It’s election season — time to select the next group of Society of American Florists leaders, the volunteers who shape everything the association does. Whether it’s developing products, services and content or identifying industry challenges SAF needs to address, these industry professionals guide the association. Electronic ballots were sent to the voting member for each member organization on July 1. Ballots must be cast by Aug. 1.
Voting members will elect three new leaders to the SAF board of directors and nine new members to the Retailers, Growers and Wholesaler Councils.
“All segments of the floral industry are represented in SAF’s elections, and these leaders ensure SAF is delivering on its mission to connect and cultivate a thriving floral community,” says Kate Penn, SAF CEO. “Our volunteer leaders are the driving force in guiding all of SAF’s initiatives.”
Here’s a rundown of who’s running and how you can vote.
SAF Board of Directors Elections
SAF members will elect one representative from each industry segment to join SAF’s board of directors. Candidates for the grower and wholesaler board seats are running uncontested. Once elected, the new members of SAF’s board of directors will serve three-year terms beginning in November.
SAF Board Retailer Nominees
Chris Norwood, Tipton & Hurst, Inc., Little Rock, Arkansas
Chris Norwood AAF, AIFD, PFCI, is vice president of floral operations at Tipton & Hurst, Inc. in Little Rock, Arkansas. Norwood has been an active member of AIFD and has served as its national president, and is also the past CEO and chairman of the AIFD Foundation, where he is a current board member. He was named an AIFD fellow and received the AIFD Distinguished Service Award at its 2022 Symposium. Norwood received SAF’s American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) designation, is a member of Professional Floral Communicators-International (PFCI), serves on SAF’s Retail Council, and just completed his term as president of the Arkansas Florist Association. Norwood has presented at numerous industry conventions and events and has been featured publications and appears weekly on KATV’s “Good Morning Arkansas” show. He was recently recognized as best event planner by Soirée and Inviting Arkansas magazines.
Danny Sanchez, South Florals, LLC, Miami, Florida
Danny Sanchez is the CEO of South Florals, LLC in Miami and an entrepreneur with a diverse track record spanning 12 years across various industries. With expertise in constructing company infrastructure from the ground up, his strategic mind and unrelenting work ethic has helped grow numerous startups, incorporate cutting-edge technologies, optimize websites, spearhead marketing campaigns, bolster social media presence, and refine business processes. He holds a strong record in guiding organizations through intricate change management, and is a committed leader who places considerable emphasis on employee engagement and operational excellence. He has a penchant for executing a strategic vision and undertaking key large-scale initiatives and operates with a customer-centric approach focused on fostering growth by fortifying strategic business partnerships and alliances. He is an active member of SAF and serves on SAF’s Retail Council.
SAF Board Wholesaler Nominee
Thomas Alders, Alders Wholesale Florist, Campbell Hall, New York
Thomas Alders is the co-owner and president of Alders Wholesale Florist in Campbell Hall, New York, a regional wholesale florist serving the greater Hudson Valley and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Originally from Goshen, New York, he has worked in the wholesale flower industry for 48 years at the business started by his parents in 1959. Alders’ greatest interest in the wholesale florist business is the flowers, bringing the best product possible to his customers, and working and visiting with growers, exporters and importers from all over the world. He has served on SAF’s Wholesale Council and the Government Relations Committee, and currently serves as a member of the review committee and treasurer for Boy Scouts of America.
SAF Board Grower Nominee
Janet Louie, Green Valley Floral, Salinas, California
Janet Louie is a co-owner of Green Valley Floral in Salinas, California. With a bachelor’s degree in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Davis, she joined the family business in 1988 to manage sales, grading, and shipping with her husband, Curtis, who oversees growing and product development. Louie manages the processing, sales, and shipping of more than 10,000 stems per day within the company’s cut flower operation. As sales manager, she is responsible for more than 200 wholesale and retail accounts nationwide, as well as all marketing programs, strategy, and media relations. As human resources manager, she oversees employee benefits, safety/training programs and relations for 38 employees in two growing locations. She has served on SAF’s Growers Council, has been a member of the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association and California State Florists Association, and served as a California Cut Flower commissioner. She also served three terms as an elected committee member of the U.S. Farm Service Agency, an arm of the USDA.
SAF Council Elections
Twelve candidates are running for nine open council seats. Candidates for the Growers and the Wholesalers Councils are running uncontested. Elected council members will serve a three-year term, which begins in 2024.
Retailers Council Nominees – East:
Carly Anechiarico, QG Floral, Whitestone, New York
Carly Anechiarico is the event director at QG Floral in Whitestone, New York and sits on SAF’s Next Gen Committee. Raised in the industry, she has experience in retail marketing, sales, and design. A graduate of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at SUNY Purchase College, Anechiarico has a professional background in production management, weddings and events which has helped her marry her knowledge, skills, and passion.
Raya Ward, Nielsen’s Florist, Darien, Connecticut
Raya Ward is general manager at Nielsen’s Florist, a third-generation family run business in Darien, Connecticut. With a background in photography, Ward initially joined Nielsen’s Florist as office manager in 2009. She quickly applied her photography skills to social media and soon began to manage Nielsen’s marketing campaigns. Her notable achievements within the business include growing the container garden service department by 697 percent in the past 10 years; increasing e-commerce revenue by 42 percent in three years; and successfully launching a mobile app to promote customer loyalty, which won SAF’s Marketer of the Year award in 2016. She continues to improve brand recognition, customer experiences, department growth, and team member success to accomplish business goals.
Retailers Council Nominees – Central
Russ Griffin, Griffin’s Floral Design & Wineshops, Columbus, Ohio
Russ Griffin is the owner of Griffin’s Floral Design & Wineshops in Columbus, Ohio. Griffin started in the floral industry in 1990 as a sophomore in high school at Flowers by Rick. He graduated from Columbus State Community College with a degree in law enforcement and from Franklin University with a bachelor’s degree in public safety management. He spent three years in law enforcement only to find himself back in the floral industry full-time, purchasing Flowers by Rick in 2000. Today, the business comprises four shops throughout Ohio, where Griffin handles all of the daily operations. Griffin has been a member of SAF for more than 20 years, a donor to the American Floral Endowment, and a Rotarian and a Chamber of Commerce member. He has displayed his talents at the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California and serves on various local community boards.
Jodi McShan, McShan Florist, Dallas, Texas
Jodi McShan, AAF, AIFD, PFCI is a practicing lawyer and third-generation florist at McShan Florist in Dallas. McShan has held numerous past leadership roles with SAF, including serving on the Next Gen Committee and Convention Task Force, judging the Outstanding Varieties Competition, and speaking at SAF events.
Retailers Council Nominees – West
Sam Bowles, Allen’s Flowers, San Diego, California
Sam Bowles is the general manager and creative director at Allen’s Flowers & Plants, which has five retail stores and a design studio serving San Diego. Prior to joining the Allen’s family, Bowles helped lead large retail shops in both New York City and Louisville, Kentucky. He has also been a coach and consultant with Tim Huckabee’s Floral Strategies for the better part of the last decade, working with retail shops all over North America and Europe. He is a founding member of SAF’s Next Gen LIVE! conference, and is passionate about offering professional development opportunities to excite the next generation of floral industry professionals. He continues to be a sought-after speaker at national and regional conferences, bringing a fresh perspective and sharing the wisdom he’s gained through his work with shops around the world and best practices from his success at Allen’s.
Michelle Jones, Flowers By Michelle, Las Vegas, Nevada
Michelle Jones is the proud owner of Flowers By Michelle in Las Vegas. Jones entered the floral industry at just 15 years old and has successfully nurtured her family business. With a career spanning more than 35 years, her passion for floral design and great customer relationships are at the core of her flourishing business. Her love for flowers and their ability to bring joy to people’s lives serve as the driving force behind her exceptional creations. As a dedicated business owner, Jones embraces ever-changing trends and preferences, always seeks innovative ways to enhance her business, and is committed to providing exceptional customer experiences. Leading a strong floral team and offering a diverse range of floral arrangements and gifts has earned her a loyal and satisfied clientele. Flowers By Michelle has earned the “Best of Las Vegas” award for seven consecutive years.
Wholesalers Council Nominees
John Burk, Delaware Valley Floral Group, Sewell, New Jersey
John Burk has more than 22 years of experience working for the Delaware Valley Floral Group in Sewell, New Jersey. Starting as an IT support specialist in 2001, Burk has advanced through several channels of the business. Early in his career, he quickly adapted to the company’s enterprise resource planning system, allowing an opportunity to experience and learn different aspects of the industry from logistics to customer delivery. This ultimately enabled Burk to transition into a position in purchasing as a buyer and grower liaison, offering tech support and an online platform for transactions. From there, he was able to utilize relationships with the growers and buyers to build a digital marketing strategy, just as e-commerce and social media were starting to become vital to the business. Today, Burk manages the print and digital marketing for the company, as well as e-commerce, which includes a farm-direct platform that connects customers directly to growers via their website.
Andrew Hamer, National Floral Supply, Orange, Connecticut
Andrew Hamer is the president and managing partner at National Floral Supply in Orange, Connecticut, and the CFO and partner at Stellar Farms and Stellar Bouquet in Miami, Florida. He has decades of experience overseeing floral imports and servicing markets nationwide. Hamer graduated from Florida State University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree and soon after became director of sales and marketing at Armellini Express Lines. In 1993, he worked as director of operations at Floramor, and in 1998 became vice president of operations at USA Bouquet. In 2000, he became president and partner at St. Rose Miami and Amaraflor. From 2009 to 2013, he held various management positions at Armellini Air express and JA Flower Service, and soon after became the vice president of North American operations at Sunshine Bouquet Company in Miami, Florida, where he remained until taking his position as CFO and partner at Stellar Bouquet in 2018.
Growers Council Nominees
Susannah Ball, Ball Horticultural Company, West Chicago, Illinois
Susannah Ball is the fourth-generation owner of Ball Horticultural Company, having started with the company full time in 2017. She is a graduate of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland and worked on an organic livestock farm in the Catskill Region of New York for eight years before returning to the family business. She currently leads Ball’s global sustainability initiatives, overseeing sustainability strategies and implementation at more than 30 locations around the world. Fluent in Spanish, she also provides support and leadership to Ball’s Chilean and Mexican distribution companies. Prior to that, she worked with the HandPicked Vegetables team within PanAmerican Seed.
Paige Kennicott, Kennicott Kuts, Union Grove, Wisconsin
Paige Kennicott is the sales manager at Kennicott Kuts, a family-owned farm specializing in all field grown products. Kennicott grew up in the flower industry and is an eighth-generation grower. Kennicott attended Michigan State University where she graduated with a degree in business management. After graduation, she worked and managed the Kennicott family farm in Wisconsin where she oversaw harvesting, field work, processing and packaging. In 2018, she became the sales manager for all of the company’s farm locations.
Ana Maria Ramirez, Danziger, Miami, Florida
Ana Maria Ramirez is the marketing and key account manager at Danziger. Ramirez has more than 15 years of experience in strategic business development and international expansion that comes from commercial and marketing management of companies in floriculture. Ramirez is passionate about flowers and everything people can do with them to make the world a happier place. She looks for ideas and solutions to make flowers more and more necessary in every home.
Questions about voting? Email SAF’s membership manager, Amanda Roberts.
Katie Butler is the senior vice president of the Society of American Florists.