America in Bloom advisors to visit Belleville July 21-22

Professional advisors from the America in Bloom program will visit the city of Belleville on July 21-22.
“Belleville is one of the many proud and passionate communities across America working on local revitalization programs,” said Laura A. Kunkle, executive director, in a news release.
“Communities that are more welcoming and vibrant have a competitive advantage in stimulating economic development and creating a thriving place for people to live, work, and play,” she said.
“America in Bloom communities experience better cooperation among municipal, commercial, and residential sectors because everyone works toward a common goal,” Kunkle said.
Advisors will be evaluating the community’s efforts in the areas of community vitality, floral impact, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental initiatives, celebrating heritage, and overall impression.
In addition to receiving a detailed written evaluation from the advisors citing strengths and opportunities for improvement, participants receive a special mention for what the judges deem to be an extraordinary project or program. Additional awards that can be earned include:
• Population category winner
• Outstanding achievement award – the “best of the best” over all participants in each of the evaluated criteria
• Special awards
• Community Champion
• YouTube Video
The advisor team members are Galen Gates and Diane Blazek.
Galen Gates said he believes strongly in community engagement, pragmatic research, education, and public gardens that remain relevant to their constituents. He actively pursued these interests during his 30-year career at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
He led the effort to establish the Garden’s long-range Collections Plan outlining the purpose and direction for the institution’s Living Plant, Library, Herbarium and Sculpture Collections. He established a Verification Program methodically verifying living plant collections, securing North American Plant Collections status for spirea, geranium, and oaks.
He authored the landmark paper “Characteristics of a World-Class Plant Collection” – a reference used widely as the guide in developing and evaluating plant collections in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Gates is a founding member of four organizations including the Garden’s Plant Exploration Program. He collected and studied plants on 25 trips into 20 countries, enriching botanical understanding and diversity in the US. Galen identified the need and successfully pursued solutions to abate six miles of shoreline erosion and improve water quality – generating unprecedented research and pragmatic techniques to stem erosion in the Upper US.
He initiated and programmed three annual conferences, as Adjunct Professor he helped establish an initiative that brought a Master of Landscape Architecture degree to the Chicago area. He has addressed 15 universities (including Northwestern and Harvard).
Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau, has been deeply immersed in gardening from an early age. From growing up on a small family farm in Missouri to her small suburban lot in the Chicagoland area, she is passionate about everything green.
After spending 15 years with Ball Publishing, Blazek moved to take on her current role where she can be even closer to the end consumer.
To date, more than 370 communities from 44 states have participated in the America in Bloom program and more than 22 million people have been touched by it. Awards will be announced Sept. 25-27, 2025 at America in Bloom’s National Symposium and Awards Celebration in Rochester, MI.
America in Bloom is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting nationwide beautification programs and personal and community involvement through the use of flowers, plants, trees, and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements.
America in Bloom provides educational programs, resources, and the challenge of a friendly competition between participating communities across the country.