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“IN HONOR OF LIN SCHMALE” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E272-E273 on March 3, 2016.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN HONOR OF LIN SCHMALE
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HON. SAM FARR
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lin Schmale, who recently retired from The Society of American Florists where she was senior director of government relations and an advocate for flower and plant growers across the nation. Lin is someone known for tenacity and fearlessness--as well as collaboration and kindness. A walking encyclopedia of the federal bureaucracy, she has a long and well-
documented history for promoting teamwork and partnerships to accomplish the sometimes seemingly impossible.
For 22 years, Lin fought for the floral industry on Capitol Hill and throughout countless federal agencies, bringing together diverse people, groups and agencies, and standing her ground on issues that directly affect the livelihood of growers, wholesalers, retailers and suppliers.
Known for her sharp intellect and her ability to grasp and then distill complex issues, Lin has played a lead role in two critically important areas: first, through her efforts, federal funds are now available to conduct important research on floral and nursery crops; and second, she has dedicated countless hours to ensure safe and efficient transportation of flowers and plants within the United States and across international borders.
When Lin started working at SAF, the Floral and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI) had been created and was poised to be a source of needed funding for research across the country. While the structure was in place, and there was support in Congress and the USDA, the Initiative needed more visibility. However, putting her knowledge of the federal and political bureaucracy to work, and calling on a vast network of colleagues and peers on the Hill, Lin soon helped take the Initiative to the next level. What was initially a glimmer in the eyes of the industry soon became a multi-million dollar annual USDA research program that today funds a wide variety of research benefitting not only the floral and nursery industries but literally all of agriculture. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has called the Initiative a model program for private and public sector collaboration.
As the international movement of floral products has increased, Lin's role in addressing pest and disease issues took on more importance.
When the pathogen Ralstonia first threatened to disrupt the country's supply of geraniums, Lin made sure the industry maintained a respectful yet loud voice in often difficult negotiations between the USDA, the Department of Homeland Security and other agricultural groups. Leveraging her deep connections in Washington, she brought interested parties together to craft a realistic and workable solution that protected the geranium industry first and foremost, but also addressed the needs of other agricultural groups and the federal government. That was no small feat, and some people have said, without exaggeration, that Lin saved the geranium industry in the United States.
Over the years, Lin has been a strong industry advocate and negotiator in many other similar situations. She has dealt with federal and state officials on a wide variety of other pest and disease issues that threatened to disrupt the flow of floral products. In working on these issues, Lin is often recognized because of her ability to get people to focus on the science of an issue and not only the politics. With that said, she knows politics in Washington, D.C., and at the state level and uses her knowledge to help diffuse challenging situations and work toward solutions.
Through all of her interactions with government officials, Lin emphasizes candor and transparency. For that, people in both the industry and government place great trust in her word.
At The Society of American Florists, Lin dedicated herself to staging SAF's annual Congressional Action Days event, and helped to inform and educate SAF members on the key issues of the day. And she has also had a major role in developing its annual Pest and Production Management Conference, a must-see for scientists, researchers and growers. Lin was honored this year with SAF's John H. Walker Award for excellence in the field of association management and she also received the Executive Director's Award from the North American Plant Protection Organization for her collaborative work with regulatory officials from the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honor to rise and celebrate Lin's excellence in fighting for the floral industry every day on Capitol Hill and for her deep commitment to collaboration and partnerships.
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