William (Bill) McKinley AIFD, ICPF
Bill is the Director of the Benz School of Floral Design and Senior Lecturer at Texas A&M University. He is also a contributing editor for FLOWERS & Magazine, authoring a monthly column ‘Variety Show’. He received his M.Ag. degree from Texas A&M University and his B.S. degree from the University of Missouri.
Prior to his present career, Mr. McKinley taught floral design full time for 16 years at Kishwaukee College and was also Associate Dean for Career Technologies for 5 years, owned a retail florist shop in Bryan TX, worked for Floralife, Inc, and was employed by a prestigious retail florist in the Dallas, TX area.
Bill shares his enthusiasm for educating and his knowledge through seminars conducted at state shows, wholesale house programs and symposiums. He serves as an instructor for the Illinois State Florists' Association's (ISFA) certification classes and is an educational advisor on the ISFA's Board of Directors.
Mr. McKinley is currently a member of AIFD’s National Board of Directors, the AIFD Online Education Administrator, and past chairman of AIFD’s Certified Floral Designer (CFD) program, National Education Committee, Educational Partners Committee and Student Membership/AIR Committee. He has served on the AIFD International Committee, AIFD North Central Region Board of Directors, and co-chaired a luncheon program for the AIFD National Symposium in Chicago (2001).
Author of The Cut Flower Companion, Bill is also the co-author of the Shopkeeper and Flowers: Creative Design, releases by the Benz School of Floral Design. Bill is also a contributing author to the AIFD Guide to Floral Design.