AFE announces new officers and appointments

American Floral Endowment (AFE) Chairman Dwight Larimer of Design Master color tool, inc. announces the appointments of new officers and committee chairmen.

Jim Daly of Floralife/Smithers-Oasis in Walterboro, S.C. has been named Chairman-Elect and Laura Shinall of Syndicate Sales, Inc. in Kokomo, Ind. was appointed Treasurer/Secretary-Elect. Both will assume their new positions as Chairman and Treasurer/Secretary, respectively, next September during the 2018 AFE Annual Fundraising Dinner.



Greg Royer of Royer's Flowers & Gifts in Lebanon, Pa. has been appointed AFE's Education Committee Chair, and also joins the Executive Committee. The remaining Executive Committee members include past Chairman Gabriel Becerra of Golden Flowers and Kristi Huffman of Multi Packaging Solutions.

In addition, Randy Tagawa of Tagawa Greenhouses in Brighton, Colo. is the new Vic & Margaret Ball Internship Committee Chair.

The full list of current AFE Trustees is available at endowment.org.

Executive Appointments
Jim Daly is Vice President of Floralife/Smithers-Oasis. He has a BS in Chemistry and Mathematics from Elmhurst College, an MS in Biochemistry from Illinois Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology. Daly joined the AFE Board in 2012 and currently serves as Chairman of the Production and Post-Harvest Scientific Research Committee. Throughout his career, he has shared his expertise with top floriculture organizations around the world on topics ranging from postharvest care and handling to global trends in floriculture.
 
Laura Shinall, President of Syndicate Sales, Inc., has more than 30 years of experience in the industry. A graduate of DePauw University, she began her career as a Wholesale Floral Supply Manager at Kennicott Brothers in Milwaukee, Wis. Shinall joined the AFE Board in 2011, and also serves on the SAF Board of Directors. She is currently Chairperson of the AFE Public Relations/Development Committee and serves on the Education Committee.
 
Greg Royer is President and CEO of Royer's Flowers & Gifts and grew up in the floral industry. He is the grandson of Hannah "Mom" Royer, the founder of the family-owned business. By 1987, he was a Regional Manager responsible for nine stores, and in the early 1990s, he was named Executive Vice President. In the mid-1990s, he and his brother Tom bought the company from their parents. Royer previously served on the Board and as President of the Pennsylvania Floral Industry Association. He joined the AFE Board in 2015. He serves as Education Committee Chairman and also serves on the Public Relations/Development Committee.
 
Randy Tagawa is CEO at Tagawa Greenhouses. He is a graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in horticulture/business. He joined the Denver Botanical Gardens' Board of Trustees in 2012. He also became Vice Chairman of Hortica Insurance & Employee Benefits in 2011 and is now an advisory board member. Tagawa is co-inventor for three patents regarding plug transplanting equipment and processes. He has a patent pending on a new growing and shipping system for seedlings and other young plants and also on a vertical wall display unit for plants. He joined the AFE Board in 2013, and in addition to serving as Ball Internship Committee Chairman, he serves on the Production and Post-Harvest Scientific Research Committee.

For more information
American Floral Endowment
T: +1 (703) 838-5211
www.endowment.org