Perseverance in the face of crisis, groundbreaking plant breeding, visionary leadership, and a passion for mentoring defined the floral professionals recognized at the Society of American Florists’ 2025 Stars of the Industry Awards Aug. 14. The annual celebration of the industry’s highest honors spotlighted trailblazers whose dedication has shaped education, research, design, sustainability, and community.
Floriculture Hall of Fame
As executive president of Asocolflores since 2000, Augusto Solano, AAF, has guided Colombian floriculture through periods of turbulence and growth. His vision and diplomacy helped stabilize the sector during crises such as exporter collapses, trade disputes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. By fostering cooperation through initiatives like the Flower Promotion Organization and working with governments to safeguard jobs, Solano positioned Colombia as both a global floral powerhouse and a trusted trade partner.
For his tireless commitment to and indelible impact on the floral industry, Solano received its highest honor: induction into the Society of American Florists’ Floriculture Hall of Fame
Beyond crisis management, Solano strengthened Colombia’s floral industry through innovation and sustainability. He revitalized the Proflora trade fair, expanded Asocolflores to support small and regional growers, and established Ceniflores, a research hub. He expanded Florverde Sustainable Flowers®, a global standard improving environmental and worker safety, healthcare and education across farms. His leadership also forged enduring partnerships with the Society of American Florists and the American Floral Endowment, elevating research and responsible practices across hemispheres.
Joined on stage by more than a dozen members of the Asocolflores team, leadership and his family, Solano said he was “speechless, thankful, honored and very happy!” He thanked SAF for being a mentor, and his family and staff for supporting him. “I’ve bought flowers every week for our home since I got married, but I didn’t really know anything about the industry when I joined it,” he said. “I’ve been lucky to serve this industry. It’s a beautiful one. I know we face a lot of challenges, but they make us stronger. Let’s keep working together.”
Click here to read more about Solano and the Floriculture Hall of Fame.
Paul Ecke Jr. Award
Dianna Nordman, AAF, executive director of the Texas State Florists’ Association, received the Paul Ecke, Jr. Award, honoring her decades of leadership in education, professional development and legislative advocacy. For more than 30 years, Nordman has advanced programs that have strengthened the floral industry at both the state and national levels.
One of Nordman’s signature achievements is the Texas State Florists’ Association’s High School Certification program, which now educates more than 20,000 students annually in floral design and flower identification. She also helped train agriculture teachers, many new to floral education, to ensure students receive meaningful instruction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her advocacy with the Texas Department of Agriculture secured “essential” status for florists, keeping shops open and protecting jobs across the state.
Nordman’s influence reaches beyond Texas. She modernized the Texas Master Florist program and helped other states adopt similar curricula, spreading high standards in floral design nationwide.
“To receive an award named for such an industry icon is a profound honor,” she said in her acceptance speech. “The accomplishments attributed to me are not mine alone. They belong to the remarkable leadership and members of the Texas State Florists’ Association. I was simply the conduit to bring their visions to life.”
Click here to read more about Nordman and the Paul Ecke Jr. Award.
President’s Award
Lorraine Cooper, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, a revered designer whose work has adorned more than two decades’ worth of SAF conventions, received the President’s Award, which honors outstanding service to the floral industry.
Cooper, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, began her floral career at 15 and has since built an international reputation for blending European sensibility with modern design. For more than 20 years, she generously shared her time and talent as one of the creative forces behind the jaw-dropping floral designs at SAF conventions. As a longtime member of the design team, and chair of it for many of those years, she has logged countless hours dreaming up grand visions, sourcing product, and working with the design team to elevate the event.
Her talents have attracted clients such as Cartier, The Phoenician resort, the Fiesta Bowl, and the Arizona Cardinals. She has also designed for Super Bowl LVII, multiple U.S. presidential inaugurations, and White House Governors’ Galas.
In her acceptance speech, Cooper expressed how much she enjoyed her first “non-working” convention, but that the 21 years she served on the design team “were truly the best memories” of her life. “I’ve made the best friends through that experience, people who mean the world to me,” she said.
Click here to read more about Cooper and the President’s Award.
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award, which celebrates forward-thinking young professionals who demonstrate creativity, innovation, tenacity and leadership in their work and the potential to make a positive impact on the floral industry, was awarded to two individuals: Sam Bowles, AAF, director of operations at Allen’s Flowers in San Diego, and Sahid Nahim, founder of New Bloom Solutions and host of The Bloom Show.
Though he didn’t grow up in floristry, Bowles quickly built a standout career at shops like Nanz & Kraft in Kentucky and Queen’s Garden Floral in New York before moving to California. Along the way, he gained a reputation as one of the industry’s sharpest operators, with expertise in HR, marketing, and team culture, honed further through his work as a trainer with the retail consulting company, Floral Strategies (now called The Profitable Florist).
A founding member of SAF’s Next Gen Task Force, Bowles has been instrumental in shaping Next Gen LIVE! programming, pioneering initiatives such as the Next Gen Book Club, and inspiring peers with high-energy breakout sessions. Frequently featured at SAF events, including Profit Blast and national conventions, Bowles continues to energize and mentor not only the next generation of floral professionals but also all generations with creativity, empathy, and vision.
In his acceptance speech, Bowles joked that “he got in just under the wire,” as he had just about a month left in his thirties. Though his foray into flowers started as “a side hustle” during graduate school, he said he’s “really proud to be in this industry and to help young people see that this can be a viable and rewarding career.”
Nahim’s path began in grassroots marketing and sales for luxury brands before beginning his career in floriculture. He honed his skills with industry leaders Esmeralda Farms and Royal Flowers before launching New Bloom Solutions, a trailblazing media and business development company dedicated to helping floral brands grow with purpose.
His Bloom Together initiative has brought together more than 45 companies and raised thousands for nonprofit floral organizations, including Seed Your Future. He’s launched initiatives to amplify women in the industry — co-hosting Women’s Day roundtables — and has provided platforms for underrepresented voices, like The Black Girl Florist collective. His work has caught global attention: The Bloom Show has been invited to major conventions in Ecuador, Holland, Colombia, and the U.S.
“What an honor to be recognized,” he said in his acceptance speech. “It means a lot to me to do something to uplift the industry. Community is so important, and we are all stronger together.”
Click here to read more about Bowles and the Rising Star Award. Click here to read more about Nahim and the Rising Star Award.
Alex Laurie Award for Research and Education
Rick Long, a prolific writer who spent 40 years as an editor of Floral Finance and The Retail Florist, is the 2025 recipient of the Society of American Florists’ Alex Laurie Award, honoring broad-stroke, long-lasting contributions to education in the floral industry.
From 1984 until November 2024, Long served as the editor and staff writer for Floral Finance, contributing to 348 monthly editions of the industry’s leading financial journal. He also wrote and edited 348 monthly editions of The Retail Florist, which reached more than 15,000 florists each month at its peak. He oversaw the graphic design of these two publications, which was groundbreaking in its use of color and illustrations in a business journal.
In his acceptance speech, Long recalled his first article, which he wrote as a second-year law student: 29-pages long, it included 163 footnotes, and was typed by his wife, Patti, who “gently recommended” he learn the skill himself. “That turned out to be really good advice!” he joked. He went on to thank Floral Finances founder Paul Goodman, AAF, PFCI, who introduced him to floral industry. “He’s been an employer, a mentor, a partner, a client, and most important, a friend,” he said. Long also thanked former employee Dan McManus, president of TeamFloral, for nominating him, and his longtime colleagues, Jennifer Huckabee and Sarah West. “In my perspective, this award is for all of us,” he said.
Click here to read more about Long and the Alex Laurie Award.
Tommy Bright Award
Jackie Lacey, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, design coach for The Profitable Florist, received the Tommy Bright Award for his lifelong commitment to floral education and presentation.
Over nearly four decades, Lacey has built a career that spans retail, event design and national platforms, from television appearances to mainstage showcases. He has served in key leadership roles with the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) and the Florida State Florists Association (FSFA), and for many years directed education and industry relations for BloomNet and the Floriology Institute. Known for both artistry and mentorship, he has inspired countless professionals and aspiring designers to achieve their goals, often crediting him with giving them the confidence to succeed.
Lacey is a two-term past president of AIFD, guiding the group through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. His achievements include winning the 2024 SAF Sylvia Cup Design Competition, as well as multiple awards from FSFA, AIFD, and the Great Lakes Floral Association. To broaden access to floral education, he co-created Floriology Now, an online platform offering affordable, on-demand training. Colleagues praise his tireless work ethic, meticulous preparation and engaging teaching style, noting that whether on a national stage or in a webinar, Lacey delivers programs that resonate and elevate the floral community.
“This really caught me off guard,” Lacey said in his acceptance speech, brushing back tears. “It’s been a challenging few weeks for me and this really helps to bring a happy moment. Thank you for all the people who helped bring me to this point.”
Click here to read more about Lacey and the Tommy Bright Award.
Gold Medal Award
Patricia Knight, Ph.D., research professor at Mississippi State University and director of the MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center, received the Gold Medal Award, honoring the originator or introducer of a widely distributed plant or flower that has become established as an outstanding product of significant horticultural and commercial value.
Recognized for her groundbreaking work in plant breeding, Knight is best known for developing Delta Jazz, the first dark-leafed crape myrtle, distinguished by its rich maroon foliage and vibrant pink blooms. Her breeding program has produced a range of crape myrtles, from tall trees to compact shrubs, that thrive in USDA zones 7–10 and have become staples in southern landscapes thanks to their resilience, seasonal color, and low-maintenance appeal.
An Alabama native with degrees from Auburn University and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech, Knight is a fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science and a widely respected voice in horticultural research.
“It’s a true honor to be recognized and to just be a part of the magic and beauty of this event,” she said in her acceptance speech.
Click here to learn more about Knight and the Gold Medal Award.
John Walker Award
Judy Laushman, who led the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) for 35 years, received the John Walker Award, which honors association executives for outstanding leadership.
As ASCFG’s founding executive director, Laushman helped transform the group from a fledgling organization into a nearly 3,000-member global network. Through her vision and leadership, she championed local flowers, supported small growers, and built a lasting community that reshaped the specialty cut flower industry.
Laushman’s tenure was marked by landmark initiatives that continue to define ASCFG. She launched The Cut Flower Quarterly in 1989, growing it into a trusted, content-rich publication, and spearheaded the National Cut Flower Trial Program, which has tested more than 1,500 cultivars over 32 years. She also oversaw Localflowers.org, a platform promoting locally grown blooms, and developed ASCFG’s annual conference into a cornerstone event for growers.
Laushman was unable to attend the ceremony but wrote in an acceptance letter that she was “honored to be included with floriculture luminaries” such as (American Floral Endowment executive director) Debi Chedester, AAF, (Association of Floral Importers of America executive vice president) Christine Boldt, and (former SAF lobbyist) Lin Schmale. “I remember, years ago, reading in floral publications about the services offered by industry organizations led by these outstanding executives and seeking to incorporate what I learned into the ASCFG’s events, publications, and member outreach.”
Click here to read more about Laushman and the John Walker Award.
Katie Vincent is the senior contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
