North Dakota Florist Association

Andrew has always been a creative soul, from a very young age. He loves artistic crafts, theater, and music. A part-time job in a flower shop during high school sparked his love for floral design and eventually lead to his family to help him open a small shop in his hometown of Ramseur, North Carolina in 2000. Andrew started his own event design company: WAS Design Works in November of 2012. Today, he travels extensively and is part of several design teams that specialize in commercial holiday installation showroom design and merchandising and is on the design team for NAPCO, based in Jacksonville Fl. Winner of several design competitions, Andrew has honed his talents by competing and learning through critiques and judging. A two-time Designer of the Year (2005 & 2009) and two-time Palmetto Cup winner (2012 & 2016). Andrew also has the prestige of being the last Designer of the Year winner for the Southern Retail Florist Association in 2010 before they disbanded. He is currently the Designer of the Year (2021) for the Florida State Florists Assoc. Andrew traveled to Seattle, WA to the AIFD National Symposium to participate in the Professional Floral Design Evaluation (PFDE) and achieved his AIFD accreditation. He was inducted in 2018. Andrew Strives to make mission one that is focused first and foremost on continuing education opportunities for the floral industry.

I have been a floral designer for over 25 years. My floral experiences have taken me on some amazing journeys. I do believe education is key in our industry. Some of the privileges I have had is working on the Rose Parade, AIFD stage and the Kentucky Florist Association plus numerous other state programs. I am the mother of four children and married to Jeff Hayden. We live in Shepherdsville Kentucky. As for my job I am head floral designer and manager of Thrive Floral Studio in Clarksville Indiana.

As the Customer Education Coordinator for Len Busch Roses, Sandy lives by the mantra “educate, inspire, influence” and it shows. She is passionate about introducing seasoned floral professionals to new products, current trends, creative mechanics, and design techniques to become more innovative and profitable designers. Sandy Schroeck is an award-winning designer, trend watcher and international educator with extensive experience in the floral industry. Having gained professional retail and wholesale experience during her career, Sandy has a unique perspective for the promotion of successful floral and gift businesses. She is currently an Education Specialist for Floriology Now and a Design Director for Smithers Oasis. Sandy is a member of American Institute of Floral Design and currently serves on the AIFD National Board as a Director at Large. She has led the AIFD national membership committee, symposium committees and is an AIFD certified evaluator. Sandy is certified by the Professional Floral Commentators International and a winner of the prestigious North Central AIFD Bobbi Cup. Sandy uses her design expertise and passion to convert consumer and color trends into floral sales and believes that continuing education and a willingness to change are keys for success.