Decorating for the Holidays

Mercedes discovered her passion for flowers after taking a floral design class for fun. Exchanging a twenty year career in the banking industry for flowers, she completed the City College of San Francisco’s Retail Floristry program in 2014 and worked as a freelance floral designer for several studios around the Bay Area before joining the McCalls Catering & Events family from 2011 through 2019. As manager of the McCalls floral department, Mercedes drew on her breadth of design experience, education, and knowledge of flowers to create beautiful and tailored “floral stories” that transformed and elevated corporate events, galas, and weddings. Mercedes recently stepped back from McCalls to join the faculty at the CCSF Environmental Horticulture/Floristry department where she has taught the Intro (85A) and Basic (80A) floral design classes. A lifelong student, she enjoys attending floral design workshops and educational programs to keep up with new and emerging trends, materials, and techniques. Mercedes loves sharing her experiences and expertise with students, friends, and colleagues. Mercedes has a BS in Economics from the University of San Francisco, is a European Master Certified floral designer, and is an accredited member of the American Institute of Floral Designers.