UC Davis Student Awarded 2015 AFE Ecke Scholarship

Daniel Klittich, a doctoral candidate at the University of California (UC Davis), has been awarded the 2015 Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship through AFE.Daniel KlittichThe merit-based scholarship honors the late Paul Ecke Jr., who made contributions to the advancement of the floriculture industry. It is given to M.S. or Ph.D. students studying horticulture or a related field, who intend to pursue a career as a researcher, scientist or educator.This prestigious scholarship, established in 2010, is funded by contributions to AFE from the floral industry, the Ecke family and other sources. As the 2015 Ecke recipient, Klittich will receive $5,000 for two consecutive years, provided he continues to meet scholarship requirements.Klittich, who is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in entomology, has been recognized…

American Floral Endowment Welcomes New Recruit Lori Ostrow

AFE Research Project to Create Buzz for Honey Bee Health

AFE is funding a new research project to examine the health of honey bees on ornamental plants following treatment with neonicotinoids and other systemic insecticides.The two-year research project – “Impact and Residual Activity of Systemic Insecticides in Ornamental Plants,” with Clemson University researchers J.C. Chong, Steven Klaine and Jennifer Tsuruda – will document the translocation of systemic insecticides to various plant parts.Honey bees are valuable to commercial crops and the pollination they provide is appreciated by flower, fruit, vegetable, nut and agriculture growers.But since the early 1950’s, honey bee colonies have declined. The declines have been associated with the presence of the varroa mite that transmits a virus to bees, loss of food sources for the bees, climate change and…

Midwest Group Makes Generous Contribution to Tom Butler Family Fund

The Midwest Group, a floral industry trade association consisting of 15 leading florists nationwide, generously donated $1,500 to the Tom Butler Family Fund. The fund was established in 2014 by Tom and Becky Butler to provide general undesignated funds to the American Floral Endowment (AFE), prior to Tom’s passing in August.“Tom engendered a perception of familiarity and love even among casual acquaintances, and the sheer number of people who felt or imagined that bond is a staggering testament to the friendly and thoughtful man we lost,” said Tim Galea, president of Norton’s Flowers & Gifts and a member of the Midwest Group. “Tom was a once-in-a-generation leader who transcended the disharmony of business and earned everyone’s friendship and respect with his genuine…

AFE Wins Platinum MarCom Award for “Murder, Sex and Greed”

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) took home its fourth award for the animated awareness video “Murder, Sex and Greed.” MarCom Awards selected the video from over 6,500 entries as the best nonprofit film.“We’re thrilled to receive MarCom’s Platinum Award—the organization’s top honor,” said AFE Executive Director Debi Aker. “This video has been instrumental in helping raise awareness of AFE’s commitment to solving problems in the floral industry and to win four prestigious awards shows its impact.” The short one-minute video was developed to educate the floriculture industry about AFE’s positive impact on critical industry problems. It can easily be viewed and shared online at Endowment.org/awareness.Marcom Awards is an international creative competition for any individual or company involved in the concept,…

Deadline for AFE Scholarships Fast Approaching

Internships are the best way for students to gain valuable hands-on experience to help their studies and future career. The American Floral Endowment (AFE) funds internships for floriculture and environmental horticulture students each year, and the deadline is fast approaching!AFE is now accepting applications for the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program and the Mosmiller Intern Scholarship program. The deadline for online applications is March 1. Click here for internship information.The Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program was made possible through a generous gift from Vic & Margaret Ball and provides students with an opportunity to gain experience in commercial production. The Ball Intern Scholarship Program offers paid internships in three, four or six month durations and provides scholarships…

AFE Appoints Two New Board Members

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) is pleased to announce Cynthia “Cindy” Hanauer and William “Billy” Hardin, Jr. as new members of its board of trustees. Both will serve a three-year term with the option for a second term. Cynthia “Cindy” HanauerHanauer is founder and CEO of Grand Central Floral, LLC in Jacksonville, Florida. She has worked in the floral industry for 45 years and held senior positions at the Kroger Company, Winn-Dixie Stores and 1-800-Flowers. Hanauer’s areas of expertise include inventory management, visual merchandising and quality assurance. She is chairman of the floral advisory board for the United Fresh Industry Trade Association, a member of the Society of American Florists (SAF) and the Network of Executive Women, and is actively involved…

Pollinator Work Continued Last Week

SAF and AmericanHort participated in two important meetings last week focused on the continuing debate about pollinator health.IR-4, the USDA-funded organization which helps provide EPA with data supporting registration of chemicals for horticulture and other specialty crops, worked with the chemical industry to host a conference on research needs.  Attended by several leading horticultural scientists, along with SAF and AmericanHort, the meeting generated productive dialogue around research needed to answer important questions about our industry’s impact on pollinators and how we can be part of the solution.A second, day-long meeting was held in Washington with the industry task force guiding the Bee and Pollinator Stewardship Initiative, launched by SAF, AmericanHort, the Horticultural Research Initiative (HRI) and the American Floral Endowment…

Memorial Tribute Established in Memory of Ken Benjamin

He later served as chairman of Cenflo which produced nine different publications: Flower News, Grower’s Digest, Floral Mass Marketing, The Flower Book, Flora, Nursery News, The Nursery Book, Food Market News and the Deli Merchandiser. A fixture at most floral industry events, he also served as an AFE trustee for many years. “Ken has always been a good friend of our family and of the industry for many years,” said Jack Van Namen. “Ken never forgot a name or date. He was an icon and a unique individual whom all of us will remember.” or send a check to:American Floral Endowmentc/o Ken Benjamin Memorial Tribute610 Madison St, Ste 101, PMB 803Alexandria, VA 22314 The family is always notified of donations and contributions can be made in…

AFE to Participate in #GivingTuesday December 2

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) announced its participation in #GivingTuesday, a national movement to encourage charitable giving.Following the chaos of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday (Dec. 2) is a unique opportunity to harness the generous spirit of the holiday season and support the floral industry by making a tax-deductible year-end donation to AFE.“No gift is too small,” AFE Executive Director Debi Aker said. “We are tremendously grateful to all our donors for their support over the years.”Each donation bolsters AFE’s efforts to fund research for critical industry issues, provide scholarships, internships and grants for horticulture students across the nation, and conduct groundbreaking consumer and scientific studies with findings available free of charge to industry members. AFE will reach out to the…