What's New With the Southern Regional Chapter?

President's Message | Latest News | Letter from the Editor
MSU SAIFD | Recent Photos | 2008 AES Candidates
2008 Inductees | Board of Directors | Resources
Latest Newsletter

President's Message

Southern Chapter President Elverta Kenney AIFD and husband Gordon.

Five Top Reason to Attend the National AIFD Symposium

Recently I received an e-mail listing the 5 top reasons to attend the National Hardware Show. Our company exhibits there. The reasons were so good I decided to adapt them to our National AIFD Symposium that is almost here.

5. Exhibitors will be showcasing their products and services. Some will have show specials. You need to know what's new!

4. Your competition will be there and so should you. This is an opportunity to find cutting edge products and see leading floral design trends.

3. Chicago. Need I say more! We are back in Chicago, one of the most exciting cities in the USA and you are entitled to a specially discounted hotel rate. Register now before the AIFD block of rooms are gone. Come and experience what this great city has to offer.

2. Hot Topic Programs by top world class floral designers and covering hot new trends. Where else can you learn from designers from all over the USA as well as Australia, Belgium, England and Japan?

1. Your business depends on it! The National Symposium provides an unprecedented number of products all serving the floral industry. Your customers come to your shops and depend on you for the latest trends in design and products. Flowers can be bought on a street corner, but the latest trends, design skills and superior products can only be found in shops with the best trained floral designers.

Also, the Southern Chapter membership meeting will be Friday, July 4 at 10 a.m. This is a good time to socialize with other members from your region. Before leaving office, I'll report to you what we have accomplished this past year. Then, Roger Dennis, your new president, and his board will be installed. Meet the new officers and find out what you can do to help your Southern Regional Chapter grow!

I look forward to seeing you in Chicago on July 4 - 7.

Elverta

Latest News

Sylvia Loves Ian
Belated congratulations to Ian Prosser AIFD for his accomplishment of winning the Sylvia Cup after a 20 year hiatus from competition! Way to go Ian!

Tom Simmons AIFD, Elverta Kenney AIFD plus students in pic: kneeling, left to right: Sarah Smith, Nashville, TN; Liz Sloan, Starkville, MS; Courtney McHendry, Louisville, KY. standing, left to right: Jena Oh, Seoul, Korea; Christy Babin, Collierville, TN; Mariah Baird, Starkville, MS; Tiffany Hodges, West Point, MS.

Chicago-bound MSU SAIFD
Three floral management majors at Mississippi State University are top winners in AIFD's 2008 regional challenge.

Christina M. "Christy" Babin, Maria R. Baird and Elizabeth M. "Liz" Sloan took first-, second- and third-place awards, respectively, in the 2008 Southern Symposium and Student Design Competition held Pensacola, Florida.

By virtue of her top honor, Babin is receiving a scholarship valued at more than $700 to cover registration costs to the National AIFD Symposium this summer in Chicago.

Babin is a junior from Collierville, Tenn., while Baird and Sloan are Starkville seniors. Baird, who also will compete in Chicago, is a double-major in landscape architecture.

"By working with professionals at these events, our students gain valuable insights into the latest design techniques, as well as the opportunity to network with leaders in the floral design industry," said team adviser Lynette McDougald AIFD.

McDougald and Jim DelPrince AIFD an associate professor of plant and soil sciences, companied the students to the Florida meeting.

The Finale…FINALLY!

It is hard to believe that it has been three years since I inherited the editorship of Accents from John Klingel AIFD. He said it would be fun - he lied! No, seriously, it has been a good experience.

I've met some wonderful people through Accents and through my position on the Board of Directors. I have had the chance to be more involved with Southern Chapter as well as AIFD in general as a result of these two positions. Too often we all just sit back and watch as they years go by. It's easy and comfortable, but it takes getting out of that comfort zone and making an effort to be a contributing member.

I learned that it was easy for those not involved to find fault - well, get up and get busy! You truly do get out of it what you put into it. Were it not for the newsletter and being part of the Board of Directors, I wouldn't have made so many new friends!
Thank you for all your help and support in making this newsletter. Those of you who contributed articles, sent in information about other members or sent in your own accomplishments, have all made this job a little easier.

I owe much gratitude to my friend Wayne Smith, without whom I would have had to enroll in a computer class just to get the format organized! He did so much more and we have all benefited from many of his suggestions.

My spouse, Marlene and my mother, Grace spent many nights folding, labeling and stamping newsletters to get them delivered while I was traveling out of town or out of the country for work. Whew! It has been a full three years!

I pass Accents on to my successor with pride in our accomplishments. There is much more that can be done. I have confidence that the new editor will continue to keep us aware of the happenings in our chapter. Here again, the support of the membership by contributing information and personal achievements to the editor makes Accents a successful newsletter.

Letter from the Editor

If you did not have the opportunity to attend Legendary Events, this year's Southern Chapter Conference at the edge of paradise on the Florida pan-handle, you truly missed a phenomenal collaboration of talented designers.

This was a conference of high caliber programs which were a well-needed revitalization of everyone's creative spirit after a fourth quarter of holiday grind and a first quarter of market shopping, not to mention the first quarter holidays! I know I needed it. I'm sure you've seen the advertisement for V-8 juice. You know the one with the thump to the forehead and "I coulda had a V-8!" We all need those thumps now and then.

Wendy Childress AIFD and Kebbie Hollingsworth AIFD, co-chairs for this marvelous event, gave us that thump with their vitalizing lineup of programs. The breathtaking design work of the world-class floral artists delighted, amazed and inspired us all, from the lobby decorations to the afternoon brunch on Sunday. The event was like having a mental, visual and physical V-8!

Thanks to all who attended, contributed products and volunteered their time and talent to make this such a Legendary Event in Southern Chapter's history.

Now let's work toward the success of our next conference in March 2009 at Mississippi State University - The Art and Science of Floral Design.

Special thanks to everyone who brought items to the Silent Auction. Thank you also to our corporate sponsors for their generous donations: Northstar by Premier of Jacksonville, Florida, The Pete Garcia Company of Atlanta, Georgia and Womar Glass of Palm Coast, Florida.

Without all of your contributions, we couldn't not have raised $2, 314.00 for the AIFD Foundation Southern Chapter Fund.

To find out more about our generous corporate sponsors, please visit their Web sites

• www.northstarbypremier.com
• www.floramart.com (The Pete Garcia Company)
• www.womarglass.com
  

Take care!
Bill Lindeman AIFD
Editor

MSU SAIFD

(back row): Mary Beth McDavid, Melanie Ament, Claire Neely, Marianne Cassisa (front row): Courtney McHendry, Sarah Smith, Julia Leverette

Recent Photos

	Rene van Rems AIFD and Ralph Null AIFD having fun in the prep room.
	Corey Lonsert AIFD creating a bouquet onstage during his "To Have and To Hold" program.
	John Hill AIFD in the workroom.
	Sylvia Bird AIFD working on roses for Ron Mulray's program.
	From the top Kevin Coble AIFD, Carol Inskeep AIFD, David Powers AIFD, John Kittinger AIFD, Robin Arnold AIFD and Karen Farmer AIFD.
	Rene Van Rems AIFD teaching after-conference hands-on seminar.
	Kebbie Hollingsworth AIFD, co-chair of Legendary Events, hotgluing leaves onto panties.
	Models Richard Vigil & Erin Brady with Brita Edlbauer AIFD on the right.
	Lobby arrangement by Brita Edlbauer AIFD.

2008 AES Candidates

2008 Inductees

Southern Regional Chapter Officers and Board of Directors

OFFICERS

President: Elverta Hucks Kenney AIFD AAF
PlantMates, Inc.
P. O. Box 8918 • Gallatin, TN 37066
615-230-3106 • elverta@plantmates.com


President Elect: Roger Dennis AIFD
Upton Florist
P.O. Box 146 • Upton, KY 42784
270-369-7676 • uptonflorist@bbtel.com


Vice President: Wendy Childress AIFD
Distinctive Blooms and Botanicals
596 E. Nine Mile Road, Suite 200 • Pensacola, FL 32514
850-472-0332 • WmCDesign@aol.com


Secretary: Karen Farmer AIFD
Marie's Flowers & Lasting Impressions
289 West Poplar • Collierville, TN 38017
901-854-6170 • karinda@aol.com


Treasurer: Kevin Coble AIFD
Le Fleur
4538 Poplar Avenue • Memphis, TN 38117
901-683-4313 • kcoblelefleur@aol.com


Past President: John Klingel AAF AIFD PCFI
South Florida Center for Floral Studies
360 South Congress Avenue • West Palm Beach, FL 33406
561-684-8100 • john@centerforfloralstudies.com

Directors 2008

Angela Freeman AIFD
South Forest Flowers, Inc.
668-B Hendersonville Road • Asheville, NC 28803

John K. Kittinger AIFD
The Best Of Flowers
807 Chevy Chase Pl. • Lexington, KY 40502
859-266-4682 • jkkaifd@insightbb.com

William J. Lindeman AIFD
1504 Lakemont Dr. • Grayson, GA 30017
770-972-3726 • wjl_aifd@bellsouth.net


Directors 2009

Robyn Arnold AIFD
Marion Smith Florist
5904 7th St. • Zephyrhills, FL 33542
800-989-9584 • flowergirl091764@aol.com

Sylvia Bird AIFD, AAF, PFCI,NDSF
16974 Colony Lakes Blvd. • Fort Myers, FL 33908
239-433-2278• sylviaannebird@hotmail.com

David L. Powers AIFD
P. O. Box 1136 • Culpepper, VA 22701
540-825-4440 • DLP801@hotmail.com


Directors 2010

S. Franklin Brinner Jr. AIFD
461 Ashford Dr. • Mount Washington, KY 40047
502-538-2383 • fbrinner@email.com

Jackie R. Lacey, Jr. AIFD
A Floral Affair, Inc.
P. O. Box 24041 • Hilton Head Island, SC 29925-4041
843-681-8700 • thetaz3462@aol.com

Lynette Latham McDougald AIFD
University Florist MS State University
Box 9522 • Mississippi State, MS 39762
662-325-1963 • lmcdougald@pss.msstate.edu

Regional Representative
To the National Board

Emmett O'Dell AIFD
Avanti Partners, LLC
717 31st Street • Orlando, FL 32805
407-421-4619 • emmettodell@floramart.com

Resources

Grant/Outreach Program, please contact:
David L. Powers AIFD
P. O. Box 1136, Culpepper, VA 22701
540-825-4440 • DLP801@hotmail.com

AIFD Southern Chapter banner and booth for state conventions, please contact:
Robyn Arnold AIFD
Marion Smith Florist
5904 7th St. • Zephyrhills, FL 33542
800-989-9584 • flowergirl091764@aol.com

AIFD Southern Chapter Memory Garden, please contact:
Robyn Arnold AIFD
Marion Smith Florist
5904 7th St. • Zephyrhills, FL 33542
800-989-9584 • flowergirl091764@aol.com

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