NATE JAMESON
President

I live in Central Florida, USA. My wife and I own and have operated Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery since 1998. Our primary focus is the production of commercial trees for growers, but we also grow trees for the home owner market. I graduated from the University of Florida in 1992 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Operations Management. My wife Anna and I have been married for 22 years and we have two teenage sons, Nathan and William.

My vision for the ISCN to provide international collaboration between nurserymen, researchers and vendors for the purpose of improving citrus nursery production through better management, nutrition and genetics.

JOSE LIMA
President Elect

I grew up in the Citrus nursery business learning the craft from my father and uncle in Brazil. I graduated with a citrus major from Florida Southern College in 1998 and have a Master in Citrus from Polythechnic university of Valencia.

Over my 20 years as a citrus nurseryman I have worked for 3 different nurseries and am currently the nursery director for Wonderful Citrus in California where I oversee the production of 600,000 trees over two states (CA and TX).

I have been involved in ISCN since 2001 publishing papers and participating in congresses over the years.

AARON DILLON
Treasurer

Aaron Dillon is a fourth-generation citrus nurseryman with Four Winds Growers, located in Watsonville California. He is proud to carry on his family’s tradition of providing their customers with high quality citrus trees for use in any setting.

Aaron has been working full time with Four Winds Growers since 2002. Aaron is the third generation of the Dillon family that has been a member of ISCN, and he is currently serving as the organization’s Treasure. He was a co-organizer in the 2022 Congress in California, and has attended three ISCN congresses to date.

HUSSEIN MAREI
Secretary

Hussein is part of a family that have been involved in the field of agriculture across many generations for over a century in Egypt.

Over the years, through experiences passed down and knowledge accumulated, he has developed a keen interest and expertise in citrus cultivation and propagation. Along with his late father Hassan Marei, they expanded the family business Marei Orchard and Nursery to include cultivated land in various areas of Egypt as well as one of the few certified nursery operations for the propagation of quality citrus trees.

Through cooperation with various research centers and technical groups both on a local and international level Marei is always striving to be on the forefront of new technologies and innovations to advance the sector in Egypt.

Mr Marei serves as a board member in the Horticultural Export Improvement Association (HEIA). He is also on the executive committee of the International Society of Citrus Nurserymen (ISCN).

ROGER SMITH
Past President

I grew up in the California citrus industry as a 4th generation navel orange farmer and have always considered myself a “grower that happens to be a nurseryman.”

My Dad had a passion for specialty citrus and also planted Chandler pummelos, Oroblancos, Melogolds, Lemons, and Cocktail Grapefruit among many others.
After I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo I taught Agriculture for a year, but longed to be a part of the citrus industry, so I left teaching and hired on with Michaelis Citrus Nursery in 1988 and attended my first ISCN Congress in Australia in 1991.

In 1998 I was hired to start TreeSource Citrus Nursery (www.citrustreesource.com) which is part of the AC Foods family of companies and is mindful of implementing many sustainable practices across their businesses.

My wife Kelly and I farm 20 acres of Sumo Citrus® and I’ve been a part of the ISCN Executive since being appointed Secretary in 2005.

SIMON JURISICH
Web coordinator

I am the second generation in a family business that’s been propagating container grown citrus trees for 30 years. They were originally grown for our own orchards then for other farmers. Now they are primarily grown for retail.

We are located “down under” in the Bay Of Islands, New Zealand where I live with my wife, Melissa and two children Mila and Arlo. Also have two dogs called Ralph and Teddie.

My father, Peter Jurisich was a passionate member of the ISCN and I am honoured to be able to carry on this tradition.