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/506886
FROM THE SIDELINES I n our March issue this year we began a new feature, The SportsTurf Interview. Our first subject (victim?) was Mike Schiller, CSFM, who is mostly retired and says his most important job today is being Grampa. His perspective on both the history of the Sports Turf Managers Association and the sports turf industry makes for interesting reading. In April we caught up with Dale Getz, CSFM, CSE, another long-time STMA member who currently is the sports turf sales manager for The Toro Company after spending 17 years as athletic facilities man- ager at Notre Dame. This month we hear from Eric Fasbender, CSFM, sports turf manager for Louisiana State University (see page XX). We hope you are enjoying these up-close looks at these industry notables. During our process of finding interview- ees, I exchanged emails with Dr. Gil Landry of the University of Georgia, former exten- sion agent and researcher, as well as a former STMA president and Founders Award winner. He gave permission for me to share these comments below on the organization's founders: "Twenty-five years ago we could see this day coming if we could just hold the pro- gram together and stay focused on what was most important to industry. Thankfully, the leaders of STMA have done that and more. Many individuals played important roles during that time, but three really stand out to me. "Dr. Jim Watson, what a great person, scientist and facilitator. He had all the tools and he used them to improve our industry and its people. I'm certain he was instru- mental in getting Toro to associate with the industry, an association that has lasted many years and benefitted many practitioners. "Then there was a guy who was just as visible and accomplished in his own right, Mr. Super Bowl Field, George Toma. He is still going today and using his pulpit to set an example of how to handle authority. I believe his message has always been that his role in "the big dance" and any event he was associated with was just as important as any- one else's. George, like Jim, always seemed to avail himself to support STMA and I think that was invaluable. These two men are icons in Sports Turf. They brought a significant level of "legitimacy" and set great examples for the industry. "There is other contemporary of mine, a "younger guy," Steve Wightman. Steve was very visible in his own right and I will guess no one has spoken at the annual conference of STMA more than Steve. That in itself is an example of how he was so willing to share his experiences with others. It takes a special person to be focused on managing turfgrass in a high-profile situation but be willing to develop educational materials and then do a great job of presenting their material. To borrow a term from Toma, these peo- ple all have/had the "and then some." To me, that is/was a vision and willingness to exceed the "expected" in their job and do more; they sacrificed self for the big picture. This industry has many people with this qual- ity, a willingness to be personable and share because they truly believe sharing is a respon- sibility to their profession. And that really makes the Sports Turf industry unique." ■ ST Eric Schroder Editorial Director eschroder@specialtyim.com 717-805-4197 6 SportsTurf | May 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com EPG Media & Specialty Information 3300 Fernbrook Lane N, Suite 200, Plymouth, MN 55447 The Official Publication Of The Sports Turf Managers Association President: Allen Johnson, CSFM Immediate Past President: David Pinsonneault, CSFM, CPRP President-Elect: Jeff Salmond, CSFM Secretary/Treasurer: Timothy Van Loo, CSFM Vice-President Commercial: James Graff Professional Facilities: Dan Bergstrom Academic: Jeffrey Fowler Higher Education: Matt Anderson Parks & Recreation: Sarah Martin, CSFM K-12: Bobby Behr, CSFM Commercial: Doug Schattinger Elected-at-Large: Jimmy Simpson, CSFM Elected-at-Large: David Anderson Chief Executive Officer: Kim Heck STMA OFFICE 805 New Hampshire Suite E Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: 800-323-3875 Fax: 800-366-0391 Email: STMAinfo@STMA.org www.STMA.org EDITORIAL Group publisher: David Voll Editorial Director: Eric Schroder Technical Editor: Dr. James Brosnan Art Director: Brian Snook Production Manager: Karen Kalinyak Stma Editorial Communications Committee Chairman: Brad Jakubowski; Tyler Clay; Jim Cornelius, CSFM; Mark Frever, CSFM; Jamie Mehringer; Scott Stevens; and Brad Park SportsTurf (ISSN 1061-687X) (USPS 000-292) (Reg. U.S. Pat. & T.M. Off.) is published monthly by EPG Media & Specialty Information at 75 Pike Street, Port Jervis, NY 12271. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sportsturf, PO Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823. For subscription information and requests, call Subscription Services at (847) 763-9565. Subscription rates: 1 year, $40 US & Poss.; 2 years, $65 US & Poss.; 1 year, $65 Canada/Foreign Surface, 1 year, $130 Airmail. All sub- scriptions are payable in advance in US funds. Send payments to Sportsturf, PO Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076- 7823. Phone: (847) 763-9565. Fax: (847) 763-9569. Single copies or back issues, $8 each US/Canada; $12 Foreign. Periodicals postage paid at Port Jervis, NY and additional mailing offices. COPYRIGHT 2015, SportsTurf. Material may not be reproduced or photocopied in any form with- out the written permission of the publisher. INTRODUCING "THE INTERVIEW"