Amanda Solliday named senior manager of Sustainabloom
Amanda Solliday named senior manager of Sustainabloom
Amanda Solliday will join the American Floral Endowment as senior manager of Sustainabloom in January 2026.
A doctoral candidate at North Carolina State University, Solliday has supported AFE’s Sustainabloom program as a member of the research team working with Drs. Melinda Knuth and Brian Jackson. Through that collaboration, she has helped advance AFE’s goal of building a trusted sustainability education and resource program for the floriculture industry.
“I love taking what we do as researchers and making that accessible to everyone,” Solliday said. She added that Sustainabloom appealed to her early on because of the industry’s strong commitment to sustainability. “It wasn’t just a cool idea — it was industry-driven. People really wanted this information to shape sustainable progress.”
Solliday is completing her Ph.D. in horticultural science and said floriculture was not initially on her career path. Raised on a farm, she earned an undergraduate degree in biology and environmental studies from Illinois Wesleyan University before completing a master’s degree at Cornell University, where she developed an interest in science journalism. She began her career as a biologist with the Environmental Protection Agency and later held science communication roles in the national laboratory system.
Her background in science, agriculture and communication positions her to expand Sustainabloom’s reach and impact.
In her new role, Solliday will oversee the development of Sustainabloom educational resources, including guides, webinars, templates and case studies. She will work with industry members to implement sustainability initiatives, manage program activities and fundraising, refine focus areas and strengthen global partnerships.
“Staying flexible and keeping the information fresh is essential,” Solliday said. “Sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint. My goal is to keep building momentum year after year.”
She also plans to help develop metrics to track industrywide progress and ensure Sustainabloom resources remain current in a rapidly evolving field.
“Amanda has been central to Sustainabloom’s development, and we’re excited to welcome her in a full-time leadership role,” said Debi Chedester, AFE executive director. “As we move into the next phase of implementation and industry education, her expertise will help us expand the program’s resources and deepen its impact.”
Solliday said she is eager to work more closely with industry partners as Sustainabloom grows and looks forward to expanding research, developing new resources and strengthening engagement across the supply chain.
