EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S TURF Happy New Year
Casey Reynolds, PhD
Well, it’s official, 2025 is upon us! Often this time of year I find myself thinking through all of the things that occurred in 2024 with family, work, and life in general. Like many of us, it’s a good time of year to try to pause and think about all of the things I’ve been blessed with and am thankful for during the holidays. I also look back on the previous year and think about all the things we accomplished in 2024 and how fast it all flew by.
In addition to the usual TPI initiatives like conferences, Turf News, advocacy, TLI, and so on, we completed a new strategic plan, finalized our membership consultant work, updated our membership model, and built and launched a new membership database to incorporate it all. If you haven’t logged into our new membership database to see what it has to offer, please check out the article on pages 10-13 of this issue to see it first-hand. We’d love for all of our members to make the most of this new resource!
All of these initiatives, and others, are within TPI’s Mission, Vision, Core Values, and Goals as stated in our new strategic plan that we will unveil at TPI 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, and then post publicly on our website. As we go through 2025 and beyond, we hope you see that they are reflected in the new resources we’ve created and will continue to roll out to members.
Switching gears now to a few items a little more near-term. Te TPI 2025 International Education Conference & Field Day is right around the corner. Please consider joining us in San Antonio, TX, from February 9-13 for education, field day, lots of TLI fun, eight hot meals, and a private concert by Tracy Byrd! We really do hope to see you there.
Also, happening in early 2025 is the long-awaited referendum on the proposed U.S. Sod Checkoff Program. You can read more about that starting on page 46 of this issue as well as get detailed instructions on how to vote. If we ever want to fund research and promotion of natural grass on a large scale, this is certainly our opportunity to do it.
Finally, this is usually the part of my January/February Turf News Director’s Turf message where I thank our current board for their service and welcome the new board members to the team. While this year is no different, I also really want to say a special thank you to Geri Hannah for her many years of service to TPI. Geri is the smiling face and happy voice that TPI members have seen and heard for 14 years now. Te upcoming TPI 2025 conference in February will be her last event with us as she retires and moves to Australia to spend more time with her family. Please take a few minutes to read more about her journey on pages 16-17, and if you’re in Texas please be sure to visit with her before she retires.
For me personally, Geri has been the steady and reliable presence at TPI that I have always been able to count on. I’ve grown to know her personally and will miss her greatly. Geri, thanks for all you do! I think it is safe to say that the TPI staff, Board of Trustees, and members wish you all the best in this next, well-deserved chapter of life!
Cheers,
I thank our current board for their service and welcome the new board members to the team!
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@TheLawnInstitute TPI Turf News January/February 2025
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