County horticulturist wins industry award

Friday, Dec. 19, 2003 | 4:43 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION Dec. 20 - 21, 2003

Clark County Parks & Community Services honored horticultural specialist Russ Thompson with the 2003 Bill Tomiyasu Memorial Award for his outstanding commitment to the state's horticulture industry.

Thompson received the award Nov. 11 during the annual Desert Green Conference, which was sponsored by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

Judges said they selected Thompson, who is the first horticulturist from any parks and recreation department in Nevada to win the award, because of his "continuous displays of the highest regard for the horticulture industry by promoting horticulture in the community, and by his ongoing commitment to lifelong learning about the industry."

Thompson has been working with the Clark County Parks & Community Services Department for 25 years.

The certified arborist has a degree in ornamental horticulture and was presented with the 2003 Award of Achievement by the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, this last spring.

Among others who have won the Tomiyasu award were Linn Mills and Angie Roberts from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension; Dennis Swartzell, director of grounds at UNLV; and Jack Zunino, a local landscape architect.