American Institute of Floral Designers

Mr. William J. McKinley AIFD, CFD, ICPF, is the emeritus Endowed Chair of the Benz School of Floral Design and emeritus Instructional Professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University.

After retiring from Texas A&M in January of 2025, Bill remains an active 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 as well as the Award of Distinguished Service to AIFD in 2022.  He was inducted into the Illinois State Florists’ Association Hall of Fame in 2009.  Bill is the coordinator for AIFD’s online education courses and recently chaired the revisions task force for the AIFD Guide to Floral Design book.  Mr. McKinley is an AIFD Certified Evaluator/Judge (CEJ) and teaches that curriculum to aspiring Certified Evaluator Judges.   He is a frequent speaker at local, regional and national floral organizations.

“The art of floral design is a special blending of the arts/humanities and the sciences.  A successful floral designer must possess both an appreciation/understanding of art as well as an aptitude for the science of plants.”