KARRI CECIL BLACKMON PRESIDENT - CEO

Education:

  • Master Course work Plant and Soil Science

  • B.S. Agricultural and Bio Systems Engineering

  • Associate in Applied Science Paralegal Technology

  • Certificate of Completion Hazardous Waste Institute

Licenses, Certifications and Specialized Training:

  • North Carolina Licensed Contractor # 70384

  • Rosgen Natural Channel Assessment and Design Levels 1 through 4

  • North Carolina Stream Restoration Institute - Advanced Stream Restoration and Design

  • HAZWOPER 40 hour

  • HAZWOPER 8 hour Supervisor

  • Phase 1 - ESA Training

Current Position and Background:

Mrs. Blackmon is HARP’s President and CEO.  After taking control of HARP in 2007, she assumed responsibility for all HARP projects.  She continues to focus HARP’s efforts on the founder’s principles to provide excellence in environment stewardship. Prior to her arrival at HARP, Mrs. Blackmon was employed by a large international environmental services company where she oversaw the financial management of the southeast region and later moved on to project work as a staff engineer and scientist. Her background in contract management, financial and business management as well as environmental project work made her the perfect candidate to achieve the growth HARP needed.

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Alan Peoples

VP Field Operations

Education:

  • M.S. Geology University of Georgia Athens, G.A.

  • B.S. Physics Berry College Rome, G.A.

Specialized Training and Certifications:

  • North Carolina Registered Landscape Contractor Number #1452

  • NC Ground Pesticide License #026-25202

  • VA Ground Pesticide License #11552

  • e-RAILSAFE Certified

  • Norfolk Southern On-Track Workers Safety Certified

  • Level II: Certified Erosion and Sediment Control/Stormwater Site Manager

Current Position and Background:

Mr. Peoples is HARP’s VP – Field Operations managing two divisions within HARP; our restoration planting division and our invasive plant division. Mr. Peoples holds a Landscapers Contractors License, and Ground Pesticide Licenses in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. He has extensive experience with native vegetation and exotic/invasive vegetation. He is well versed in matching plant species to the habitat and in acquiring plants in the most cost effective manner. Mr. Peoples directs all of HARP’s vegetation installation regardless of size. His responsibilities also include training personnel in the proper installation techniques for live stakes, bare root and containerized material and invasive plant control.

Paula GrossSENIOR SCIENTIST

SENIOR SCIENTIST

Education:

  • M.S. in Horticulture, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

  • B.S. in Botany, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Current Position and Background:

Ms. Gross is a Senior Scientist with HARP. She has spent her career connecting plants and people through education. As the former Associate Director of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Botanical Gardens, she co-led the growth of the gardens and greenhouses with Dr. Larry Mellichamp for nearly two decades. With degrees in both botany and horticulture, Paula has consulted on many aspects of native flora - from identification of plants in the wild to effective use in public and private landscapes. She is the co-author of two books with Dr. Mellichamp, The Southeast Native Plants Primer and Bizarre Botanicals, and has written for Fine Gardening magazine.  She has appeared as a guest speaker on Charlotte Talks. She has presented at regional horticultural conferences and taught for NC Master Naturalist and NC Master Gardener certification programs. Her deep belief that the human-as-part-of-Nature connections are vital for the health of both individuals and the planet which inspires her to write, teach, and consult on a wide range of botanical and horticultural topics. 

Tyler O’Mara Nursery manager arborist

Education:

  • B.S. Agriculture Education NCA&T University Greensboro, N.C.

  • A.A.S Horticulture Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem, N.C.

Specialized Training and Certifications:

  • ISA Certified Arborist # SO-10417A

Current Position and Background:

Tyler O’Mara joined HARP in the fall of 2019 as the nursery manager for HARP’s two nurseries in Lexington, N.C. Prior to coming to HARP, he worked as a horticulturist in both public garden and museum settings, along with working as an adjunct horticulture instructor at a local community college. Tyler’s primary responsibility is ensuring that plant materials are sourced and grown out properly for the many restoration jobs that the company takes on every year.