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SPECIAL FEATURE Nielsen works tirelessly to convey the importance of sound maintenance practices to the administration, players and fans. Nielsen also won STMA's Field of the Year in 2002 and 2004, and was named the International League Sports Turf Manager of the Year in 2009. When asked about those who have influenced him, Nielsen pointed to his parents,Ted and Gloria Nielsen, who instilled in him a great work ethic and desire to succeed. "Professionally, it is George Toma," said Nielsen."He taught me professionalism and the 'and-then-some' attitude, which is doing your job as best you can plus some. Don't settle for average.Another big influence was the late Gary Vanden Berg, former head groundskeeper with the Milwaukee Brewers, for giving me my start in sports turf management and being a positive role model." Nielsen's dream for the industry is to help raise the standards of groundskeepers,which will,in turn,bring more respect and higher wages. "This is accomplished by increasing expectations both in physical appearance and communications skills," he said."There are a lot of very intelligent, experienced professionals in our industry, and we all deserve respect." He urges others in the industry to work hard, stay enthusiastic, and be open-minded to new ideas and techniques. Dan Sawyer CEO of Brock International Introducing innovation to an industry takes a lot of perseverance. But that's never stopped Dan Sawyer.As the founder and chief executive officer of Brock International, a manufacturer of base systems for synthetic turf, he has helped engineer safe playing surfaces while actively promoting sustainability. Sawyer first started redefining possibilities in the early 1990s while working for Jay Medical, a medical products pioneer that significantly improved wheelchair seating. Sawyer then applied his valuable insight on how forces impact the human body in launching Brock in 1999.The company's premier product, Brock PowerBase, is a shock pad and drainage layer used beneath synthetic turf fields. It has been proven to reduce G-max, which may reduce the risk and severity of concussion. Nothing like it existed before Sawyer and his team envisioned the technology.Today, more than 25-million square feet of Brock products is in play underneath athletic fields worldwide. Sawyer has become a vocal advocate for concussion prevention education.With the perspective of handling hundreds of installations for clients, ranging from NFL teams and major universities to community parks, he feels many brain injuries can be prevented through increased awareness,as well as through better technique,equipment and treatment. That's why his company became an Official Education Partner of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), a Boston-based non-profit organization founded to advance the study, treatment and prevention of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups.In this capacity,Brock has provided funding that helped SLI deliver its two-hour Advanced Concussion Training (ACT) program to more than 1,000 football coaches in the Los 16 Arbor Age / January/February 2013 Angeles Unified School District,2,500 coaches in the ChicagolandYouth Football League, and more than 3,000 Chicago Public Schools coaches and athletic directors, as well as programs for parents and athletes. "I think Brock must continue to educate people that the process of preventing brain injury starts at the playing surface level, and we have to take an active role in educating others about brain injury prevention programs," said Sawyer. He added that he believes technology can be used to go beyond what even natural turf can do. "Just as there have been developments in footwear and helmets, I think the surface can ultimately become one of the key technological components in the sports program to help prevent brain injuries while maximizing sports performance," he said. Still there are hurdles to overcome.According to Sawyer, one hurdle is the idea that the cheapest alternative is the best use of public funds. "Too often, price is placed before quality, but we know that a lifecycle costing approach to the field system today pays off in spades in the long run," he added."The other hurdle is to make people understand that laying carpet over stone is not the best we can do,and when it comes to safety, we have to do our best." If you would like to nominate a Green Industry professional for consideration for the 2013 list of "Most Influential People in the Green Industry," you may e-mail that person's name,contact information,and why he or she has been influential to the Green Industry, to mostinfluential@m2media360.com. Maximize your positive press from your feature in Magazine Reprints Maximize the marketing power of your feature. Eprint Give your feature a presence on the World Wide Web. Custom Plaques Showcase your great press in a public area for all to admire. Now offering short-run reprints! Order 100 copies or less. For custom reprints contact us today! Call 866.879.9144 x131 or email us at reprints@m2media360.com www.arborage.com