Leading Floral Organizations Invest in Education With New Roles
September 22, 2022 
Dr. Melinda Knuth
Educating and preparing the next generation of horticulturists for future success is paramount to the long-term progress of the industry. Recently, Greenhouse Grower has reported on American Floral Endowment (AFE)’s new Research Coordinator and AFE’s most recent wave of scholarships. More recently, AFE as well as another important industry organization, the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, are continuing this focus.
As a part of AFE’s continued focus on the next generation of floral industry members, a special advisory position has been established for the Board of Trustees. The AFE Young Professionals Council Advisor to the Board is a special position that will engage and interact with the AFE Board of Trustees and staff to represent the industry’s young professionals and share their perspectives.
This new advisor will participate in AFE Committee and Board meetings, share the perspective of the next generation, and influence how AFE engages with young professionals. It is a unique volunteer opportunity facilitating direct connection between longtime industry leaders and up-and-coming members.
Each advisor will come from AFE’s Young Professionals Council (YPC). Established in 2015, the YPC is a free-to-join group that offers leadership and networking opportunities for young industry professionals. YPC members participate in online and in-person meetings, webinars, and other opportunities to share ideas, collaborate with influential industry members, and help promote careers in the floral industry.
This advisory position will be another one of those opportunities. Granting benefits to both AFE and the advisor themselves, the new shared perspectives will increase the diversity of thought in Board meetings and ensure that the current challenges and needs of young professionals are communicated.
AFE’s first Advisor to the Board is Dr. Melinda Knuth, an Assistant Professor and Researcher at North Carolina State University. In 2016, Dr. Knuth joined the YPC as one of the first members. She has been involved with AFE through receiving research funding and as a webinar presenter.
Dr. Knuth specializes in innovative management and marketing strategies to investigate consumer attitudes and behaviors for horticulture crops — both edible and ornamental. With funding from the Floral Marketing Fund, she conducted an innovative eye-tracking study and, most recently, a study on houseplant purchasing.
“I’m excited to represent and share the current priorities and needs of young professionals in the green industry. Through my time in this position, I hope to support AFE’s strategic goals, especially with regards to engaging the next generation,” Knuth says.
The Young Professionals Council Advisor will serve a two-year term and will Chair the YPC Task Force to collect and share feedback with the Board as well as to implement AFE’s priorities with the help of the Council.
“We are excited to bring Melinda’s fresh perspective into our Board meetings and to continue to strengthen connections with the next generation,” says AFE’s Executive Director, Debi Chedester.
Rebecca Marrall
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers Hires Education Director
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, Inc. (ASCFG) recently announced that Rebecca Marrall has joined the ASCFG staff as Education Director.
Marrall comes to the organization after serving as Director of Technology & Discovery Services at Western Washington University (WWU) Libraries in Bellingham, WA. There, she was responsible for the optimal access to and use of different technologies within WWU’s environment, and led her Division in providing comprehensive information technology services to students, staff, faculty, and community members.
This background provides Marrall with a tremendous knowledge base in educational practices, information technology, and user experience principles, and the ability to synthesize the vast amount of information archived within the ASCFG and its database.
Marrall’s goal is to collaborate with the ASCFG Education Committee to co-create a holistic education program that offers new and established farmers a wide array of professional development and growth opportunities. She will organize the existing materials in the ASCFG Members Only learning portal into research guides, factsheets, and other educational tools so that members can easily find impactful resources that may inform farming and business decisions.
Marrall’s efforts have already paid off for the ASCFG Research Foundation, for which she spearheaded its inaugural fundraiser, “Fund Future Flower Research!”, bringing in nearly $14,000 during June. She has initiated a webinar series titled “Research and the Flower Farmer” which will start in February 2023 and will feature academic research funded by the Research Foundation, including sessions from Dr. John Dole, Dr. Melanie Stock, Dr. Roberto Lopez, and Dr. Stephanie Burnett.
Projects for the ASCFG include another webinar series, this one based on business topics for cut flower growers, with topics such as access to farm capital, grant writing, creating and/or updating business plans, best practices for employee management and retention, and much more.
Rebecca Marrall will also assist with existing ASCFG services such as its Farm Tours, monthly “Ask an Expert” sessions, the Mentor Program, and the National Conference and Trade Show.
Marrall lives in Portland, OR, where she loves to garden with her dogs Olive and Bailey; read everything she can get her hands on; write; run; and plan travels across the country in her spare time.
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