ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The national floral industry trade association honors Corey Harbour, AIFD, PFCI, NAFD, in September for excellence in professional floral communication with induction into the Society of American Florists’ (SAF) Professional Floral Communicators – International (PFCI), the floral industry’s speakers bureau.
PFCI members present educational programs on local, regional and national stages, teaching floral professionals how to be more successful. With 116 PFCI members in 34 states, Canada and Singapore, PFCI members also present floral programs to local civic, social and professional groups.
“Obtaining the PFCI credentials is an incredible honor,” said PFCI Board Chairman Jerome Raska, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, CF, of Blumz by…JRDesigns in metro Detroit. “The meticulous review process qualifies each PFCI member as an expert floral spokesperson and communicator. PFCI members also display a profound commitment, not only to the floral industry and continuing education, but also to their individual communities and businesses.”
As design director for Teters Floral Products and the Creative Connection LTD, Harbour develops floral lines with Chinese factories and importers. Harbour travels the world — from Asia to South America and Europe — staying on top of design trends. He shares his findings in programs at wholesale shows across the country and as a main stage presenter at the AIFD National Symposium. Harbour has been both a participant and a judge at design competitions and was a guest designer at the Philadelphia Flower Show for two years.
He began delivering flowers in high school. After pursuing a career in hotel management, Harbour returned to the floral industry in 1997 as design manager for a Lincoln, Neb., flower shop. Since then, he has owned a retail flower store in Iowa and worked as general manager for the Bill Doran Company in Austin, Texas. He also has been a freelance designer for numerous showrooms in the Dallas Market Center and the Atlanta Gift Mart as well as various development companies in China and Hong Kong.
Harbour is a Nebraska Master Florist, a member of the Nebraska Academy of Floral Designers, serves on AIFD’s National Membership and Industry Partners committees and has sat on the boards of the Iowa Floral Association and the Texas State Floral Association. In 2004, WF&FSA awarded Harbour the Mike Garcia Scholarship for dedication to the industry.
PFCI applicants complete an extensive application that documents speaking experience, leadership activities and professional references. Candidates also submit an audition DVD of a live speaking engagement.
The PFCI Induction Ceremony take places on Sept. 15, 2011, during SAF’s 127th Annual Convention in Palm Springs, Calif.
The Society of American Florists (SAF) is the national trade association representing all segments of the U.S. floral industry, including florists, wholesalers, importers, growers, shippers and suppliers.
Source: The Society of American Florists