Momentum for change

As America in Bloom begins a new year, I am happy to share with you our new vision statement that genuinely reflects our multi-fold mission:

America in Bloom envisions communities across the country as welcoming and vibrant places to live, work and play – benefiting from colorful plants and trees, enjoying clean environments, celebrating heritage and planting pride through volunteerism.

Our officers for the next two years are: Dr. Charlie Hall, professor at Texas A&M University and the new America in Bloom president, and Vice President Katy Moss Warner, who has diligently served as chair of the symposium committee for several years now. We also have two new members coming onto the board, each with vast experience in the horticultural industry. Dr. Marvin Miller continues serving on the board in his new role as past president.

America in Bloom is enjoying a LOT of momentum moving forward. In 2014, more cities are participating in the National Awards Program than any year since the recession. America in Bloom continues to be the catalyst for great accomplishments in municipalities all across America. In all of our participating cities, and even in some of the neighboring communities, AIB has had a “miracle effect” of bringing people together in ways never before imagined. By working within the AIB framework and with AIB guidance, citizens have coalesced into communities of volunteers working toward the common goal of planting pride and have harvested fruitful benefits from their collective actions.

We are also proud to announce an exciting new endeavor to encourage and recognize efforts in improving quality of life through a photography contest that carries a $1,500 first prize.

We are continuing our emphasis on the value of plants and quality landscapes from an economic, environmental, health and well-being perspective. Our ‘Discovering the Surprising Side of Plants’ brochure is more popular than ever and does a great job of highlighting these benefits.

Of great significance is a grant that AIB has received from the Canadian National Railroad Corporation, which is currently the largest sponsor of our sister organization, Communities in Bloom, in Canada. The centerpiece of the grants program is for tree planting (because CN uses 600,000 trees each year just for railroad ties), but they recognize that shrubs and flowers are also important to communities. CN’s program is titled From the Ground Up and will provide funding of up to $25,000 for the greening of six America in Bloom communities along its rail lines in the U.S. Projects will address local issues and provide a means for engagement at the local level since local community groups and service clubs will join AIB in support of the projects. The projects will also address concerns related to water conservation, naturalization, stewardship or environmentally friendly transportation. We are particularly pleased to be selected as a partner with CN to manage the grants program that closely aligns with AIB’s core values and mission.

Since its inception 13 years ago, AIB has used 100 percent of its sponsorship funding to operate the national awards program that provides onsite, in-person coaching and mentoring for participating towns and cities of all sizes. Sponsor funds have been augmented by significant in-kind contributions. Countless hours of volunteer efforts on the part of our judges and board, as well as thousands of volunteers in participating cities, have spread our mission’s reach even more. Our participants also leverage their local investment in the AIB program as many mayors and city managers have stated that the value of the judges’ evaluation is worth many times the cost of program registration.

Each week, news about America in Bloom appears in the media. I encourage you to peruse the articles on our website and share the amazing impacts with others who may be interested in America in Bloom!

Lastly, we are indeed grateful for the support of all our participants, judges, sponsors and staff – indeed, all of our volunteers – who work together to strengthen the fabric of American cities and towns. Literally 100 percent of your contributions support our mission, and nearly all of these dollars go directly to program costs. Many thanks to each of you for making a difference!

The author holds the Ellison Chair in International Floriculture at Texas A&M University and is president of America in Bloom’s board of directors.