The AIFD Board of Directors met in October in Orlando Florida, at the Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort – the home of our upcoming 2024 Symposium. The location is stunning and AIFD leadership is so excited to bring to you a lineup of presenters, speakers and designers that are sure to inspire and educate. Be sure to keep a close on our AIFD social media channels and both our Focal Points blog and e-newsletter to stay up to date on all things Emerge. As the board discussed current and upcoming symposia it was reported that a task force has been created to address the ever-changing needs of AIFD’s largest annual event and the need to meet many of the desires of our members and floral design community. This task force will report back to the board with its findings at the March National Board meeting.
Leaders for the 2026 Symposium were also suggested, discussed, and approved. We are excited to have Vonda LaFever as the 2026 Symposium Coordinator and Randy Wooten as the 2026 Program Chair.
During financial discussions the board had the opportunity to review statements and consider an audit report presented by a third-party CPA for our fiscal year end 2022-23. The report showed no irregularities or any findings that needed to be noted.
The board was disappointed to learn that Nicola Parker, one of our directors at large, had to resign due to personal circumstances but we are grateful for her work and time dedicated to AIFD. Aisha Crivens has agreed to step in the position of Student Competition Chair and Rhonda Lynn-Moeckel was appointed to the Director at Large position for the reminder of Parker’s term ending in 2025. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteer leaders.
The board is also proud to share that an incredible amount of time and work has gone into updating the AIFD Policies and Procedures. As AIFD is such an active and involved organization it is always important to keep a review and keen eye to the needs of keeping the organization running as a finely tuned machine. A huge note of gratitude to all involved in the review and updates.
AIFD’s use of social media continues to evolve as we strive to determine the best way to serve our members. We discussed the idea of forming a team of AIFD spokespersons, educators, and creators to help generate content and support. And you may have noticed we consolidated our AIFD Symposium pages into our AIFD official page to streamline and simplify communications. Stay tuned for more growth and improved usage of AIFD social media channels.
The AIFD Foundation reported some great news in the record number of grant and scholarship applications which are supported by the Body Flower Buffet proceeds. The Foundation also plans to support the organization’s 60-year anniversary celebration efforts in 2025 with the creation of videos and a digital flipbook that will highlight the history of AIFD.
It’s also important to note changes in member communications with the launch of AIFD’s new e-newsletter, Focal Points. The AIFD blog, also called Focal Points, will continue to provide feature stories and updates but much of that content along with other important information will be shared with members through the e-newsletter format as well. AIFD hopes the e-newsletter will provide a one-stop-shop for all the information members need to know. We hope this will ensure members can always find what they need when it comes to AIFD related news, member stories, education, events and more.
The History Committee is hard at work preparing for AIFD’s upcoming 60th anniversary which will be celebrated in 2025 and the Education Committee is working on updates to the mission statement, handbook, and CEU system.
The Membership Committee is working on a variety of issues including solutions for streamlining the PFDE evaluation and modernizing evaluation software, researching wholesaler options in Orlando for the 2024 Symposium and working to ensure robust experiences for all involved in the committee work and programs.
As the October meeting wrapped up, the board reflected on the many changes that 2023 brought and the forward momentum that is building to create growth and improvement for AIFD in 2024. We all look forward to great things to come in the year ahead!
