John Raymond Kavanaugh
Class of 1975 - B.S. Horticulture
While a student at Louisiana Tech, I worked for Hoogland’s Nursery in Ruston, Louisiana for several years. Upon graduation, I took a job as a horticulturalist at Pinecrest State School in Pineville, Louisiana. While there, I was responsible for the greenhouses and the landscape development of fourteen new buildings on the campus. In 1978, I transferred to Ruston State School and was responsible for the greenhouse programs and the landscaping of the entire campus and grounds.
During that time, I started “Kavanaugh’s Nursery” as a part time occupation. In 1983, I left Ruston State School and went full time with my business, “Kavanaugh Nursery and Landscaping.” For the past 24 years, I have been involved in being a retail grower, a landscape and irrigation contractor, and in landscape maintenance.
I have been a member of the Louisiana Nurserymen Association and served several years as a member of the board. Currently, I am a member of the Louisiana Landscape and Nurserymen Association and Louisiana Irrigation Association. As a member of Clay United Methodist Church, I serve as Sunday school teacher, lay speaker and member of the church board. I have served on the Clay Water District as Board President. I am also a volunteer firefighter for the Quitman Volunteer Fire Department and am President of the Board of Directors.
I am the proud father of John Kavanaugh, Jr. (Class of 01) of Nicholasville, Kentucky and Christen Kavanaugh of Santa Barbara, California. I recently married Lou Davenport Kavanaugh and we live in Clay, Louisiana.
