Bill McKinley

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/benz-school/

Mr. William J.  McKinley was named the endowed chair of the Benz School of Floral Design at Texas A&M University in the summer of 2011. Mr. McKinley is a graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia with a B.S. in horticulture/greenhouse production and Texas A&M University with a M.Ag in floriculture.  He is the senior lecturer for floral design at Texas A&M University and serves as the advisor for the Forsythe student chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers (SAIFD).

Mr. McKinley is a national board member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) and was honored with the organization’s Award of Distinguished Service to the Floral Industry in 2010.  He is the Online Education Administrator for AIFD as well as a member of the Certified Floral Designer committee (past chair). He is a monthly columnist for “Flowers& Magazine”, which is published by Teleflora.  Mr. McKinley co-authored the revisions of M. Buddy Benz’s book, Flowers: Creative Design, which is in its 7^th edition and 11^th printing.  He has participated in many design seminars across the country, written short courses for the industry and was the Associate Dean for Career Technologies at Kishwaukee College in Illinois. Mr. McKinley has extensive floral retail, special event, wholesale and industry experience which augments the theoretical aspects of the courses he teaches; Hort 451 Retail Floristry, Hort 452 Wedding Designs, Hort 453 Floral Art, and Hort 454 Special Event Design and Production.