WUMFA Annual Convention

2025 Annual Convention Presenters

Amy Balsters

Amy Balsters is a classically trained, award winning floral design educator with vast industry experience spanning two decades in retail floristry, weddings and special events. She has taught all over the U.S. and has trained thousands of florists how to design more confidently and efficiently using professional design techniques through online courses, in person workshops and a national design tour in 2023 with Mayesh Wholesale. Amy has won multiple design awards including “Mastery in Principles of Design” chosen by the Senior Style Editor of Martha Stewart, Mayesh Design Star, “20 Florists to Follow on IG” by Design Sponge, Designer of the Year by Team Flower and many more. Her work has been featured and published in major national and international wedding publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, Once Wed, Florists Review and many more.

Doug Bates AIFD, CF, CFD

Owner and lead designer for Designs by Vogt’s in Sturgis, MI. Doug has received numerous awards in the floral industry. Including the Michigan Designer of the Year 2012, Young Person of the Year 2013, and the 2021 and 2023 Design Academy Winner

Samantha Bates AIFD, CFD, CF

FTD Education Consultant
Samantha Bates AIFD, CFD, CF is the owner of Especially For You Floral located in downtown Ponchatoula, Louisiana. With over 12 years of experience in the floral industry, she has successfully built a thriving wedding and event business within her retail shop. While she was growing her floral business, Samantha developed a passion for innovative branding and marketing strategies for her business, which she enthusiastically shares in her design programs.

Samantha was inducted into the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) in 2016. In 2017, she was named by Florists’ Review magazine as one of the Top 35 Under 35 in the floral industry. She was a featured designer in the book Creativity: A Global Floral Introspective, a collection of floral expressions by 34 acclaimed floral artists from around the globe. Known for her competitive spirit, Samantha made it to the Final Four of the FTD Americas Cup design competition in 2018 and 2022. She won the Jim Johnson Cup in 2018 and 2020 and was the overall first place winner of the Louisiana Champion of Champions Cup in 2019. In 2022, Samantha placed second overall in the International Gateway to the Americas Cup.

During her leisure time, Samantha enjoys experimenting with various mediums to create floral armatures, and time spent with her husband, Cyrus, and their two rescue puppies, Poppy and Moo.

Jody McLeod AIFD, CFD, NCCPF

Freelance Designer

Clayton, North Carolina

Jody McLeod is a seasoned veteran in the floral industry with over 25 years as a retail shop owner and designer from Clayton, NC. His career in the floral industry began as a delivery driver! Most of Jody’s floral design education was achieved during state scholarships to various schools in addition to local wholesale programs and hands-on classes. Jody is a former North Carolina designer of the year, past president of the North Carolina State florist association and in 2008 he was inducted into the prestigious American Institute of floral designers and currently serves on the board of directors for the southern chapter AIFD.

Jody is an award-winning designer and has been published in various publications, and a featured designer in Flowers& magazine.

Jody enjoys sharing his knowledge of design and profit-making retail Strategies. He is a member of the Syndicate Sales design team and most recently presented on the main stage at the 2018 AIFD Symposium.

Jody McLeod holds a bachelor of science degree in business management with a concentration in entrepreneurship and small business from East Carolina University. Jody enjoys using the principles and elements of design to enhance his hometown where he serves as the Mayor of Clayton since 2004.

Derrick P. Myers, CPA, CFP

President of Crockett, Myers and Associates

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, with certificates in accounting and finance, Derrick went on to successfully attain his Certified Public Accountant designation, and was made a partner in the accounting firm of Crockett, Myers & Associates.  He continued his professional education and became a Certified Financial Planner.  Derrick provides the expertise to guide businesses and individuals toward their financial goals through management advisory services, as well as tax, estate and financial planning.

Over the past 35 years in his role as a business consultant and coach, Derrick has developed financial strategies which are unique in the floral industry.  His strategies have proven instrumental in increasing the profitability of many florists.<strong> </strong> He shares these techniques during his coaching sessions as well as through his seminars. These techniques focus on helping florists reduce costs, manage staff, save taxes, and run a more profitable business.

Since 1983 Derrick has been working to create and perfected his “Floral Analysis Program” while working with hundreds of florists and being active in numerous florists associations.  The “Floral Analysis Program” breaks down and analyzes financial statements in such a way that Derrick can show the florist owner exactly where to focus their time and energy to reduce costs and increase profits.

Kelsey Thompson, AIFD

Kelsey Thompson, AIFD is a retail florist, marketing nerd, Sylvia Cup award winning designer, and educator. Along with her brick and mortar shop Bloom Floral + Home Studio, Kelsey provides marketing content and business education through her online business, Petals and Profits. Her expertise is combining creative floral design with creative business growth ideas. She has a passion for helping florists streamline their systems and pursue their passions.

Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI, CAFA

Floral Trend Consultant

Kevin comes to the floral industry with a background in art that includes a concentration in sculpture and weaving. He has been in the floral industry for more than fifty years.

Kevin is a freelance designer offering design shows, trend consulting and personal tutored in store design programs.

He is an Oasis Design Director. He has worked on many projects for Smithers Oasis creating online videos, designing for advertising campaigns and much more.

He is a former Teleflora Education Specialist.

He has been an Endorsed Designer for Design Master Color Tool.

He has worked with Accent Décor to produce designs for their catalogs, their “T2” video series and set up their showrooms across the country.

Kevin is a certified member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) and is also a Past President of AIFD. He is a member of PFCI, the Professional Floral Communicators International. He is a member of the Canadian Academy of Floral Artists (CAFA). Kevin is a past President of the Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Florists Association (WUMFA).

Nationally he has designed and judged across the country for garden clubs, wholesale houses, state associations, floral organizations and floral wire services.

Kevin was a member of the Design Team for the Inauguration of President George Bush Sr. in Washington DC 1989. He was a Design Team Captain for the Inauguration of President Bill Clinton in 1993 also in Washington DC.

He has presented international design programs and taught classes in England, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Canada, Poland, Russia and Puerto Rico.

Kevin was honored to be a Judge for the 1997 Tournament Of Roses Parade in Pasadena California. In 1999 he was a member of the floral design team for the Fiesta Float Company. Kevin was recently awarded the prestigious Tommy Bright Award at SAF’s Annual Convention in 2021.

If he gets free time he enjoys his hobby of fused and laminated glass design and garden railroading