A highlight of SAF's annual convention is when it presents its annual awards, honoring individuals who've excelled in disciplines ranging from growing and breeding, to research to leadership. Here's a synopsis of the honorees celebrated during SAF Palm Springs 2007:

Rocky Pollitz, AAF, AIFD, PFCI accepts her award from Wanda Weder, AAF, chairman of  SAF's Awards Committee.

Rocky Pollitz, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, Received Floriculture Hall of Fame
"I've had the time of my life," Rocky Pollitz, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, said, after being presented with the industry's highest honor, SAF's Floriculture Hall of Fame Award.

Pollitz is renowned for revolutionizing education in the floral industry. Appointed by Teleflora as director of industry relations in 1980, and later promoted to vice president in 1986, Pollitz founded Teleflora's education department and revamped the Teleflora Units program to place a greater emphasis on education. She started the tradition of bringing a team of floral designers to the Units to teach workshops on floral design and business. Her department at Teleflora was responsible for hundreds of programs a year. Pollitz herself has given countless presentations and seminars, and has commentated at various state and national conventions and shows.

Over the course of her career Rocky also has helped shape and advance the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) as she served in numerous leadership positions including a rare two-year term as AIFD's president, from 1976 to 1978. She currently is a trustee emeritus of the AIFD Foundation, which has established a scholarship fund in her name.

She has received many industry honors, including: AIFD's Award of Distinguished Service to the Floral Industry in 1992 and Distinguished Service to AIFD in 1993, and SAF's Golden Bouquet (Paul Ecke, Jr.) Award and PFCI's Tommy Bright Award (both in 1995). Pollitz served as a member of SAF's Government Relations Committee (from 1999-2002) and PFCI Committee (from 1991-1994). Though she retired from Teleflora in 2003, she still remains an active participant in the floral industry as a consultant, designer and commentator.

After accepting the honor, Pollitz told the audience, "I just want to let you know that the only reason I am standing here today is because of all of you."

Dr. Terril Nell, AAF presents the Alex Laurie Award to  Dr. James Moyer.

Dr. James Moyer Honored with Alex Laurie Award
James W. Moyer, Ph.D., head of the North Carolina State University's Department of Plant Pathology, received the 2007 Alex Laurie Award for his significant contributions to research and education in the floriculture industry.

"I am truly honored and ... up here receiving the award to represent the efforts of a lot of individuals and students and post-doctoral students," he said.

In the 1980s, Moyer discovered a new virus, the impatiens necrotic tospovirus (INSV), which others had assumed to be merely a strain of the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). The INSV became extraordinarily important to the floriculture industry because it is spread by the difficult-to-manage Western flower thrips.  Moyer's work on the biology of INSV supplied research that was the basis for developing test kits industry members use to diagnose INSV.

Moyer has lectured in the U.S. and abroad, and has been published extensively. He has received many industry honors, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's B.Y. Morrison Lectureship in 2005. He also sat on SAF's Research Committee from 1990-2003.

In reference to Alex Laurie, Ph.D., the researcher after whom the award is named, Moyer commented, "This award is special to all of us in the scientific community ... Are we rising to the challenges today that (Alex Laurie) once did?"

Henk van Dam accepts his Gold Medal Award.

Henk van Dam Given SAF's Gold Medal Award
Henk van Dam, founder of Triflor b.v., in Oude Niedorp, Netherlands, received SAF's 2007 Gold Medal Award, which honors a company or an individual in recognition of a product that has had a lasting impact on the commercial floriculture industry. Van Dam transformed the tulip industry by introducing a range of new varieties, and helping to standardize practices that revolutionized tulip production.

In the 1960s and 70s, there were only two main tulip varieties, Apeldoorn and Golden Apeldoorn, so van Dam focused on breeding and producing special varieties — and it is this focus that drastically increased the varieties available on the market.

Producing new tulip varieties was not van Dam's only area of innovation. He was one of the first growers to cool tulip bulbs in "coolstores," instead of outdoors. This increased efficiency and decreased risk and labor costs. Due in part to van Dam's extensive use of coolstores, most tulip growers now use them, rather than cooling their tulips outside.

In 2004, van Dam was honored with the Dutch Growers Association's (KAVB) Dix Penning Award for his breeding activities and has also been awarded the Golden Pin by Flowerauction Aalsmeer (VBA) for his important role in introducing new varieties.

"This culminates all of my life's work. This award is the crown," van Dam said, after receiving the award.

Paul Ecke III congratulates Edgar Engert on his Paul Ecke, Jr. Award.

Veteran Ecke Ranch Employee Honored with SAF's Paul Ecke, Jr. Award
SAF presented the 2007 SAF Paul Ecke, Jr. Award to Edgar Engert, blooming plants sales manager of Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, Calif. First presented in 1984 as the Golden Bouquet Award, the honor was renamed in 2002 to honor Paul Ecke, Jr., AAF, of Paul Ecke Ranch. The award is a symbol of exemplary devotion to the floral profession, industry and community.

As the blooming plants sales manager, Engert is responsible for blooming poinsettia sales and has traveled all over the world promoting poinsettias at trade shows. For the past 17 years, he has been the coordinator of the Paul Ecke, Jr., Flower & Garden Show at the San Diego County Fair, which attracts more than one million visitors in a three-week period.

Involved in the local community, Engert has been on the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce board of directors for more than 30 years, is a past president and puts on an Oktoberfest fundraiser every year.

He has won numerous awards, including The San Diego County Flower and Plant Association's Outstanding Person of the Year Award and The San Diego Horticultural Society's Horticulturalist of the Year Award.

Engert thanked SAF for the honor, as well as the support he received from "Five tables of friends over there" in the awards dinner crowd that were loudly cheering him on throughout his acceptance speech.

"I'm one of those people that believes ... we can do anything if we do it together," Engert said.

Drew Gruenburg accepts the John H. Walker Award, accompanied by his wife, Carol.

Drew Gruenburg Honored with John H. Walker Award
The surprise moment of the evening was when Drew N. Gruenburg, chief operating officer of the Society of American Florists (SAF), was presented with the 2007 John H. Walker Award. "I'm totally shocked, honored and humbled," Gruenburg said, as he accepted the award. Little did he know another surprise was in the wings — literally — his wife, Carol, who was flown in to see him accept the award. "I've been keeping this secret since May," she said.

Named in honor of SAF's former long-time executive vice president, the John H. Walker Award recognizes floral industry executives for the role they play as leaders in the industry.

Gruenburg began his career at SAF more than 25 years ago, as the writer/editor. He was instrumental in launching Dateline: Washington (now called Dateline) and SAF Magazine (which eventually became Floral Management). Since 1992, as vice president of government relations, he guided key floral initiatives and developed a strong government relations team that is well recognized on Capitol Hill and with key federal agencies. Since 1998, Gruenburg has directed internal operations at SAF, as senior vice president, and was promoted to chief operating officer this past year. Gruenburg also has played a significant role in the growth of SAF's annual Congressional Action Days, which is now in its 27th year.

Referring to his long tenure with SAF, Gruenburg noted, "This is the best industry, with the best people."

SAF Honors 101-Year-Old Company
Olympia Hearns Flower Shop in the Bronx, N.Y., was recognized as the recipient of the 2007 Century Award, which honors companies that have served the floral industry for 100 years or more.

Founded in 1906 by Gregory Chugranis, and his brothers George, Nicholas and John, Olympia Hearns is still thriving more than 100 years later. The shop is now run by Chugranis' grandsons, Gregory and Nicholas.

"Commitment, perseverance, and a willingness to go that extra mile," is what Gregory Chugranis attributes his family's ability to keep Olympia Hearns Flower Shop successful for more than a century. "We are still one of the leading flower shops in our area," he says.

--Kate Penn
kpenn@safnow.org

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