Quiet competence

Quercus Management

One of the largest green industry trade shows takes place this month in Baltimore with no small thanks to the woman behind the show, Vanessa Finney. Exhibitors from over 14 countries will be showing their wares thanks to the expertise shown by Vanessa and Quercus Management.

Vanessa grew up in Perry Hall, Maryland, just 20 miles from Baltimore along with the rest of her Akehurst extended family. She said their roots came from Perry Hall with the original family greenhouses built in 1876 and the subsequent nursery forged the many strong family relationships.

Her passion for the green industry began in her childhood with her father, Carville Akehurst, watching him develop his goal of bringing MANTS to the forefront of the industry. She has said she remembers sitting at the kitchen table helping stuff envelopes when she was just 7 or 8 years old. But it wasn’t just stuffing envelopes. As a youngster she worked Saturdays and summers with her cousins and sisters at the family’s nursery, educating her on what it took to be a part of the family business. Doing this kind of work gave her an understanding not only of the industry but the plants as well.

Quercus Management

Vanessa graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in international business and finance from American University and later earned a master’s in business administration from Loyola College in Maryland. Her educational background, combined with a CPA certification, has provided her with a strong foundation to lead Quercus Inc. and contribute to the green industry through her roles in various associations. She is also the current executive director of the Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association, which ties in nicely with MANTS.

Before joining MANTS, she worked in public accounting and healthcare finance. Vanessa said that these experiences, though outside the green industry, equipped her with a strong financial and managerial background, enabling her to effectively lead and contribute to the growth and success of MANTS and other associations. But destiny changed for her and the rest of the Akehurst family in 2001 when her father, Carville fell and broke his hip and died unexpectedly from complications of the surgery. Vanessa was on maternity leave with her third child. But her mother, who had been working with her father on the 2002 show, asked for Vanessa’s help.

Vanessa took her dad’s notes that he had left in the office and started working. She realized they could do the job and do it well. Her mother, Nancy, continued to work with her until her retirement in 2003. Vanessa brought her husband Kelly into the company in 2003 because he had a strong marketing and fundraising background and they have never looked back, only forward.

“Like father, like daughter, Vanessa hails from a family known and revered in the mid-Atlantic region nursery industry,” says Craig J. Regelbrugge, executive advisor – Advocacy, Research, Industry Relations with AmericanHort. “Like her father, Vanessa has contributed mightily to the industry’s success, in her role as executive director of the Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association, and as executive vice president of the Mid Atlantic Nursery Trade Show. A study in ‘quiet competence,’ Vanessa is more often found behind the scenes than in the limelight, yet her outsize contributions continue to demonstrate her steadfast commitment and attention to the finest of details.”

William Verbrugge of Nursery Sales Associates, says Vanessa has handled the difficulties with grace and put in the work to become a strong leader for horticulture.

“During the time of COVID in 2021 and 2022 she guided the MANTS trade show through some challenging times,” Verbrugge says. “Some years ago she successfully completed the two-year education course from LEAD Maryland Foundation. In conjunction with the University of Maryland, this group is dedicated to identifying and developing future leaders to serve agriculture, natural resources and rural communities.”

In her spare time, Vanessa is an avid reader and also teaches Jazzercise (aerobic dance fitness class) several times a week. Vanessa and Kelly have three children, Rebecca, Scott and Eva, and all have helped with behind-the-scenes tasks like she did earlier such as stuffing mailings, labeling envelopes, processing mail etc. during summer breaks. So far none of them have shown a desire to join the family business, but like Vanessa joining MANTS, things can always change.

When asked about women joining the green industry, Vanessa says she sees progress.

“While the green industry, like many others, has been predominantly male, I have witnessed positive changes and a greater acceptance of women in leadership roles over the years,” she says. “There are, undoubtedly, still obstacles to overcome, but my experience at the helm of MANTS has been largely positive, and I believe that as more women enter and thrive in this field, we will see continued progress toward equality and inclusivity.”