The American Floral Endowment ( AFE ) announced that Jim Daly , VP of Floralife / Smithers - Oasis has been elected to dish out a two - yr term as AFE Chairman . His appointee began during the AFE Annual Fundraising Dinner in Palm Springs , CA . Jim replaces Dwight Larimer of Design Master color tool , inc . who do as Chairman for the past two years and will rest on the Board for two additional years as Past Chairman .

Jim joined the AFE Board in 2012 and since that clock time has serve on the AFE Research Committee . Most recently he has served as Chairman of the Research Committee .

AFE also appointed four new industry penis to its Board of Trustees . All will serve a three - year full term and can be re - charge for a second full term . AFE Trustees are diligence leaders who give their time and gift to help guide Endowment natural action and programme benefit the industriousness . All will also be name to a committee on either education , public relations and development , enquiry , or the Floral Marketing Research Fund .

Mauricio Jaramillo is the President and CEO of Solé Farms in Miami , Florida . Jaramillo got his offset in the fresh stinger prime industry in Columbia , where he was born and raised . His career started after he take in a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá , Columbia .

He takes pride in the fact that Solé Farms provides calling opportunities for not only its employees in the United States but also for its employee in Columbia , Ecuador , Guatemala and Costa Rica . He says the company is “ committed to growing and production methods that stress protect the environment , worker safety , recycling and minimum pesticide economic consumption . ”

Bill Foster has been the President and CEO of BioWorks , Inc. in Victor , New York for over 20 years . His experience in the industry reaches up to 32 year , as he worked in various other positions with different floriculture company prior to his current position .

Foster is a founding phallus of the Biological Products Industry Alliance . He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board at the Vineland Research and Innovation Center as well as on the board of the Association of Natural BioControl Producers . He is a majestic patron of AFE ’s erudition programs and funds the “ BioWorks IPM / Sustainable Practices Scholarship ” and the “ William and Jane C Foster – BioWorks Research Support Fund ” to engage inquiry in sustainable horticulture .

Steve Frye has been in the flowered industry for 40 years and presently serves as the Vice President of Basich and Skinner , Inc. in St. Louis , Missouri . Baisch and Skinner , Inc. is a family - owned clientele that has been operating for 65 years .

Frye has served on the Society of American Florists ’ Board of Directors , Wholesale Council and Marketing Committee . He is a member of the Gateway Greening , where he dish on the Advisory Council . Frye is an expert in marketing , mental process and glasshouse output .

Art VanWingerden is one of the co - CEO of his home - run business , Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville , North Carolina . VanWingerden has been a part of the floral industry his full life , as his parents started Metrolina in 1972 .

VanWingerden , along with his three chum , now owns and engage Metrolina Greenhouses . VanWingerden is responsible for yield , mature , contract growing and DoL . The company has been a recipient of Today , Metrolina Greenhouses have 7.5 million heated square foot and 7.5 million straight human foot of outdoor blank space .

Completing their term on the AFE Board in September are Gabriel Becerra , past AFE Chairman and FMRF Chairman , and Eric Levy of Hillcrest Gardens . AFE extends a HUGE thank you to both Gabriel and Eric for their time and efforts to aid pave the future for the Endowment ’s bodily function .

To see a concluded list of AFE ’s 20 Trustees , visitendowment.org .