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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/356087
For more on the latest news, please visit www.sportsturf.com and www.stma.org. www.stma.org August 2014 | SportsTurf 43 A decade; some may view it as just a 10-year span in time, but we view it as a celebration. And this year, it's time to celebrate some STMA members. Although we won't literally be popping champagne in our offices, know that our hats are off to you as we celebrate your success. The SAFE Foundation, STMA's charity, takes pride in its abil- ity to provide scholarships for individuals aspiring to be in the field. Since its inception in 2000, the SAFE Foundation has presented 120 students more than $225,000 in scholarships and travel to the STMA Conference and Exhibition. For some, this year marks the 10-year anniversary since SAFE has presented them with scholarships, an equally rewarding and honorable recognition. So this month we caught up with them to see what they're up to now. Willing and ready to share their positive experience with us, we dove into the details about the scholarship process, the conferences and advice for future scholarship recipients. Where are they noW? Scattered all over the United States, that's where. We tracked down where these SAFE scholarship recipients have made their mark over the past 10 years, working with communities and universities alike. Kyle Slaton, a Penn State University grad, is the Director of Sports Turf & Grounds at Georgia State University. Slaton has been in this position 4 years and enjoys being in charge of all the NCAA athletic fields within the university grounds. Slaton's favorite part of his job is having the ability to come in during a rebuilding year and see the prog- ress made within the grounds department and athletic fields. A fellow Penn State grad, Shawn Mahonski, is the Athletic Field Manager at Towson University. With 9 years under his belt at this position, Mahonski credits his loyalty to Towson and college athletics to the unpredictability and array of challenges he is presented with, keeping every day interesting. Nathan Salmore, a University of Massachusetts-Amherst grad, is the Assistant Grounds Superintendent at Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, MA. Salmore claims he's enjoyed the past 4 years at LCC due to the unique challenge of maintaining both grass and clay tennis courts. A graduate of Michigan State University, Matt Anderson is the Grounds Superintendent at the University of Arizona. Anderson said the love of being outdoors and around sports has kept him in Arizona since he began the position 3 years ago. Nick Gow, an Iowa State University grad, is the Athletics Facility Manager for the City of Muscatine, Iowa. With his position, Gow is responsible for an eight-field soccer complex, an 18-field softball and baseball complex, and is a turf advisor for a golf course. After 7 years in a non-related field, Dan Blank has taken his talents to Omaha, NE serving on the biggest stage of college baseball. Blank is the Turf Manager at TD Ameritrade Park, home of the NCAA Men's College World Series. ConferenCe talk One of the highlights of receiving the scholarship through the SAFE Foundation is the opportunity to attend the national STMA Conference. In addition to a financial scholarship, each winner's con- ference registration is paid for and each receives three nights lodging at the conference. STMA's Annual Conference & Exhibition allows members to share information with other successful members of the sports turf industry and participate in educational seminars and hands-on workshops. Conference attendees are able to tour professional, college and munici- pal turf facilities that offer a range of insights to take back home. STMA works hard to plan exceptional conferences, but it's the unplanned friendships that make the biggest impression on the scholars. "There were people that came up to me and introduced themselves to me at the first conference. I was able to talk to them and build a friendship," says Slaton. "The best part of the conference is making friends and seeing everyone." Known for its eclectic host cities, fun events and exceptional speak- ers, the conference is unanimously the favorite of scholarship perks among the scholars. "My ultimate best thing about going to the conference was going to see some of my friends that I only get to see at the conference," adds Mahonski, "also the education, the developments presented in the classes and hearing about the research." SAFE celebrates 10th anniversary STMA in Action news from the Sports turf Managers association By Kenzie Jay Matt Anderson Dan Blank Nick Gow Kyle Slaton Nathan Salmore Shawn Mahonski