American Floral Endowment (AFE) announces new officers

The American Floral Endowment (AFE), a non-profit organisation that funds research, scholarships, internships, and grants in floriculture and horticulture for the benefit of the industry as a whole, is pleased to announce the new Chairman of the Board and Officers appointments effective September 1, 2024.

AFE Officers 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.

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.

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.

Bill 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.

Laura 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.

Art Van Wingerden will join AFE’s 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.