Scot Leavitt - Owner

Scot's destiny as an entrepreneur began at the age of 6 years old. In 1985, while still in college, Scot started Environmental Designs, a landscape construction company. His brother, Al, joined as a partner in 1988 and created the commercial landscape construction division.
The company thrived despite the economic housing collapse of 1989. Ten years later, Al and Scot purchased 16 acres of commercial land in Southington, CT, land that was overgrown and thick with wild Winterberry bushes. This parcel of land is where their vision of a retail garden center was realized and Winterberry Gardens was created. The combination of their foresight, determination and business savvy has culminated in the additional companies of Winterberry Irrigation, Winterberry Landscape Management and Winterberry Fence & Gate. Today, this entrepreneur's vision and dedication has created companies with a total staff of over 140 skilled and talented team members, with projects in six states, and future expansions on the horizon. Scot added to his list of credentials this year becoming Green Roof Certified.

Company Vision: To be the best run companies in the green industry, who provide exceptional products and services for aesthetic standards of living.

Al Leavitt - Owner

In 1984, Al started a lawn maintenance company consisting of residential and commercial accounts. By 1988, Al teamed up with his brother Scot to create a new division of Environmental Design, the commercial landscape construction company. Al took the business into the commercial arena with a team of only four employees and from that day forward, Environmental Design has been a leader in the commercial and heavy highway landscape industry.
Ten years later, Al and Scot purchased 16 acres of commercial land in Southington, CT, land that was overgrown and thick with wild Winterberry bushes. This parcel of land is where their vision of a retail garden center was realized and Winterberry Gardens was created. The combination of their foresight, determination and business savvy has culminated in the additional companies of Winterberry Irrigation, Winterberry Landscape Management and Winterberry Fence & Gate.
Today, this entrepreneur's vision and dedication has created companies with a total staff of over 140 skilled and talented team members, with projects in six states, and future expansions on the horizon. Most recently, Al has added to his credentials becoming Green Roof Certified.

Company Vision: To be the best run companies in the green industry, who provide exceptional products and services for aesthetic standards of living.

Chris Daigle - Owner

Chris has been in the commercial golf irrigation industry for 25 years. He has owned Winterberry Irrigation for the past 12 years. Chris realized there was a void in the industry for one company that could offer design-build-service within the Commercial and Residential markets and has been very successful in filling that void.
Chris continues to attend seminars and take classes to further his education, and to remain current on changes and new technology in the industry. Chris holds a J-3 license in CT and an M-1 license in MA. Between all of the members of the technical staff, there are also licenses in Rhode Island, New Jersey and New York. Winterberry Irrigation has worked on projects in six states, including military bases, colleges & universities, municipalities, and Park & Rec departments. New opportunities for additional expansion are on the horizon.

Company Vision: To be the best run companies in the green industry, who provide exceptional products and services for aesthetic standards of living.

Joan Murdoch-Davidson, Winterberry Group

Joan brings over three decades of construction accounting experience to her role as Controller of the Winterberry Group.

As Controller, Joan assumes responsibility for all Financial and HR concerns of the Companies. She holds a BS in Accounting.

Bryan Stolz
Environmental Designs - Residential

Bryan began his career in the Green Industry when he was 16, working for a small garden center owned by a family friend, and continued working there each summer through college. After graduating from UCONN, he took a trip to Europe and found himself in Barcelona, awestruck by the architecture of Antoni Gaudi.

Bryan took a tour of his foray into Landscape Architecture - El Parque Guell - and was so inspired that as soon as he arrived back home, he began applying for jobs as a Landscape Designer. Since arriving here at Winterberry, Bryan has designed everything from grand estates and banquet facilities to intimate sitting areas. He specializes in adapting his clients' aesthetic style to match the inherent qualities of their grounds and home. Landscape Design is much more than a job for Bryan; it is his passion, and he is excited every morning to wake up and create something beautiful for his clients that began as a simple sketch on a piece of paper.

Cheryl Varvelli
Environmental Design - Residential

Cheryl is the Senior Designer for the Residential Design Department. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Connecticut. Cheryl also has an Degree in High-end Residential Design from SUNY/Farmingdale on Long Island.

Her passion for design began during her childhood. Cheryl has worked all over Long Island, parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Her designs are known for their unique style, and range from simple to intricate. No matter the design or the type of project, Cheryl doesn't lose sight of her client's wishes, style and budget.

Matthew Duval
Environmental Design - Commercial

Matt graduated from New England Institute of Technology for Automotive with an Associate's degree in 1992. He worked for Ford dealerships for four years, where while continuing his education with Ford he became a Class A Ford technician. Matt switched fields in 1996, when he started working for Environmental Design, Inc. He started as a stone laborer, and soon moved up to stone foreman. He went to seminars for installation of Vesalok, Uni-lock, Techobloc and Belgard. He mastered the art of hardscapes, including the installation of ponds, walls, walkways, and steps. Matt then moved on to landscape plantings and sculpting in the residential field. He ran all of the residential departments for several years and then moved into the commercial arena, where he has been working for the past 5 years. Matt organizes schedules, orders supplies, and works with the architects and general contractors on the various projects. He is OSHA 30 certified, implemented a safety program 5 years ago to ensure the safety of the team members, and is the safety trainer for all of the Winterberry companies. Matt carries a pesticide applicator license. He also oversees the mechanical department for the Winterberry Group.

James Gardner
Environmental Design - Commercial

Jim Gardner has over thirty years of both commercial and residential landscape construction experience, as well as a degree in landscape architecture and a CT Supervisors Pesticide License.

He grew up in a family owned nursery/landscape operation based in Stamford, CT and has been involved with the industry all his life.

Mike Wrobel, Garden Center

Mike has over 13 years of hands-on experience in the green industry. He graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in plant science. In addition, Mike has participated in numerous programs to give him experience and expertise in other areas related to his degree.
Some of his accomplishments include: accreditation as a Nursery Professional; Certification in fish handling from Misty Mountain Aquatics; and a license to serve as a CT Pesticide Applicator. Mike also serves as a Board member on the CT Greenhouse Grower Association. He attends management clinics and horticultural trade shows annually to help stay informed on the latest trends and plant varieties. Mike's passion for the industry and his commitment to the company are reflected in every facet of his work.

Candace Kearney, Garden Center

Candace Kearney received her degree in Horticulture and Landscape Design from UCONN. In addition to her professional training, Candace brings her passion as a landscape painter and potter to her design work, creating landscapes that are both beautiful and useful. Her work ranges from romantic perennial gardens, to minimalist Japanese-inspired gardens, to stately traditional designs. Visit her on-site at our Garden Center.

Sebastian "Sebby" Milano
Head Greenhouse Grower, Garden Center

Sebby is the Head Greenhouse Grower for Winterberry. His career started in the air force and eventually segued into the insurance industry. Sebby worked for Combined Insurance while W. Clement Stone owned and ran the company. He started out selling insurance policies door-to-door working on a one hundred percent commission base. Adopting and applying the W. Clement Stones success system, Sebby advanced at Combined Insurance to become regional sales manager for the northeast. He managed hundreds of staff while in this position. Just after retirement, Sebby joined the Winterberry team and brought his passion for gardening with him. Winterberry soon realized that Sebby had the intelligence, management skills and passion to bring the Winterberry growing operation to the next level. Under Sebby's direction and watchful eye, Winterberry grows the finest perennials and annual flowers in the northeast. Winterberry has not only excelled in the growing of flowers with Sebby's participation but in the business culture as well. Sebby shares his lessons and experience from the corporate world of big business with our management team on a daily basis.

Ashley Florentino-Zamora, Garden Center

Ashley has worked at Winterberry Gardens for six years. She has experience in all aspects of greenhouse management, including growing, maintaining and creating specialty annual designs. Ashley also serves as Winterberry's Greenhouse Manager.
She is extremely knowledgeable about annuals, tropical and house plants. Ashley guides Winterberry guests in choosing the right plant for their needs. She also advises then on how to care and maintain their annuals to keep them at their best throughout the season. Ashley stays informed in the latest annual varieties through attending conferences and other educational programs.

John Koskowski, Garden Center

John can be found laboring intently and happily in the perennial area at Winterberry Gardens. He is a Connecticut Certified Nursery Professional thru his affiliation with the Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association. Since retiring after 30 years in the auto industry, he has found his niche. John has been involved in the Horticulture world for over 11 years, and continues to learn every day. He is happy to share his plant knowledge with team members and customers. Helping people learn about and choose just the right perennials for their landscape is more pleasure than work for John. His other interests include reading, hiking, gardening and the blues.

Jonathan Chabre, Garden Center

Jonathan specializes in ornamental nursery stock maintenance. He has over ten years of experience in the green industry with a main focus in property management. Jonathan owned and operated his own business for six years before becoming a part of the Winterberry organization. As a result, his knowledge of plant care and maintenance, and his commitment to customer service, are reflected in his ability to guide Winterberry guests in selecting plants to create landscapes that fit their style and they can enjoy for years. His passion and dedication for the industry lead him to continuously improve and expand his knowledge in ornamental horticulture through his participation in educational programs.

Jose Igartua, Irrigation

Jose graduated from the University of Madrid with a degree in Engineering. He worked for the first 20 years of his career in Madrid, Spain, gaining experience in designing and installing irrigation systems, ranging from Pivots to Drip irrigations systems. In 1997, Jose moved to United States with his wife and 3 daughters, as his wife is from Fairfield, CT and wanted to return home. For the past 14 years Jose has expanded his experience to include Commercial and Golf Course irrigation system installations. He has also become involved with pump installations, and installations and service of controllers with two-way wireless internet communication. His licensing includes CIC, CID Commercial & Golf, CLIA, CGIA, CT J-3 and NJ Irrigation Licenses. Jose is a Regional Authorized Instructor for the I.A., for which he helps to promote irrigation knowledge and training to the Spanish-speaking irrigation community. Jose is an active 4.0 tennis player.

Laura Barnett Goldberg, Irrigation

Laura has 25 years of management experience in property management, retail and banking. The customer service aspect of the business is her primary focus. Laura's other strengths include her organizational and communication skills. Her background in construction also adds to her abilities to manage the company successfully. An English major and Graphic Design minor provide Laura with both a literary and artistic view of the world. Laura is an avid gardener and enjoys everything to do with home remodeling/building/ decorating. She lives in Burlington with her two sons.

Jason Albert, Irrigation and Lighting

Jason has been a member of the Winterberry Irrigation team for 9 years. Jason is the manager of Residential Sales and Installations. He also manages Winterberry Lighting, overseeing the design, installation and maintenance. Jason has his CT J-4 irrigation license and is certified by the State of CT Department of Health to test backflows. He is also trained in Tucor Systems, a computer-based monitoring system for irrigation systems. Jason has also successfully completed design, build and maintenance workshops with Hunter and Toro. His education doesn't stop with irrigation. Jason has taken classes and successfully satisfied requirements from Unique Lighting, Hadco Lighting, and Cast Lighting.

James Gorton, Irrigation

Jamie has worked in the irrigation industry for 25 years. He has his CT J3 license and his State of CT backflow testing certification, among his many other licenses and certifications. Jamie's exceptional mechanical abilities have contributed to his success and longevity within the field.

Tom Shea, Irrigation

Tom has 13 years of residential installation and service. His experience includes 10 years in Colorado. Tom has been involved in the "green" industry for almost twenty years. Tom is Tucor certified and has attended several Rain Bird academies. He is certified as an irrigation landscape auditor and is Winterberry's on-line irrigation systems' monitoring Manager.

Matthew Gardner, Landscape Management

Matt has 30-plus years' experience in the horticultural and green industries. His passion for the services he provides transcends throughout the culture of his department. Matt has won several national maintenance awards for properties all over Connecticut. He is a member of the CT Irrigation Contractor's Association, CT Groundskeeper Association, as well as Planet Landcare Network. Matt's licenses and professional affiliations are just several examples of his dedication and commitment to his craft.

Ingrid Leavitt, Accounting/Administration

Ingrid joined the Winterberry team in the fall of 2010. Ingrid previously worked in the offices of Environmental Design, LLC, shortly after they set-up shop in Southington where Winterberry Gardens is located. Ingrid is excited to be working in this dynamic environment once again and enjoys working for the different companies, wearing whatever hat is necessary to get the job done well.

Susan Mercer, Accounting/Administration

Susan Mercer has over 25 years of bookkeeping and administrative experience, with the primary focus on property management and construction. Outside of the office she is involved with several volunteer organizations and is a well respected advocate for the pit bull breeds. Susan lives in Prospect with her two rescued pit bulls.

Pamela Smith, Accounting/Administration

Pamela has 10 plus years of experience in customer service. She started with the Winterberry Group in 2007 as the receptionist. She has since taken on other responsibilities and now works in our accounting department. Her friendly and pleasant nature allows her to interact well with customers, vendors and her fellow coworkers. When not working, Pamela enjoys spending time with her family and can often be found at the park watching her son play baseball