Almost every business and nonprofit organization needs a hands-on person who is responsible for much of the organization’s physical activity. This is particularly true when it comes to the shipping and receiving of various materials and supplies, keeping them organized, and maintaining customer satisfaction, as well as the nuts-and-bolts of maintaining office equipment and keeping property systems running smoothly. At the American Botanical Council (ABC), that person is Perry Sauls.

Perry joined ABC in May 2007. He almost immediately impresses people as positive, organized, and very friendly. His primary responsibilities include customer service, purchasing, sales, and inventory control. He excels in fulfilling orders for ABC members and other customers who order books, monographs, and other educational items from the ABC online bookstore. Perry is also responsible for shipping issues of HerbalGram and other printed ABC educational materials to scientific conferences and trade shows for the organization.

With his extensive past military experience, Perry is well organized and approaches tasks methodically with his pleasing and positive attitude. Consequently, he is the perfect person to take on the role of ensuring that the various areas of ABC’s physical operations are properly maintained, including the air conditioning and heating systems, plus the electrical, plumbing, and rainwater-harvesting systems.

Perry’s previous experience includes warehouse manager at a local plumbing supply wholesaler, service manager for a local heating and air conditioning contractor, and before that he served for 6 years in the US Marine Corps as a military policeman. For 3 of those years he was the disc jockey at the non-commissioned officers’ club at Camp Pendleton, California.

Perry’s office is located in the “Carriage House,” the oldest building on the ABC grounds, which was built around 1860 for the Case family’s horse and buggy. This structure was expanded by the Cook family when they purchased the historic Case Mill Homestead in 1950.

Perry’s positive, polite, and energetic personality is contagious at ABC, and he keeps customers and staff happy with a pleasant smile on his face.

—Mark Blumenthal