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/621615
28 SportsTurf | January 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com THE SPORTSTURF INTERVIEW: KIM HECK THE INTERVIEW SPORTSTURF: Your being hired by STMA signaled a leap into the "big leagues" for the association; what factors did you consider when deciding whether to take the job? HECK: I was really excited about all of the possibilities for STMA. The STMA Board was working so hard to move the association forward. To have their confidence that I could exe- cute their vision was energizing, and I couldn't turn that down. In some associations the Board second guesses and micro- manages the CEO and staff. I knew that wouldn't happen at STMA. I knew I would be given the leeway to do my job and there was a commitment to providing the resources I needed. Another factor that was important to me was being able to re- establish the headquarters in my hometown of Lawrence, KS. I still had kids in high school. SPORTSTURF: What experiences in your career prepared you to take over leadership of a national organization? HECK: Being in a high position at the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America really helped to pre- pare me for CEO at STMA. I had great role models there in CEO Steve Mona and COO Joe O'Brien. Just about everything I've done in my career is useful, though. My background in marketing and advertising really helps, especially since we are a small-staffed association. Many of the programs that we provide need these skills. I worked for one of the fastest growing companies in the US, as defined byInc. Magazine. I was employee number 12 when I joined and when the company was sold 5 years later, it had 3,500 employees. You can imagine the changes that organization went through. The word "fast-paced" does not come close to describ- ing that environment! It was really great prep for non-profit work because although our pace may not be as frenetic, an asso- ciation exec really has a lot of balls to keep in the air at one time. There are always experiences that make you uncomfortable, and those, too, are great prep for leading an association. One comes to mind: I was in the advertising business and meeting with a client who asked me in front of a huge group of people to give my next pitch in my swimsuit—these situations really help hone your diplomacy skills. SPORTSTURF: When you started the job how did you come to understand all aspects of the industry? HECK: I had basic knowledge of the green industry, and spe- cifically the golf course superintendents' roles and challenges. Sports turf management definitely has similarities, but has vast differences, too. I read a lot and listened hard to my Committees and Board members and asked a lot of questions. Many were quite dumb, I'm sure. I am often asked to give interviews by Buffalo Communications, our public relations firm. I always make it clear that I can speak about STMA and its vision, but that for questions on field management practices and technologies, I will find an expert to provide comments. I would certainly not be credible speaking to those subjects without a formal education in turfgrass science or experience as a field manager. Editor's note: This month in "The SportsTurf Interview," we feature Kim Heck, CEO of the Sports Turf Managers Association. Kim Heck, CEO of STMA