Rocky Pollitz is a legacy member that deserves to be celebrated. Rocky’s creativity has been displayed in six foreign countries and in almost all 50 states. She has commentated at numerous AIFD and PFCI regional and national meetings plus at many state and Unit association programs. By special invitation she taught at the Tokyo Flower Center in Japan and also was a guest instructor of design for Teleflower in Sydney, Australia. She represented the United States at the International Design Show held in Mexico City. Rocky has also been asked to judge many prestigious contests. Her expertise has been tapped by the White House, Smithsonian Institute, Fiesta Floats in conjunction with the Rose Parade and with the Franklin Mint.
Rocky’s design talents have been photographed and appeared in the major floral publications as well as in House Beautiful, Town and Country, the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. Her “Ask Rocky” advice column is also a popular monthly feature of Flowers & Magazine.
In her capacity as Vice President of Industry Relations for Teleflora, she created Bridal Selection Guides as well as Teleflora’s Floral Selection Guide and a series of continuing educational workshops.
Besides serving on the Board and in offices for AIFD, she was on the International Membership Committee and the Committee for Ethic Standards. As President, she was instrumental in moving the symposium from the Los Angeles area to begin the move towards becoming a more national organization. She has done programs on four national symposiums. In 1988 the Rocky Pollitz Scholarship Foundation was established.
Rocky has always devoted time and energy to education within the industry and has given much time and effort to education with the students in the SAIFD Chapters on their campuses as well as in the Teleflora offices. She was influential in saving the student membership in AIFD during her term in office.
In 1992, she was awarded the Award of Distinguished Service to the Floral Industry and in 1993 Rocky received the Award of Distinguished Service to AIFD known as our Fellows. Rocky currently is a member of our History Committee. You also may know Rocky’s Daughter, Susan Ayala AIFD, a National Past President 1998-1999 and in 2018 received the Award of Distinguished Service Award. We are grateful for the impact Rocky has and continues to make on AIFD and the floral design community.
