ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Joyce Mason-Monheim, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, AzMF, was honored for lifetime achievement in floral presentation as the recipient of the 2014 Tommy Bright Award. The honor was conferred on Aug. 16 by the Society of American Florists (SAF) Professional Floral Communicators – International (PFCI) during SAF Marco Island 2014, the association’s 130th Annual Convention in Marco Island, Fla. At the same ceremony, Mason-Monheim was inducted into the prestigious American Academy of Floriculture.
The Tommy Bright Award is the highest honor presented by PFCI to its members. It is named after Ethel “Tommy” Bright, whose motto “Learn More, Teach Others” reflects PFCI values as the floral industry’s speakers bureau and the only network of professional floral business educators certified by SAF.
“Joyce is inclusive, approachable and relatable — she’s an amazing educator,” said PFCI Chairman Lisa Weddel, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, of L. Weddel Design in Highlands Ranch, Colo. “She invites you in and takes her time with you. She makes people comfortable.”
About Joyce Mason-Monheim, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, AzMF
The floral industry is filled with excellent designers, top-notch businesspeople, extraordinary educators and speakers, and true entrepreneurs and visionaries; yet few people encapsulate all of those roles, all at once. Remarkably, Joyce Mason-Monheim AAF, AIFD, PFCI, AzMF, is these things — and much more — to friends, students and colleagues across the country.
A sought-after speaker and freelance designer whose expertise runs from trends to mechanics and business savvy, Mason-Monheim has formalized educational programs and certifications for floral designers at the state and national level over the past 15 years.
In 1999, while president of the Arizona State Florists Association (ASFA), she helped create and organize the group’s Arizona Master Florist designation. The prestigious program empowers designers to elevate their skills and professionalize their craft, providing them with more opportunities for employment and growth, said ASFA President Christie Cothrun, AAF, AzMF, of Baisch & Skinner in Phoenix. “Joyce was the driving force getting ASFA off the ground in education and certification,” Cothrun said. “Her vision of helping florists get employment after certification is working.”
A decade later, as chairman of the American Institute of Floral Designers’ (AIFD) National Membership Committee and a member of the group’s National Board of Directors, Mason-Monheim put that experience into practice again when she pushed to create AIFD’s Professional Floral Design Evaluation system and Certified Floral Designer (CFD) designation.
Beyond her advocacy for education, Mason-Monheim has carved out a reputation as an innovative designer who reimagines the bounds of what is possible. At the 2013 AIFD Symposium in Las Vegas, she created “Savage Botanicals,” a unique fashion show and display of gowns inspired by the late Alexander McQueen. These one-of-a-kind permanent floral botanical couture fashions were designed by Mason-Monheim and created by some of Arizona’s finest female AIFD floral artists. Their work was also showcased at the charity event The Women’s Enterprise Foundation’s Joie de Vivre, the Phoenix Art Museum, and SAF Phoenix 2013, SAF’s 129th annual convention.
“Joyce has dedicated her life to teaching and helping others better themselves in the floral industry,” said Brian Vetter, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, AzMF, a freelance designer in Phoenix. “No one works harder, is more experienced or has more knowledge than Joyce.”
In addition to her many leadership roles with AIFD and AFSA, Mason-Monheim was the chairman of Professional Floral Communicators – International and a member of SAF’s Convention Committee. In addition, she is a member of Teleflora’s team of Education Specialists.
Mason-Monheim has become highly acclaimed for her design skills, and celebrated for her contributions to the industry. She won SAF’s 2013 Sylvia Cup Design Competition. She was a competitor in the 2011 Intercontinental Design Cup in Taipei, Taiwan, and has designed for the Rose Parade, the 2001 Inauguration of President George W. Bush and the 2002 AIFD National Symposium, among other events.
Her work has appeared in international trade magazines including Bloom World and has been featured numerous times in industry publications, including Flowers& and SAF’s Floral Management. She has demonstrated her talents in the Teleflora Selection Guides, the John Henry Wedding and Sympathy Books and Martha Stewart Weddings. She also was a judge in SAF’s 2009 and 2014 Sylvia Cup Design Competitions and a designer for The Phil Donahue Show.
In her free time, the mother of two volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, the Tucson Community Flower Bank, the Coronado Performing Arts and local schools.
Source: The Society of American Florists
