William (Bill) T. Ruppert

Owns and manages the St. Louis office of National Nursery Products (NNP), a horticultural sales, marketing and consulting company representing regional and national wholesale growers of ornamental and environmental landscape plants.

Prior to assuming his position with National Nursery Products in 1990, Bill was employed by the University of Missouri serving a management role coordinating the landscape redevelopment and enhancement of the University of Missouri – Columbia campus under the direction of the Barbara S. Uehling administration.

Education Background

Graduated from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 1980 with a BS from the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Horticulture program with a concentration in ornamental horticulture and landscape design.

As a student in the Horticulture program, Bill coordinated the planning, design, funding acquisition, and construction development of the Woodland and Floral Gardens, a mini-botanical garden on the grounds of the MU Agriculture Building.

Bill continues to participate in adult education programs regarding information technology systems, ecological uses of horticultural plants and frequently attends a variety of professional green industry symposiums, lectures and workshops.

Active leadership participation in professional and civic organizations includes:

• President (2003-05) - Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis
• Executive Director (2006-present) - Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis
• President (2003-04) - Landscape and Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis
• Treasurer (2005-present) - Landscape and Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis
• Chair (2003 & 2005) - Hort Co-op St. Louis Garden Symposium
• Co-Chair - 2009 Perennial Plant Association Symposium St. Louis Site Committee
• Advisor (2007-present) - Gateway Green Industry Conference Planning Committee (Collinsville, IL)
• Member (1992-present) - St. Louis Community College @ Meramec Horticulture Program Advisory Board
• Student Mentor (2007-present) - University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Career Center Connections
• Member (2000-present) - Grow Native!, a program of the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Department of Agriculture
• Member (2008-present) - ShowMe Rain Gardens Advisory Committee
• Member (2008-2009) - MSD Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Taskforce
• Member (2001, 2003, 2005) - Chicago Botanic Garden Rare Affair Selection Committee
• Member (2003-present) - Plants of Merit Advisory Committee, a program of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Powell Gardens, Mizzou Botanic Garden, University of Missouri Extension, St. Louis Community College at Meramec, Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association and Illinois Green Industry Association
• Member (2003-present) - Gateway Greening Board of Directors
• Chair (2005-present) - Gateway Greening Committees: Civic Greening and Marketing & Public Relations
• Member (2008-present) - Missouri Botanical Garden Strategic Plan Horticulture Committee
• Member (2004, 2005) - Operation Brightside Advisory Committee
• Member (2005-06) - St. Louis Honeysuckle Consortium
• Member (2003-09) - City of Kirkwood Urban Forestry Commission
• Chair (2007-09) - City of Kirkwood Urban Forestry Commission
• Member (2007-present) - Mizzou Botanic Garden Advisory Committee (Columbia, MO)
• Founder/Coordinator (2004-present) - Kirkwood in BLOOM
• Co-Coordinator - 2007 America in Bloom Kirkwood Steering Committee
• St. Louis Representative - 2010 America in Bloom Symposium and Awards Program Planning Committee
• Advisor (2005-present) - Downtown Kirkwood SBD Enhancement Committee
• Advisor (2008-present) - Kirkwood Living Green
• Kirkwood Representative (2009-2010) - Deer Creek Watershed Friends Creek Naming Committee
• Vice President (2006) - Kirkwood Garden Club
• Citizen Coordinator - Mel Bay: A Tribute to the Kirkwoodian Who Taught the World to Play Guitar

Personal Interests

• In addition to professional horticultural activities, enjoys an active gardening hobby including the collection and evaluation of recently introduced plants in a landscaped residential setting located in Kirkwood, Missouri. Special interest is given to combining unique and tough companion annual varieties with a diverse collection of hardy perennials and ornamental shrubs.
• Missouri, Illinois and local history.
• Experiencing a wide variety of music genres.
• Biographical chronicles of leaders and contributors to society.
• Travel and discovery.

National Nursery Products - St. Louis is a proud member
of these professional trade organizations: