EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S TURF The 2018 NEW Membership Year Commencement
Casey Reynolds, PhD
Commencement... Ask any college or high school graduate what that term means, and you will get descriptions of graduation ceremonies, hats thrown in the air, and after-hours parties. Ask any of their parents and you may get different descriptions of empty-nests, college tuition bills, and late-night worries. However, while that term often means “a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are conferred,” it also means “a new beginning or start.” As a result, while writing this article not long after college and high school commencement ceremonies around the world have recently occurred, I am also thinking about the commencement, or beginning, of a new 2018 Membership Year for TPI.
Te short membership year from July 1 to December 31, 2018, has already seen the beginning of many of the items that were mentioned in the May/June edition of Turf News. Tese include TPI’s new consumer and market research for its public relations and media campaign, which began in June. TPI has retained FleishmanHillard, an award- winning, globally-recognized public relations firm to begin market and consumer research on the value of natural turfgrasses. Tis work is already underway and includes activity on the research and strategic positioning of natural turfgrass; brand narrative development; additions to the TPI Member-Only toolkit; social media audits; and more. We are very excited about this new relationship with FleishmanHillard and can’t wait to put new resources in the hands of our members. Look for much of this research to be completed by the end of 2018 and ready for presentation and use at the TPI 2019 International Education Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.
As well as the beginning of the public relations campaign, new additions to the TPI Member-Only Toolkit are almost complete, including brochures on Turfgrass Fertilization and Measuring for New Sod, which will both be available this month. Also, newly funded 2018 TLI research projects from the TLI Research Committee Meeting and TLI Auction in Tucson are underway. Tey include projects from Rutgers University, Te University of Missouri, Texas A&M University, Mississippi State University, and Te University of California, Riverside.
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Tese research projects will be gathering information on harvest aids for improved turfgrass shelf life and transplanting, turfgrass water use, environmental impacts of turfgrass removal, and turfgrass’ cooling effects in urban areas. Another project that was funded is the production of a 120-plus page book on Turfgrass Weed, Insect, and Disease Control for TPI Members Only. So, be sure to keep an eye out for more information in 2018 as these projects have officially launched!
Last, but not least, 2018 TPI Membership Renewals have officially been mailed. TPI members will notice that these dues are pro-rated for the short, 6-month fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. As always, we appreciate your commitment and support of TPI and the many initiatives that are underway to promote natural turfgrasses and the industry that we all hold so dear. As we think about the recent spring and summer commencements that occurred, let us not overlook the other use of that term in the commencement or beginning of an exciting 2018 TPI Membership Year. We look forward to serving you!
Cheers,
Commencement... “a new beginning or start.”
Turfgrass Producers International: @TPITurfTalk The Lawn Institute: @TLIhealthylawns
TPI Turf News July/August 2018
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