Our People

As CEO, Brian leads our growth strategy by working closely with ArizonaEast’s sales and marketing teams to maintain key customer partnerships. After years of balancing a demanding day job with the growing needs of his burgeoning business, Brian left the corporate world to take the helm as CEO of ArizonaEast in 2013. A graduate of Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, it wasn’t until he saw succulents through a strategic lens that he began to appreciate the plants he’d grown up with at his father’s nursery. As his business acumen and passion for plants collided, he and his brother co-founded ArizonaEast with the desire to create something that would inspire people to fall in love with succulents the way he had. Though “free time” is a rare occurrence for an entrepreneur (and father of four) Brian lives for weekend adventures with his wife Heather and their beautiful family.

Joe has an eye for all things up-and-coming (just ask his wife, who now has over 3 million YouTube subscribers after he encouraged her to start an online cooking show), so the decision to partner with his brother to make their favorite plants mainstream was an easy one to make. He had a feeling succulents would be a hit and 10 years later they’re the plant du jour. As co-founder, Joe is committed to developing the robust technological infrastructure needed to compete as a company today. He’s always one step ahead of the curve and ready to do whatever it takes to maintain ArizonaEast’s competitive edge. A Drexel University grad with a degree in electrical engineering, Joe spends his free time tinkering with tech to harness its’ full potential to make life better. Oh, and eating his wife Laura’s delicious food at their home in South Jersey.

A rare commodity, Rich is truly a jack of all trades. As our operations manager, Rich manages internal and external operations throughout our greenhouse. He’s not afraid to get hands-on in any project happening in the office. In fact, he’s working to finish his degree in graphic and web design and frequently designs for the ArizonaEast brand!

As you may already know, Adrienne is our awesome administrative assistant. Adrienne has quickly become the “office mom” starting each day with her joyful greetings. Being naturally organized, Adrienne has been a great asset to our team creating a peaceful work environment.

A people person at heart, he prides himself on the lasting relationships he’s built with his garden center customers over a decades-long career. A graduate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, he cut his teeth at a Manhattan insurance brokerage firm before realizing his true passion for plants and hopping head first into the world of horticulture.