Tom Smith
Owner & President
Thomas Smith entered the world of fish and water features simply by selling fish out of his garage. By 1991 his unforeseen success led him to establish Garden State Koi & Aquatic Center and consequently rented some space in a small nursery in Greenville, N.J. After a few years, the need to expand was clear, so he moved to a large facility in Warwick, N.Y.
Tom regularly says he should have changed the name then, when he left the Garden State and came to New York, but he opted to keep the brand he had developed with his customers. Over the last 22 years, Tom’s incredible leadership and dedication to customer service has led to exponential growth and an amazing family-like atmosphere at Garden State Koi.
In addition to a wildly successful business, Tom and his wife Nancy have been married for 32 years and have three amazing daughters. The Smiths are a deep-rooted sports family and they are very active in college basketball and field hockey. Tom and Nancy love to travel and are regularly adventuring out for skiing, hiking, sightseeing, and sunrise strolls.
Tom Sandstrom
Maintenance Manager
Joined GSK In: 2001
Fun Fact: Tommy has attended thousands of jam band concerts and is a genuine Dead Head!
Timothy Dille
Installation Manager
Joined GSK In: 2004
Fun Fact: Tim's dog, Ziggy, has almost 1,000 followers on Instagram! ZiggyD the Pomapoo!
Luke Sattler
Wholesale Manager
Joined GSK In: 2010
Fun Fact: Luke went skydiving in New Zealand!
Enrique Gomez
Installation Foreman
Joined GSK In: 2013
Fun Fact: Enrique's hair used to reach below the middle of his back until he cut it and donated it in 2021!
Abel Morales
Installation Crew/Greenhouse Manager
Joined GSK In: 2016
Fun Fact: Abel makes award-winning cheesecake!! Yummm!
Roberto Cruz
Maintenance Crew Leader
Joined GSK In: 2018
Fun Fact: Roberto is originally from Mexico. He has seven siblings in total!
Valerie McCutchen
Bookkeeper/Office Manager
Joined GSK In: 2018
Fun Fact: Valerie is an avid Mets fan and can nap on demand!
Ethan Kimball
Operations Manager
Joined GSK In: 2020
Fun Fact: Ethan is a classically-trained, professional vocalist who gigs regularly and has toured Europe! He also is a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus, bearing the title “Sir”!
Tom Tuozzo
Retail Manager
Joined GSK In: 2021
Fun Fact: He's a "very handsome man."
Cristina Ambroselli
Assistant to the President/Maintenance Department Coordinator
Joined GSK In: 2023
Fun Fact: As a result of working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 12 years, she got to work the 2022 Met Gala!