President of Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association Marcella Lucio-Chinchilla Shares How Women are Shaping Florida’s Green Industry

Serving as president of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) during Women’s History Month is both meaningful and personal for me. FNGLA is more than an industry organization. It is a community that has opened doors, built confidence and created leadership opportunities for women like me across Florida’s horticulture industry.

Since its founding in 1952, FNGLA has grown alongside the state’s nursery, greenhouse and landscape sector. What began as a small group of growers has evolved into a statewide network of professionals that includes nursery producers, landscapers and retail garden centers. Nowadays, the industry supports more than 279,000 jobs and generates nearly $42 billion in total economic impact.

Like many agricultural industries, leadership roles in the nursery and landscape industry were historically dominated by men. Today, that picture looks very different.

Across Florida, women are leading horticulture businesses, managing production operations and guiding marketing strategies. Women are also stepping into leadership roles within organizations like FNGLA, helping guide the future of an industry that touches every region in our state. Female leadership in FNGLA is now at its highest level in the organization’s history.

My path toward leadership in this industry wasn’t something I carefully planned. I began my career at Silver Vase Orchids in finance, eventually moving into marketing and sales. I came to understand quickly that horticulture, particularly orchids, was about far more than plants. It was about people.

Women are often the primary recipients and purchasers of these plants and bring valuable insights into consumer behavior. Women tend to notice the details: the container, the color story, the trends, the way a product complements a home or a gift.

Silver Vase became a pioneer in bringing orchids into mainstream retail — not just as potted plants tucked into the corner of a supermarket, but as curated, beautifully presented products that tell a story. I helped lead a shift in how orchids were marketed and sold, changing the core market by focusing on presentation, emotion and experience. We didn’t just sell a plant; we sold a feeling.

As my career grew, FNGLA became an important part of my professional journey.

Through certifications, networking opportunities, mentorship and initiatives like the FNGLA Emerging Leaders Program, the association has created space for women to grow, lead and influence the future of this industry.

Mentorship is especially important for women entering an industry that historically did not always include us in leadership roles. For me, that mentor was Linda Adams, FNGLA’s chief operating officer (recently retired). She encouraged me to participate and volunteer within FNGLA long before I saw myself as a leader. Sometimes others recognize our strengths before we do. Her encouragement changed the trajectory of my involvement and, ultimately, my leadership journey.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is this: women must be assertive about what we want to accomplish. Confidence is not optional. If you hold a position, you have a platform to make a difference. You have an opportunity to speak up, to solve problems, to create new ideas and to shape outcomes.

I am proud to be part of an organization that continues to create those opportunities. My hope is that the next generation of women entering Florida’s green industry will see leadership not as something distant, but as something possible.

This Women’s History Month is a reminder that progress does not happen by accident. It happens when organizations invest in people, when mentors offer encouragement, and when individuals step forward to lead.

And when women choose to lead, our entire industry grows stronger.

Marcella Lucio-Chinchilla serves as President of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA). She is also the vice president of business development at Silver Vase, one of the nation’s largest orchid growers.