EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S TURF A Bright Future for TPI

Casey Reynolds

While 2017 has already proven to be a momentous year with the 50th Anniversary Celebration, Jim Novak’s retirement after twelve years, a new TPI website and a new interactive TPI membership database, the future is only getting brighter for TPI with the addition of Casey Reynolds as the Executive Director and Karen Cooper as the Associate Executive Director. It has been a great honor to serve as the Interim Executive Director over the last 13 months and I am very excited to transition into a new era of leadership and collaboration.

The new TPI team assembled brings a rich and diverse skill set to the table. For Casey this has been a journey that began in 2011 when he managed the seed test plot program at the 2012 TPI Summer Convention & Field Day at Turf Mountain Sod in Hendersonville, NC. Casey recalls thinking at the time what a great day to be on a beautiful property surrounded by people with a passion for farming, service, and producing a crop that brings utility and enjoyment to so many people. Fast- forward five years, 1,200 miles, and a four year stop at Texas A&M University, and he will now be attending the next TPI summer program in New Brunswick, NJ as a member of the TPI family.

Casey put it best when he said “Sandy’s steady hand and extensive knowledge of TPI’s history and inner workings will allow Karen Cooper, the newly appointed associate executive director, and I the opportunity to focus on merging our previous work experience, strengths, and industry relationships into opportunities for us to make immediate contributions to TPI and its members. Initiatives on our short and long-term agenda include a new member benefits package, enhanced visibility through participation in industry events such as STMA, GIS and regional turfgrass shows throughout the country, increased collaboration with universities, a new website for The Lawn Institute including new marketing materials that promote turfgrass, and collaboration with allied associations and others.”

As we move forward into 2017 and beyond, the TPI staff ’s mission will continue to be to provide service and value to TPI members and to promote the use of natural turfgrasses and their benefits in urban environments. As Casey points out, “In 2008 for the

4 TPI Turf News July/August 2017 Sandy Reynolds

first time in human history the world’s population became evenly split between rural and urban environments. By 2050, the United Nations projects that this will likely shift even further where up to 66 percent of the world’s population could be living in urban environments, which means the addition of another 2.5 billion people. As this occurs, turfgrasses will continue to play an essential part of the success, comfort, health, and social well-being of millions of people living in urban environments, and we will work tirelessly on behalf of TPI and its members to secure their role.”

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, and we look forward to working with each of you on our shared mission. Here’s to another 50 years, and thanks for all you do!

Until next time,

Casey Reynolds, PhD Sandy Reynolds, CMP

As we move forward into 2017 and beyond, the TPI staff’s mission will continue to be to

provide service and value to TPI members and to promote the use of natural turfgrasses and their benefits in urban environments.