La Grange Newcomers to Be Honored by SFA

Acouple who recently moved to La Grange will be honored as Outstanding Young Alumni by the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association during an awards ceremony Sept. 23 in Nacogdoches. Derek and Kayli Head recently moved to Derek’s family ranch in La Grange, and their business, Bloom Bar has been relocated from San Marcos to nearby Smithville. Owners of the wedding and event floral shop Bloom Bar, Kayli ’08 and Derek Head ’09 have designed more than 100 weddings annually since launching their business in 2015. Both from Garland, where they met in high school, Kayli studied communications and journalism at SFA and was involved in the Student Activities Association and Public Relations Society of America while Derek studied health science. After graduation, the couple married in 2011, and both were active in the Nacogdoches community, where Derek served on the board of directors for the Nacogdoches Area Chamber of Commerce, and Kayli volunteered. Derek helped establish the Healthy Nacogdoches Coalition and worked for Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. Kayli worked in what is now SFA’s Division of University Marketing Communications.

After Derek accepted a job offer in Central Texas, Kayli worked for the Main Street Programs in Bastrop and San Marcos. There, she was inspired by local entrepreneurs and decided to follow her lifelong dream of owning a floral business. Soon after, she opened the Bloom Bar in San Marcos, and Derek left his career to join the business full time in 2018. Bloom Bar has received many awards, including Emerging Business of the Year from the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, Business of the Year from the San Marcos Main Street Program and multiple best floral awards. Kayli has received the Shining Star Under 40 Award and is a preferred vendor by the Associated Wedding Planners of Austin. The couple recently moved to Derek’s family ranch in La Grange, and the business has been relocated to nearby Smithville.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association will honor eight alumni during its awards banquet beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches.

The SFA Alumni Awards honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their professions and the community and who advance the goals and values of SFA.

The award recipients are Charlie Parsons, Matt Russell and Chuck Tomberlain, who each will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award; Devin Greer and Derek and Kayli Head, the Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipients; and Tammy Purser and Brian Tuttle, the recipients of the Lumberjack Pride Award.