[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 35 (Thursday, March 3, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E272-E273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF LIN SCHMALE

                                 ______
                                 

                             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

[[Page E273]]

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.

                          ____________________