Tim Ford, executive vice president of The Toro Company, has left the company to accept the position of president of Genie, a division of Terex Corporation. Genie manufactures scissor lifts.

Ford joined the management team of Toro five years ago. He worked at General Electric for 13 years before going to Honeywell for a three-year stint prior to joining Toro.

Paul Comstock, ASLA, has joined the ValleyCrest Design Group. Leading his own landscape architecture practice, dubbed Comstock Studio, within the group, Comstock will service clients across several market segments and geographies.

Formerly the director of landscape design for Walt Disney Imagineering, Comstock’s landscape design influence spans the globe. “ValleyCrest was first exposed to Paul’s talent when our development division brought his vision for Disney’s Animal Kingdom to life in the late 90s,” said ValleyCrest Companies President Richard Sperber. “Since then, we have followed Paul’s career and continue to be amazed by his talent, his deep-rooted botanical knowledge, and his ability to truly connect with people. We are thrilled he agreed to join our team.”

The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) has named Jim Martin, CLP, to serve as its president-elect. He is president of James Martin Associates, Inc., Vernon Hills, Illinois. Martin has been a member of the board of directors and has remained involved with the association for many years.

The Florida Turfgrass Association has named Casey Wohl Pace as its new executive director. She will manage the organization’s daily operations, develop relationships with allied associations, serve as spokesperson, and direct the strategic long-term direction of the association.

Wohl Pace previously worked for Florida Citrus Mutual as director of public affairs. She has extensive experience in a variety of areas, including management, industry representation, public affairs advocacy, and media relations.

Virginia Lombardi has been appointed account executive for Kichler Landscape Lighting in the Arizona marketplace. She will be responsible for sales and education in the landscape and irrigation channel of distribution. She comes to Kichler with a strong marketing and sales background, most recently with W.W. Grainger in Phoenix, Arizona.

Eddie Woods is the newest member of the Professional Landcare Network’s (PLANET) certification team. With more than nine years of association and certification experience, Woods has tremendous enthusiasm for his job as certification manager.

He oversees coordination and development of certification and recertification program operations. He is also the liaison to the International Certification Council.

Michelle Rodwell, director of marketing at Initial Tropical Plants, has been promoted to international branding and marketing director for the company’s global tropical plants division.

Rodwell joined the company last October. “Over the past eleven months, Michelle has completely transformed our North American marketing efforts,” said Jeff Mariola, managing director.

“Under her leadership, we will unite our strong businesses with a global marketing vision and strategy that will further accelerate growth.”

The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) has named James H. Johnson its director of products and services. He has an extensive background with the green industry and with associations.

Johnson has more than 13 years of experience with associations in the D.C. area, most recently as executive director for the American Council of Engineering Companies of Metropolitan Washington. He earned a bachelor of science degree in agribusiness management and a graduate degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University.