SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/77829
STMA in action STMA members' compensation increases 7.5% STMA recently completed its 2012 Compensation and Benefits Report. Median salaries rose nearly $4,000 for sports turf managers since 2008. The median salary in 2008 was $51,135 compared to $55,000 in 2012, an increase of 7.5%. Certified Sports Field Managers (CSFMs) make significantly more than non-certified members at $64,959. The survey also reports compensation by experience, education levels, acres man- aged and by employment category. The report also contains a comparison to the 2008 data, when is statistically different from the 2012 data. Assistant's salaries are reported in separate tables. The average salary for a first assis- tant is $41,458. The report also provides a comprehensive analysis about of the benefits received by sports turf managers. They do receive typical benefits. However, in most areas there has been a slight decline in employer-paid and employer-provided portions, which is not un- common in a tight economy. The complete report is available on the members only area of www.STMA.org. ■ Professional Development: Getting to know foreign investments FOREIGN INVESTMENTS can play an im- portant role in helping to diversify a do- mestic equity portfolio. But before plunging into international waters, it's im- portant to understand the differences be- tween developed and emerging markets and the risks inherent to each. Once upon a time, the United States was considered an emerging market. In the late 1800s, British financiers, noting America's growth potential, invested in the companies that were building the nation's infrastructure, particularly the early rail- road companies. In doing so, they were ac- cepting more risk than they would have with investments in their own market. The United States, after all, was still maturing, and political and social change, as well as many other factors, could have made it a volatile investment market. The same risk/reward characteristics apply to today's emerging markets, which are found in every corner of the globe. Be- cause they are still maturing, they may have more room for growth than long-es- tablished markets, such as the United States. But because the road to maturity is not always a smooth one, there may be bumps along the way. In general, emerging markets have three characteristics: 40 SportsTurf | August 2012 • Low or moderate personal incomes. • Economies that are in the process of being industrialized. • Financial infrastructures, including stock markets, which are still being devel- oped. A developing infrastructure is what may give an emerging market its growth poten- tial. For example, in an emerging market an industry such as banking might be just beginning to establish itself and therefore have above-average growth potential. Of course, you need to keep in mind that emerging market investments are gener- ally appropriate for patient investors with long-term time horizons. Emerging market stock prices can take dramatic swings, and it is essential that you have the time to ride them out or in a worse case scenario, the ability to lose some or all of your ini- tial investment. Ongoing opportunity Developed markets typically have higher average incomes than emerging markets, well-established financial insti- tutions and markets and modern infra- structures. Of course, they may still offer investors the potential for continued growth. By the same token, like emerging mar- kets, developed foreign markets may be subject to greater risks than domestic in- vestments. Foreign markets may be less efficient, less liquid and more volatile than those in the United States. They are also subject to the effects of foreign cur- rency fluctuations and differing regula- tions. If you decide to build an international element into your investment portfolio, mutual funds and separately managed account strategies that focus on interna- tional investing may be ideas to consider. Professional portfolio managers often have access to information that's not widely available, not to mention the time and experience required to track events in a variety of markets. Before expanding your portfolio beyond U.S. borders, con- tact a qualified financial professional who can help you prepare for this invest- ment journey. This article written by McGraw Hill and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Financial Advisors Sandra J. Smith and Harrison P. Hill. The author(s) and/or publication are neither employ- ees of nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC ("MSSB"). By providing this third party publication, we are not implying an affiliation, sponsorship, en- dorsement, approval, investigation, veri- fication or monitoring by MSSB of any information contained in the publica- tion. ■ www.sportsturfonline.com