AFE’s Fundraising Dinner Celebrates Industry Success

The AFE 43rd Annual Fundraising and Recognition Dinner was held during the SAF Annual Convention in Amelia Island, Florida on Thursday, September 19, 2019.The evening was full of excitement as AFE reported on program and research success stories. Two new named funds (The Retail Florist’s Continued Education Fund Sponsored by Bob and Carol Sharpe and The Garcia Family Fund) were announced and donors reaching new giving-levels were recognized.During the evening, AFE reported on meeting the $1.5 million goal for The Thrips and Botrytis Research Campaign and also on the new consumer marketing studies funded by the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF.)The highlight of the evening was AFE’s “Fill the Vase” campaign. This campaign was created on the concept of individual flowers coming together to make a beautiful, full vase; individual…

AFE Appoints New Trustees

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) appointed Dr. Megan Bowman of Ball Horticultural Company and Gustavo Gilchrist of Kennicott Brothers Company to join the AFE Board of Trustees. Both will serve a three-year term starting in September 2019. AFE Trustees are industry leaders who volunteer their time and talent to help guide Endowment activities and programs benefitting the industry. Both will also serve on an AFE committee related to education, public relations and development, research, or the Floral Marketing Research Fund. Megan Bowman, Ph. D. joins the Board with a robust research background, specifically bioinformatics, molecular plant breeding, and molecular biology. Currently, she is Bioinformatics and Data Analysis Lead at Ball Horticultural Company in Chicago, Illinois.Megan joined the floral industry recently, in 2018, but has many years…

AFE’s Fill the Vase Fundraiser!

The American Floral Endowment, the national organization that funds floral research, scholarships, grants, and internships, kicked off its 2019 fall fundraiser, “Fill the Vase,” at their 43rd Annual Fundraising and Recognition Dinner on September 19.Nearing their 60th year, the Endowment provides practical solutions to tough industry challenges through research and programs that bring top talent to the floral industry. AFE-funded programs are the result of industry members coming together to provide for a stronger industry.“That’s the concept behind AFE’s ‘Fill the Vase’ campaign,” said AFE Public Relations and Development Chairman, Ken Young of Phoenix Flower Shops. “Everyone loves to see an arrangement of beautiful flowers — seeing each flower come together to make something beautiful. Without individual flowers, there can’t be…

Two New Named Funds

Two new named funds were announced at AFE’s 43rd Annual Fundraising and Recognition Dinner on September 19.The first new named fund is The Retail Florist’s Continued Education Fund. This fund was established by Bob and Carol Sharpe from Frederick, Maryland. Bob and Carol are third-generation florists who closed their shop, Sharpe’s Flowers, five years ago when they retired. Sharpe’s Flowers was considered a Frederick landmark since 1930 and was in business for 84 years.Like many retailers, Bob and Carol struggled with finding the time to get out of the shop to attend industry events or continue their education. In an industry where businesses are handed down from generation to generation, continued education is vital for success. Bob and Carol want to help floral…

AFE Board of Trustees Meeting: Education, Research, Service

By Ashley AlexanderPurdue University’s motto is “Education, Research, Service.” During AFE’s August Board Meetings last month, the Trustees witnessed the school taking pride in living up to this motto. While in West Lafayette, IN., the Board had a chance to experience all three of these crucial facets to the university.The trustees started their day with a bit of education themselves: a Board Orientation. They had the privilege of having Bob Harris, a man who has his fair share in the association and nonprofit world. He informed both new and returning board members about their roles and responsibilities of being on the AFE Board of Trustees.Afterward, the group visited Purdue’s campus. They started with Armstrong Hall, where they were able to…

Krissy Doyle Memorial Tribute Established

In 2000, Krissy segued that energy into her successful career at SAF. As a primary force in the association’s membership department, she interacted daily with SAF members from all over the country and around the globe. She was well known for her mastery of database technology and used that expertise to help SAF communicate with targeted audiences of floral industry business owners. Most of all, Krissy was recognized and embraced by all corners of the floral industry for her warmth, generosity and giving spirit. “Krissy had a passion for our industry and what SAF does for our members. Just ask anyone who ever called or emailed to join or, for that matter, drop their SAF membership. Little did they know…

AFE Awards Educational Grants for 2019

The American Floral Endowment announces 2019 Educational Grants Funding.Thirteen organizations will receive funding through the Endowment to support educational training, conference program support, and industry resources for floral industry members, students, and faculty.Through AFE’s Educational Grants programs, organizations, universities, or industry groups can apply for grant funding or sponsorships from AFE. Every organization AFE supports provides an important resource or program that is vital to the advancement and success of our industry.“There are so many great opportunities out there to support the growth of our industry,” says Debi Chedester, AFE Executive Director.  “Unfortunately, AFE’s funding is limited, so we aren’t able to support them all.”The Education Grant programs put a priority on programs that are wide-reaching and those that aim…

Michael Kraft Memorial Tribute Established

Michael married his wife Allison in 1989 and together they had two daughters, Shelby and Lindsey. He loved traveling with his family, cooking, being with friends, skiing in Colorado, and supporting the University of Kentucky (his alma mater) and the University of Louisville. or send a check to:American Floral Endowmentc/o Michael Kraft Memorial Tribute610 Madison St, Ste 101, PMB 803Alexandria, VA 22314 The family is always notified of donations and contributions can be made in any amount.

AFE Awards More than $42,000 in 2019 Scholarships

Contact: Debi Chedester(703) 838-5211dechedester@afeendowment.org AFE Awarded $42,300 in Scholarships in 2019. ALEXANDRIA, VA – August 21, 2019 – The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has awarded 15 students with scholarships totaling $42,300. Seventy-four applications were received for this 2019 scholarship cycle. “We had many outstanding students apply for scholarships this year, which is why some scholarships were awarded to two recipients,” said Greg Royer, AFE Education Committee Chair. “I’m excited to see the high quality of students each year and the AFE Board is pleased that AFE is able to award financial assistance to these well-deserved students to help them continue their education and become passionate industry leaders.” AFE awards scholarships annually and applications are due by May 1 of each…

Scholar Ignite Competition at ASHS 2019 Annual Conference

By Yiyun Lin, YPC Member This July, at the annual conference of American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), 60 graduate students participated at the Scholar Ignite Competition. This competition was a great opportunity for graduate students to talk about their research to a general audience that shared an interest in horticulture. In the competition, the students were given three minutes to present with a single slide. The students were judged by five different judges based on their communication styles, the comprehension of their talks, their inspiration/engagement/outreach ability, the impact of their research, and the slide content. The competition presented us with a collection of current horticulture research and was hosted on a nice evening in Las Vegas. As much as…

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