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Vol. 38, No. 18 |
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1-31-2007 For OSU florist, every day is a different colorRae Neal says work a fairy taleValentine’s Day is just another day at the office for Rae Neal, Ohio State’s resident floral designer. For the last five years, Neal has been tucked away in a windowless corner of the Raney Commons basement creating colorful floral designs for campus events. Neal works primarily for the Blackwell Hotel and Pfahl Conference Center, but he also does arrangements for other campus departments. Under the umbrella of Student Affairs and Campus Dining Services, Neal has dressed up events for the Faculty Club, the Fawcett Center, the president’s office and University Development. He does the Fisher College of Business tailgate parties during home football games and also weddings at the Blackwell. “People aren’t aware I’m here, but I’m in Buckeye Bundles (a service for parents to send gifts to their students) and I’m now on the catering Web site as a facilitator for décor,” Neal says. “There are times where I’ve worked more than 80 hours in a week. But I’m extremely fortunate to be here — where else would I get the chance to share my personal gift with thousands of people daily?” Neal has worked in several industries, but floral arranging has always been his first love. His approach got him noticed by Thom Stevenson, the director of Campus Dining Services. “I was looking for a florist that could create eye-popping arrangements for the lobby of the Blackwell,” Stevenson recalls. “I saw Rae’s display at the Bridal Expo at Veterans Memorial — these huge floral arrangements on a table with white lights under a see-through white fabric — and it was like something out of a fairy tale.” Neal says his job at Ohio State has been a continuation of that fairy tale. He doesn’t have to deal with the pressures of the retail holidays, he enjoys the security of benefits and steady work, and he has had many opportunities to grow both as a designer and as a person.
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