systems in the U.S. and is product manager of the Koppert scout app, ‘iPM’. He is also a consultant on pest management in hydroponic vegetables.

Lead Outdoor Horticulture Instructor, Oaksterdam University

A certified master gardener, Darves is a lifelong advocate for social reform, sustainable horticulture, and community development. After receiving her B.A. in Sociology with Honors from the University of Oregon, Natalie went on to earn an Executive MBA in Wine Business at Sonoma State University. She has successfully executed projects of all sizes for wine and cannabis companies alike, contributing key insights and strategic partnerships every time. As a leader in both sustainable outdoor cannabis horticulture and business progressivism, Darves is a proponent of closed-loop, “beyond organic” models and has worked with numerous cannabis-cultivation groups to drive policy reform and develop farming best practices.

Executive Vice President, NAFTA, Certis USA

Tim Damico is the Executive Vice President of Certis USA and an 18-year veteran of the company. He is responsible for guiding all of Certis’ commercial activities in the NAFTA region. Damico previously has worked in sales, technical, international, and managerial roles for Southern States Cooperative, Ciba-Geigy (currently Syngenta) and Great Salt Lake Minerals (now Compass Minerals) working with growers, ag retailers, distributors, and channel partners throughout the U.S. and other countries for more than 35 years. Damico has been a BPIA member since 2006 and was elected to its Board of Directors in 2010 and also co-chairs the Specialty Markets Committee. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticultural Science from Pennsylvania State University.

Director of Growing, American Color, Inc.

Tom Costamagna has a long history of working with biocontrols that includes a ten-year stint working in the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) with Dr. Michael Parrella, one of the key early researchers studying the implementation of biocontrol and biopesticide use in floriculture. He eventually transitioned to commercial horticulture, first as the Director of Plant Quality for Mid-American Growers in Granville, IL. and later as the National Production Manager for the Dümmen Orange. Currently he is the Director of Growing at American Color in Orange, VA. where he is responsible for all facets of growing and production.

Professor and Extension Specialist in Horticultural Entomology/Plant Protection, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University

Dr. Cloyd is the Extension specialist in horticultural entomology for the state of Kansas. His research and Extension program involves pest management in greenhouses, nurseries, landscapes, turfgrass, conservatories, interiorscapes, Christmas trees, and vegetables and fruits, with specialty areas in plant protection, biological control, plant-insect interactions, insect ecology, pesticides, integrating pesticides with biological control agents, sanitation, and Extension. He has more than 80 scientific refereed publications to his credit and has published and in more than 800 trade journals on topics related to pest management and plant protection.In addition, he has authored or co-authored numerous books, including Greenhouse Pest Management, Pests and Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials, and Managing Greenhouse Insect and Mite Pests. Dr. Cloyd is a frequent speaker at state, national, and international conferences and seminars and has received numerous awards and honors including the American Society for Horticultural Sciences Outstanding Extension Educator Award 2012 and the 2011 Society of American Florists Alex Laurie Award for Research and Extension.

Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University

Bezerra Da Silva’s main research focus is biological control of pests, as well as chemical and behavioral ecology of insects. He has contributed to pest control tools for fruit trees by implementing economic thresholds, monitoring methods, and evaluating IPM programs to optimize sustainable practices for the fruit industry. As a postdoc, he is developing tactics and tools that predict risk of crop damage by spotted wing drosophila (SWD) on small fruits, conducting studies on SWD population movement, biological control, and monitoring tools, and combining laboratory experiments with on-farm and research station studies.