Tournament of Roses Announces 2016 Float Judges

The Tournament of Roses has selected Tom Bowling, Timothy Lindsay and Jodie Petersen to be float judges for the 127th Rose Parade® presented by Honda. The judges will grant awards based on criteria such as creative design, floral craftsmanship, artistic merit, computerized animation, thematic interpretation, floral and color presentation and dramatic impact.

Tournament of Roses President Mike Matthiessen will announce the award-winning floats the morning of January 1, 2016, at Tournament House. “These floral masterpieces are designed, built and decorated by dedicated teams who put incredible effort into perfecting their fantastic floats,” said Mike Matthiessen. “Our esteemed panel of judges will use their diverse backgrounds and talents to analyze each float and identify those elements that help us best celebrate the many ways in which we may find our adventure in the coming year.”

About the 2016 Rose Parade Float Judges Tom Bowling, AIFD, PFCI, is the Director of Education for Syndicate Sales. He travels around the world researching floral trends in colors, textures, patterns and forms, and teaches design programs within the United States and Canada. Bowling has worked for more than 35 years in the floristry industry, including for the California Cut Flower Commission, in the floral wholesale business, and through owning his own retail flower shop. In 1995, he became involved with the Rose Parade as a floral designer and also designed for the Academy Awards for 15 years.

As a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers since 1989, Bowling has served as its president and as a certified judge and evaluator. Bowling designed on the National Team for former President Bill Clinton’s inauguration and twice was invited to the White House to design for President Barack Obama.

Timothy Lindsay currently oversees restoration, preservation and programming for the Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills, Calif. Lindsay serves as a consultant for architects on how to properly restore historic landscapes and has previously taught landscape design at the University of California, Los Angeles. Throughout his career, Lindsay has worked at botanical gardens and in the nursery industry. He has traveled widely to significant gardens in North America and Europe. Lindsay serves as a board advisor to the Friends of Robinson Gardens and maintains many professional affiliations including with the U.S. Department of the Interior — National Park Service-Cultural Resources.

Lindsay’s gardens and writings have appeared in various publications including Sunset Magazine and other scientific and garden journals. Home and Garden Television has featured his garden restoration work and design work on multiple programs.

Jodie Petersen is a landscape architect for the National Park Service (NPS), Denver Service Center, the central planning, design and construction project office for the NPS. For 24 years, Petersen has worked for the NPS managing projects nationwide including Flight 93 National Memorial, Mesa Verde National Park and Hamilton Grange National Memorial, among others. In 2013, Petersen was elevated to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Council of Fellows. She is a Professional Registered Landscape Architect, a LEED accredited professional and a certified Project Management Professional.

Petersen was a key team member for an international park project in Qatar, which included assisting the Qatari government with planning for its first national park. She has received many private and public sector awards for the landscape projects she has managed throughout her career.

About the Pasadena Tournament of Roses®

The Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts the Rose Parade®, the Rose Bowl Game® and a variety of associated events. Nine hundred thirty-five volunteer members act as ambassadors of the organization and contribute upwards of 80,000 hours of manpower each year. The 127th Rose Parade presented by Honda and themed “Find Your Adventure,” will take place Friday, January 1, 2016, followed by the 102nd Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual. Learn more at www.tournamentofroses.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.