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/591732
www.stma.org November 2015 | SportsTurf 7 Allen Johnson, CSFM. johnsona@packers.com T hough gratitude is a cherished trait year-round, the Thanksgiving sea- son brings it back to front and center. If you stop to think about all the people who have helped you along the way the list can grow fairly long. In my case I can start with my parents, Keith and Cynthia Johnson, who helped mold me into the person I am today. I have my best friend from the Army, Jeff Bleile, to thank for going to college who told me that I would be wasting potential opportunities for not going. Steve Hutchison gave me my first job in this industry and opened up the possibility for a career in sports turf. Bill Paprocki gave me sound advice when I was starting out and steered me toward Penn State's online turfgrass program. My long- time assistant, Derek Paris, has been with me almost from the beginning and has been instrumental with his keen insight into how to improve our practices. Recent additions to the crew, Bart Bartelme and Joel Hunt, each bring their own talents to make us a complete team while we've increased our workload. For continual improvement and profes- sional growth through the years, I'd have to thank the STMA and its members for sharing their wisdom, encouragement, and pushing me to improve each and every year. While many of us can think of that list that has helped us along the way and the crew members who help us achieve our daily goals, we may forget to thank someone else. Our bosses. For it is our bosses who support our requests for resources, who listen to our pleas of frustration, value our opinion when constructing new facilities, give us encour- agement when the going gets tough, and support our professional development by supporting our membership in the STMA. If they don't do any of these things, thank them anyway and maybe you'll catch them off guard, and they will contemplate sup- porting you in the future. I'd like to thank Ted Eisenreich, Paul Baniel, Russ Ball, Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy, and Mark Murphy for sup- porting our department over the years. Their support of our membership and involvement with the Sports Turf Managers Association has had a direct, positive impact on helping us achieve the best possible play- ing surface for the Green Bay Packers. My biggest thanks goes to my peers in this industry all across the different catego- ries that, regardless of their position, shed their egos in a genuine effort to help us become better at what we do. I am extremely grateful for all who have invested their time forming this association and creating the culture that exists today. This year when you turn in your invoice for your membership and registration to conference, remember to say "Thanks." Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. ■ ST PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE GIVE THANKS, EVEN TO THE BOSS 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 STMA Editorial Communications Committee Chairman: Sarah Martin, CSFM TJ Brewer, CSFM; Joe Churchill; Jim Cornelius, CSFM; Jeremy Driscoll; Cliff Driver, CSFM; Eric Fasbender, CSFM; Mark Frever, CSFM; Matt Hollan; Jamie Mehringer; Greg Petry; Jeff Salmond, CSFM; Troy Smith, CSFM; Scott Stevens; Dr. Joey Young 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 (845) 856-2229. 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.