Bogotá, March 23rd, 2010. Asocolflores, its Board of Directors, member companies and employees deeply mourn the passing of Ernesto Velez, who served on the Asocolflores’ Board of Directors since 1993 and Chairman for the past seven years. Ernesto was known not only for the invaluable support he gave to Colombian floriculture in the areas of social responsibility and implementing environmentally friendly practices, but also for his drive, his business vision and the strength to endure through the toughest of times.
Ernesto Velez was also prominent for assuming the role of representing Colombian floriculture in a variety of national and international arenas. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of American Florists (SAF), a trustee of the American Floral Endowment (AFE), the co-Chairman of the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO), and a member of the Society of Farmers of Colombia (SAC), to mention just a few.
At Proflora 2009, the “Life and Endeavors of a Flower Grower” award was bestowed upon Ernesto and his wife Lucie de Velez for being exemplary floriculturists and the role models for the ideal trade association member. In January 2010, he was also awarded the University of Florida’s IFAS Scholar Award from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences for being an outstanding alumnus.
After graduating from the University of California-Davis with a BS in Agronomy and a post-graduate degree from the University of Florida in Agricultural Economics, Ernesto Velez spent ten years working for and consulting with USAID, the World Bank, the Inter-American Bank and other international agrarian-focused financial institutions. Together with his wife Lucie de Velez in 1980, he founded the Suasuque S.A. company and was its manager for 30 years.
“Ernesto’s passing represents an irreparable loss, not only for his family, but also for Asocolflores and Colombian floriculture. Ernesto dedicated most of his time to Asocolflores, being proactive by fueling ideas and putting forth proposals. He represented Asocolflores with great dignity at both national and international levels”, said Augusto Solano, President of Asocolflores.
Source: Asocolflores
