Interested in Volunteering?
To learn more about serving as a Trustee, on a committee, or as a volunteer, please contact us at afe@endowment.org.
Past Trustees & Chairmen
Thank you to all of our dedicated past AFE Trustees and Chairmen!
AFE has been lucky enough to have had so many dedicated past Trustees and Chairmen who have served the Endowment and its mission and represented many different industry segments.
AFE’s Trustees play a crucial role in setting the long-term strategic direction of the organization. They help define the organization’s mission and vision and develop strategic goals and plans to achieve them. They are responsible for the wise and prudent use of money contributed to the Endowment, establishing and upholding the organization’s governance policies and practices, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations, maintaining ethical standards, and oversight and funding for organizational and industry growth.
Thank you to the dedicated volunteer champions below who helped make AFE the lead funding organization it is today. Without their vision and leadership, our scholarships, internships, and other programs couldn’t provide the vital funding and support for the floral industry it does today.
- Vincent Adamo, Conner Park Florist
- Ken Altman, Altman Plants
- Felix Ankele, Gordon Boswell Flowers, Inc.
- Paul Bachman, Bachman’s Inc.
- Stanley Bachman, Bachman’s Inc.
- Todd Bachman, Bachman’s Inc.
- Gabriel Becerra, Golden Flowers
- William Belden, Oscar G. Carlstedt Co.
- Kenneth Benjamin, Cenflo, Inc.
- Megan Bowman, Ph.D., Ball Horticultural Company
- Tom Butler, Teleflora
- Bob Carbone, R.J. Carbone Company
- Everett Conklin, Conklin’s, Inc.
- P.S. Cook, Norfolk Wholesale Florist
- Sten Crissey, Crissey Flowers, Inc.
- William DeLoache, DeLoache, Inc.
- Del Demaree, Syndicate Sales
- Lane DeVries, The Sun Valley Group
- Robert Dewey, Pennock Co.
- John E. Dramm, Koehler & Dramm, Inc.
- John Henry Dudley, The John Henry Company
- James Durio, Jim Durio Florist, Inc.
- Mike Duvall, Home Depot
- Paul Ecke Jr., Paul Ecke Ranch
- PJ Ellison, Ellison’s Greenhouse
- Bill Fernandez, Continental Flowers
- Alvaro Ferro, Flores de Funza
- Tony Fiannaca, Sparks Florist, Inc.
- Fred Flipse, Fields of Flowers
- Don Flowers, Don Flowers Florist, Inc.
- Chuck Gainan, Gainan’s Flowers
- Tim Galea, Norton’s Flowers & Gifts
- Pete Garcia, Pete Garcia Company
- Ramon Garcia, Pete Garcia Company
- Shahriar Ghoddousi, The John Henry Company
- Edward Goeppner
- Carl Gortzig, Cornell University
- William Gouldin, Strange’s Florist, Greenhouse & Garden Center
- Granville Gude, Gude Brothers Company
- Jo Lynn Gustin, Jones the Florist
- O. Ben Haley, Jr., Denver Wholesale Florist, Inc.
- Cindy Hanauer, Grand Central Florist
- Billy Hardin, Jr., Hardin Global
- Donald Hook, Pittsburgh Cut Flower Company
- Kristi Huffman, The John Henry Company
- James Irwin, Irwin Greenhouses, Inc.
- Harrison (Red) Kennicott, Kennicott Brothers
- Paul Kirk, G.R. Kirk Company
- Charles Kremp 3rd, Kremp Florist
- Dwight Larimer, Smithers-Oasis/DESIGN MASTER
- James Leider, Leider Horticultural Companies, Inc.
- Eric Levy, Hillcrest Gardens
- Bob Maddux, Krueger-Maddux Greenhouses
- Gurney Mann, E.G. Hill Company
- Jacob Mast, Henry Mast Greenhouses, Inc.
- Dave Mears, Mears Floral Products
- Herman Meinders, American Floral Services/Teleflora
- H. Michael Mellano, Mellano & Company
- Michael A. Mellano Ph.D., Mellano & Company
- Marvin Miller, Ph.D., Ball Horticultural Co.
- Gustavo Moreno, Multiflora/Vistaflora Corporation
- Col. Walter Mosmiller, Jr., Mosmiller Floral
- David Niklas, Clackamas Greenhouses
- Eric Nissen, Sunshine State Carnations, Inc.
- Ole Nissen, Sunshine State Carnations, Inc.
- Charles Pennock, Pennock Co.
- Samuel Pennock III, Pennock Co.
- Jim Phillip, Phillip’s Flowers
- Walter Preston, Manatee Fruit Company
- Kenneth Royer, Royer’s Flowers
- Yoshimi Shibata, Mt. Eden Floral Company
- Mabel Simmons, The Claprood Companies
- John Smith, Jr., Knud Nielsen Company
- Mike Suyeyasu, Bill Suyeyasu Wholesale Florist, Inc.
- Kenneth Tagawa, Tagawa Greenhouses, Inc.
- Randy Tagawa, Tagawa Greenhouses, Inc.
- Harry Tayama, Ohio State University
- Hero Tsukushi
- Juan Carlos Gonzalez Uribe, G.R. CHIA
- Jacob Van Namen, Vans Inc.
- Tom Van Wingerden, Metrolina Greenhouses
- Ernesto Velez, Asocolflores
- Charles Walton, Smithers-Oasis
- Don Weder, Highland Supply Corporation
- Wanda Weder, Highland Supply Corporation
- Olin Wetzel, Florists Mutual Insurance Company
- Norman White, White’s Nursery & Greenhouses, Inc.
- Bob Wilkins, Delaware Valley Wholesale Florist, Inc.
- George Wolfe, Wolfe the Florist, Inc.
- Harold Yoder
- Eiichi Yoshida, Sunnyside Nursery, Inc.
Looking For Funding?
AFE is committed to supporting research that advances the industry and combats current challenges. This research benefits every segment of the industry. We welcome new research proposal applications by August 1st of each year.
Awarding scholarships for floriculture and horticulture students is a primary function of AFE. We understand the financial burden students face and are doing our part to help! Applications for our over 30 scholarships are due on May 1st of each year.
AFE strongly believes in funding educational programs to promote and strengthen the floriculture industry. The majority of the programs funded are wide-reaching and focus on attracting young people to the industry or are educational endeavors to identify and solve industry needs and/or challenges.