Tomiyasu Award
The Tomiyasu Award is given each year in honor of Bill Tomiyasu (1882-1969), life-long farmer, horticulturist, visionary, and plant enthusiast. Tomiyasu is credited with finding and popularizing many trees and plants commonly found in Las Vegas today.
Tomiyasu moved to Las Vegas in April 1914 to operate his recently purchased 40-acre ranch located in the area of Winterwood Blvd. As a local farmer, he fed the men that worked on Hoover Dam, and during WWII, he delivered the produce he grew to Nellis Air Force Base. When hiring workers for his farm became difficult, he decided to leave the agricultural arena and start growing landscape plants. He started his nursery at A Street and Tomiyasu Lane. He bought the crop seed from California and found that the recommended growing schedules would not work in Vegas. Thereafter followed six years of research and trial and error that led him to creating a growing timetable for an extensive list of crops. He is credited with the popularization of the fruitless mulberry and the introduction of desert-tolerant plant varieties to Las Vegas and his ongoing research into optimal planting schedules. 2025 Awardee: Danny Ortega
Danny Ortega is a Full Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and has been a faculty member since 2000. His leadership as coordinator of the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) program from 2010 to 2022 has transformed it into a nationally recognized program.
Danny's dedication and impactful leadership have elevated UNLV’s landscape architecture program, benefiting numerous green industry professionals and enhancing the quality of life for many Nevadans. His impressive achievements make him a deserving candidate for the 2025 Tomiyasu Award. Past Recipients
1986: Hilding Hanson, Golf Course Superintendent
1987: Linn Mills, County Agent 1988: George Bowman, Green Industry Sales 1989: Robert Morris, County Agent 1990: Nanyu Tomiyasu, Landscape Contractor 1991: John Smith, College Instructor 1992: Aggie Roberts, Horticulture Instructor 1993: Dennis Swartzell, Grounds Superintendent 1997: Dale Devitt, Soils and Water Researcher 1998: Pete Duncombe, Demonstration Gardens 1999: Jack Zunino, Landscape Architect 2000: Helen Stone, Green Industry Publisher 2001: Karen Dyka, Horticulture Instructor 2002: Joe Fortier, Water Manager 2003: Russ Thompson, Parks and Recreation 2004: Jim Gibbons, Resort Horticulture Manager 2005: Damon Ohlerking, Landscape Architect 2006: Alan Paulson, School District Landscape Superintendent 2007: Bill Rohret, CGCS, Golf Course Superintendent 2008: Thomas Mehlan, Parks Supervisor 2009: ML Robinson, Cooperative Extension Specialist 2010: Dr. Wes Niles, Professor Emeritus, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2011: Lisa Ortega, Urban Forester, City of Henderson 2012: Pat Leary, Instructor, College of Southern Nevada 2013: Angela O'Callaghan, Cooperative Extension Specialist 2014: Norm Schilling, Schilling Horticulture 2015: Stan Southwick, Southwick Landscape Architecture 2016: Scott Cichowlaz, Nevada Department of Agriculture 2017: Kathy Kosta, California Department of Agriculture 2018: Scott Sutton, Golf Course Superintendent 2019: Dale Hahn, CGCS, TPC/Summerlin, Golf Course 2020: none 2021: Jeff Knight, Nevada Dept of Agriculture 2022: Patrick Watson, Southern Nevada Water Authority 2023: Steve Glimp, City of Las Vegas 2024: Paul Noe, Star Nursery 2025: Danny Ortega, University of Southern Nevada |