Horticulture Internship Panel Adds Industry Voice
Texas State's Tina Cade and Pure Beauty Farms' Tim Kepner join the committee that reviews applicants for a paid botany internship program.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Botany
The American Floral Endowment has appointed Tina Cade of Texas State University and Tim Kepner of Pure Beauty Farms to its Vic & Margaret Ball Committee, which oversees the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program. This is an organizational appointment, not a research or product development.
Why it matters
The appointments place two horticulture professionals with research and production backgrounds in charge of reviewing applications for a paid internship program that has operated since 1992. The move reflects how industry and academic horticulture are being linked through workforce pipelines rather than through new technology.
The committee members bring measurable track records: Cade's 35 mentees and more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, and Kepner's 40-plus years in the field and a production operation of more than 50 million plants a year. The source does not report any figures for applicant volume, intern placement rates or program budget beyond the endowment's cumulative totals.
The players
American Floral Endowment
A floral industry organization that has funded more than $18 million in research and educational projects since 1961 and more than $3 million in scholarships and internships.
Tina Cade
A professor of horticulture at Texas State University and Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science who oversees the university's Bobcat Blend campus composting program.
Tim Kepner
Senior Vice President of Production, Research and Development at Pure Beauty Farms, which produces more than 50 million plants annually across farms in Florida, Georgia, and Texas.
The details
The Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program offers paid internships of three, four, or six months, and committee members review student applications and promote the program to students. Cade and Kepner were appointed to the committee and will work with AFE Trustees and faculty on those reviews. Kepner was also selected as an additional grower representative, adding industry production perspective to a committee otherwise focused on academic mentorship.
Timeline
1992: Vic and Margaret Ball donated to establish the internship program.
2003: Tim Kepner joined Pure Beauty Farms.
November 2, 2026: The American Floral Endowment announced the committee appointments of Cade and Kepner.
The Tech Race
This appointment concerns the workforce pipeline for horticulture rather than a specific technology. It sits alongside the Vic & Margaret Ball program's long-running role in training students for research and production careers in the floral and plant sciences.
The change affects students who apply for the paid internships of three, four, or six months, since committee members will now review their applications. The source does not state when applications open or when awards are made.
The takeaway
Watch for the first application cycle the reconstituted committee reviews, which will show how an academic and an industry representative shape selection. Students considering horticulture careers should check with the American Floral Endowment for the application timing once it is published.
Further reading
For more on plant science and horticulture research, explore the Botany section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Perishable News.
