Transitions
By Marvin Miller, America in Bloom Past President
A little over a year and a half ago, the America
in Bloom Board of Directors adopted a new set of bylaws relating to officers
and term limits. To be fair, we have re-examined these changes a number of
times over the intervening months, and we’re currently doing so again. Yet,
with each new look, it is the long-term health of the organization that has
been the priority.
The governance structure adopted some 21 months
ago established a rotation of officers to occur every two years. Previously the
officers stood for re-election annually, something I had done every year since
first assuming the Presidency in 2005 up until our 2012 bylaws change. Per our
bylaws, I have now turned over the reins of the organization to Dr. Charles
Hall. Charlie has been on our Board of Directors for over 3½ years now, and has
been our Vice-President for the last two years. When he agreed to run as VP, he
did not know he would be President in two years, but he has agreed to serve.
In assuming my new role as Past President, I
replaced Ron Pierre, who has rolled off the Board of Directors after 13 years
(and 14 years of service to the organization). Ron has agreed to continue
serving the organization in various capacities, as have Doug Cole and Skip
Blackmore, two other retiring Board members. It is my hope that this kind of
transition adds to America in Bloom’s strength over time, as we certainly need
more advocates to keep moving forward.
As I turn over the Presidency, I feel confident
it is in good hands. Dr. Charlie Hall and I are fellow agricultural economists and are good
friends, and we’ve worked a lot together over the years. We serve together on
another industry board, we have done a number of education programs together,
we have travelled abroad together to talk about plants and flowers and their
economic, environmental, psychological and sociological benefits and how “in
Bloom” programs can add to the awareness of these benefits and more. Most
importantly, we have worked together to further the America in Bloom mission and
help the organization achieve success.
Charlie has also asked me to continue writing this
column in alternate months. When we’ve done education programs together, we
have often taken a back-and-forth approach to delivering information; we’ll see
how this works for a monthly e-newsletter column. Therefore, I’ll continue to share some
perspectives and look forward to this continuing opportunity.
So, without further ado, let me introduce your
new American in Bloom President of the Board of Directors, Dr. Charles Hall.
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Thank you Marvin. It is an exciting time in the life of America in Bloom and I am super-delighted to serve America in Bloom in this new capacity. The leadership has shepherded the program well over the last 14 years and there is great momentum this year. With a new rotation of officers, two new board members, a newly revised vision statement and bylaws, and a record number of cities participating this year since before the Great Recession, you can cut the enthusiasm with the proverbial knife. Another change that is exemplifying this excitement is the interest being shown by organizational partners and sponsors from outside the horticultural industry. So not only is America in Bloom doing things right, we must be doing some of the right things!
Since its inception, AIB has invested more than $2.4 million to support its mission of connecting people with plants, and has touched many lives through media exposure that has been generated. In addition, in-kind contributions and countless hours of volunteer work have leveraged our mission’s reach even more.
We are indeed grateful for the support of all our participants, judges, sponsors, and staff – indeed, all of our volunteers – who work together to strengthen the fabric of American cities and towns. Literally 100 percent of your contributions support our mission, and nearly all of these dollars go directly to program costs. Thank each of you for making a difference!
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