The American Floral Endowment (AFE) is pleased to announce the new Chairman of the Board, Officers, and Trustees appointments effective September 1, 2024. AFE Officers and Trustees play a crucial role in setting the long-term strategic direction of the Endowment’s research and educational programs and resources, offering their unique knowledge to assist in carrying out our mission. 

Trustees volunteer their time and experience, participate in all AFE events and meetings, and travel at their own expense. They are elected by the Board’s Nominating Committee and serve a three-year term with the option of an additional three-year term.

Additionally, a new Young Professionals Council Advisor to the Board has been named.

New Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee Appointments

David Garcia, Chairman of the Board

David Garcia, President of Pete Garcia Company/Garcia Group, has been named AFE’s  Chairman of the Board. He takes over this position from Ken Young, owner of Phoenix Flower Shops, who has served as Chairman for the past two years. You can read Young’s Outgoing Chairman Letter here. Garcia has been on the Board since 2015, is a member of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Public Relations/Development Committee, and serves on the Floral Marketing Fund (FMF) Committee.

Garcia is a highly experienced leader in the floral industry. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1983, he joined his family business, founded by his father, Pete Garcia, in 1965. He served as Zone Manager for 17 states in the U.S., as well as international territories. He has managed various areas throughout his tenure, showcasing his versatility and deep industry knowledge. The Garcia family established the Garcia Family Scholarship Fund through AFE in 2020, which supports students with a career focus on the marketing or distribution of floral products, including retail, wholesale, manufacturing, and/or floral business ownership/operations. Garcia served one year as Chairman-Elect before his Chairmanship appointment. 

Bill Foster, Treasurer/Secretary

Foster will join the Executive Committee with his new appointment as Treasurer/Secretary. He is the CEO of BioWorks, a leading provider of plant health management products and programs to the horticulture and specialty agriculture markets; BioWorks is a Division of BioFirst Group. Foster joined the Board in 2018 and has served as Chair of the Research Committee. He is a founding Biological Products Industry Alliance member and served on the Scientific Advisory Board at the Vineland Research and Innovation Center. BioWorks created a scholarship, BioWorks IPM/Sustainable Practices Scholarship, through AFE in 2015, which supports sophomore, junior, or senior students pursuing a career in floriculture.

Laura Shinall, Chair of the Floral Marketing Fund Committee

Shinall has been appointed as the new Chair of the Floral Marketing Fund Board and Committee. This committee focuses on consumer marketing research funded by the Floral Marketing Fund and identifies new areas of research that can help promote the floral industry and the purchasing of flowers. Shinall is currently a Managing Partner at FreshPath Marketing, and previously served as President of Syndicate Sales. She served as Chairman of the AFE Board from 2020-2022, leading the Endowment during COVID-19 and advancing AFE’s mission through industry outreach and collaboration.

Art Van Wingerden, Executive Committee

Art Van Wingerden will join the Executive Committee. He is the co-CEO of the family-run business, Metrolina Greenhouses, started in 1972. Metrolina Greenhouses grow and ship more than 75 million plants annually to 1,400 retail outlets for Lowe’s Home Improvement, The Home Depot and Walmart in 19 states. Van Wingerden has been a part of the floral industry his entire life, and is responsible for production, growing, contract growing, and labor at Metrolina. He joined the Board in 2018 and has served on AFE’s Research Committee. He is in his second three-year term. 

Incoming Trustees

Dr. Alicain Carlson

Dr. Carlson is the Head of Marketing at Syngenta Flowers, a global flower breeding company. She joined Syngenta Flowers in 2015 and has served as Head of Technical Services, Technical Scientist, and Technical Trial Manager prior to her current role. She also serves on the OSU DC Kiplinger Advisory Committee, National Garden Bureau (NGB), and the SWiFT ERG Board (Syngenta Women in Flowers Team). Dr. Carlson received her B.S. in Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Horticultural Science, Floriculture at NC State University under the direction of Dr. John Dole. 

Dr. Ockert Greyvenstein

Dr. Greyvenstein joined Ball Horticultural Company in 2014 as a plant breeder with PanAmerican Seed. A transplant from South Africa, he came to the US for graduate school, earning his master’s at Cornell and then a Ph.D. in plant breeding from Texas A&M University. 

Currently, he is the Regional Breeding Director based in Elburn, IL, overseeing breeding operations in Illinois and Costa Rica with projects ranging from Angelonia to Zebra-striped tomatoes. Previously, he bred several crops, including Roses, Viola, Vinca, Cuphea, and cut-flower Delphinium. His expertise is in genetics, breeding, and applied research.

Martin Hackney

Hackney is the current Sales Manager and Co-Owner of Hackney Nursery in Gadsden County, Florida. Hackney Nursery is a wholesale-only nursery specializing in container-grown shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers. It was started by Martin’s father, George Hackney, in 1991. Hackney has been involved in the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association, receiving their “Young Professional of the Year” in 2014, and serving on their Board in 2015. He completed the University of Florida Wedgworth Leadership Program in 2018. Hackney has been involved in the Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association (FNGLA) since 2016, most recently serving as Board President from 2020-2021.

Mike Haley

Haley is the current Vice President and Branch Manager of Pikes Peak of Austin, a family-owned floral wholesale company founded in 1978 with locations in Texas and Louisiana. He attended Southeast Missouri State University, receiving a degree in Business Management. Haley is a third-generation wholesale florist, and has been in the floral industry for 15 years. He’s developed a deep understanding of the operations of a wholesale florist through working a multitude of roles at Pikes Peak Floral, including floral processor, driver, hard goods manager, route manager, and branch manager. His areas of expertise include logistics, hardgoods and floral purchasing, branch management, and marketing.

Kevin McCarthy

McCarthy is the fourth generation of his family to work in the floral business. He grew up working in his parent’s flower shop in Scranton, Pennsylvania, filling water tubes and making deliveries on foot before he could drive. In 2003, his enthusiasm for the floral industry won him a spot on the FTD float in the 114th annual Tournament of Roses Parade. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Consumer Economics. In 2021, McCarthy became President of Family Flowers, formerly known as McCarthy Group Florists, and has expanded the business through transformational leadership and strategic acquisitions. Family Flowers now operates over 30 retail locations in 10 states, all while remaining 100% family owned. McCarthy is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, and is passionate about sharing industry knowledge and floriculture with future generations. 

Young Professional Council Advisor to the Board
Dr. Joshua Craver

Dr. Craver is joining the Board as the new YPC Advisor, taking over from outgoing advisor Dr. Melinda Knuth, North Carolina State University. Dr. Knuth was the first to serve in this position and brought her expertise in research, along with her connections to faculty and students through her university involvement and history with the YPC. 

Dr. Craver is an Associate Professor at Colorado State University and the Program Lead for Controlled Environment Horticulture in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. He earned his Ph.D. in Horticulture from Purdue University, his M.S. in Horticulture at Kansas State University, and his B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture at Mississippi State University. During his undergraduate studies, Craver participated in AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Internship Program and later served on the Vic & Margaret Ball Committee, showcasing his full-circle (and continuing!) involvement with AFE.

Outgoing Officers and Trustees

Completing their terms on the AFE Board are Dr. Megan Bowman, David Boulton, Pat Dahlson, Jim Daly, Steve Frye, and Mauricio Jaramillo. AFE recognizes and thanks these individuals for their leadership, time, and dedication as their terms end.

Dr. Megan Bowman, Corporate Patent & Trademark Lead at Ball Horticultural Company

Bowman brought her robust research background to the Board, serving on the Research Committee and giving input on Floral Marketing Fund reports. She also served as the Board Liaison to  AFE’s Young Professionals Council, planning programming, conducting multiple webinars, and attending networking sessions with the group. 

David Boulton, Owner of Flowers by George

Boulton has served since 2016 on the Public Relations/Development and Floral Marketing Fund Committees and served three years as Emeritus. 

He has been very involved in ensuring the FMF’s consumer projects are on target to help retailers and wholesalers promote the floral industry and the purchasing of flowers. Boulton has also been a strong advocate for investing in resources that will encourage students to pursue a degree in floriculture and ensure they have the tools to thrive.

Pat Dahlson, CEO of Mayesh Wholesale Florist

Dahlson joined the Board in 2016. Since 2021, he has served on the Executive Committee and as the Floral Marketing Fund Committee Chair. 

He has also served on the Education Committee during his service and has been instrumental in facilitating industry collaboration. Dahlson and his organization are  major supporters of not only AFE, but  the Floral Marketing Fund and Sustainabloom. 

Jim Daly, Vice President of Floralife, Grower Solutions and Research for the Smithers Oasis Company

Daly is a past AFE Chairman, Research Committee Chairman, and Emeritus member serving since 2012. Throughout his service, he helped take AFE’s research and education programs to new levels, providing support for the Grow Pro Webinar Series and overseeing the Thrips and Botrytis Research Fund with former Research Director Dr. Terril Nell. 

As Chairman, Daly helped to fill the gap in cut flower research, refocusing resources to ensure top universities and the USDA keep cut flower research top of mind. 

Steve Frye, Vice President of Baisch & Skinner

Frye has completed his term on the Board. With over 40 years of experience, he has lent his grower and wholesaler insights to the Research Committee and AFE since 2018. 

His expertise in marketing, operations, and greenhouse production has been instrumental in ensuring AFE’s programs and resources are wide-reaching and helpful for different industry segments.

Mauricio Jaramillo, President and CEO of Solé Farms

Jaramillo has brought an instrumental perspective on the fresh-cut floral industry from his experience in Colombia, where he was born and raised. 

He has served on both the Education Committee and the Public Relations/Development Committees. Through his role on the Education Committee, Jaramillo has also worked closely with AFE’s Scholarship and Internship committees to support the next generation of floriculture.

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The complete list of the AFE Board of Trustees can be found here. 

AFE is incredibly appreciative of the commitment of the outgoing Trustees and looks forward to the new ideas, perspectives, and connections the incoming Trustees will bring as AFE continues to provide research, internships, scholarships, and education for all.