TPI MEMBERS AMONG SFMA HONOREES


Te long and mutually-beneficial relationship between Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) and the Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) continues to grow. TPI members supply much of the natural turfgrass for the fields that SFMA members maintain. A safe, playable, and aesthetically pleasing field is their shared goal.


Te strength of that relationship was highlighted recently when Erin Boyd Wilder, Executive Director of Business & Professional Development for TPI member Sod Solutions, was elected to the SFMA Board in the position of Commercial Director. And it was further acknowledged when TPI member Chad Price, CSFM, CFB, of Carolina Green Corp., was the recipient of the Harry C. Gill Founders Award. In addition, Dr. Cale Bigelow of Purdue University, who provides “Rooted in Research” articles for Turf News, was the recipient of the Dr. William H. Daniel Founders Award.


SFMA Announces 2023 Board of


Directors SFMA, the non-profit, professional association comprised of 2,700 men and women professionals overseeing sports fields worldwide and critical to athletes’ safety—recently confirmed its 2023 Board of Directors.


Sun Roesslein, Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM), was elected President and will serve a two-year term. She currently serves as the Sports Stadium Manager at the North Area Athletic Complex (NAAC), Jeffco Schools (Golden, CO), a position she has held for 17 years.


Other 2023 officers include: Immediate Past President – James Bergdoll, CSFM, CPRP; President-Elect – Nick McKenna, CSFM, Assistant Athletic Field Manager, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX); Vice President - Commercial – Paula Sliefert, Senior Manager - Commercial Business, Te Toro Company (Bloomington, MN); and Secretary/Treasurer – Adam Toms, PhD, Assistant Professor of Commercial Turfgrass, Iowa State University (Ames, IA).


Additional directors: Academic Director – Chase Straw, PhD, Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Management and Physiology, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX); Appointed Director At-Large – Zachary Holm, CSFM, Turf Care Manager, Central Park Conservancy (New York, NY); Commercial Director – Erin Boyd Wilder, Executive Director of Business & Professional Development, Sod Solutions (Tallahassee, FL); Elected Director At- Large – Ryan DeMay, CSFM, Owner/Principal, Field Source Consulting (Columbus, OH); Higher Education Director – Jason DeMink, CSFM, Sports Turf Specialist, University of Michigan Athletic Dept. (Ann Arbor, MI);


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Parks & Recreation Director – Jason Bowers, CSFM, Sports Turf Supervisor, Cabin John Regional Athletic Area (Montgomery County, MD); Professional Facilities Director – Alpha Jones, CSFM, Director of Field Operations, Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Fayetteville, NC); Schools K-12 Director – Jeremy Driscoll, CSFM, Grounds Supervisor, St. Mark’s High School (Wilmington, DL).


Te Sports Field Management Association conducts its annual elections electronically in late November and the Board officially takes office during the Conference & Exhibition each January. SFMA also recently announced the appointment of Laura Simmons, CAE, as CEO, a role where she will lead the association's growth initiatives and execute its strategic plan.


SFMA Founders’ Award Recipients Announced


SFMA’s four founders, George Toma, Dick Ericson, Dr. William Daniel, and Harry Gill, each have an award named after them. (Te association, founded as the Sports Turf Managers Association [STMA], was rebranded as the Sports Field Management Association in 2022.) Te criterion for each award differs; the intent is to recognize the individual characteristics of these men in each winner. Tese are surprise awards, announced during the Awards Banquet, held on the last day of the SFMA Conference & Exhibition which, in 2023, was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, January 16-19.


Dick Ericson served as SFMA’s first President from 1981- 1982. He had an impact in raising the level of professionalism within the industry. Te Ericson Award recognizes a member who effectively manages sports fields and their facility and exhibits the qualities of a true team leader. It was presented to Weston Appelfeller, CSFM, Austin FC.


Dr. William Daniel set the pattern for educator/researcher involvement in SFMA. Te partnership between educators and researchers and the sports field managers who incorporate these advances in on-the-field applications is key to the progress of the industry. Te Daniel Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the industry through research, teaching or extension. It was presented to Dr. Cale Bigelow, Purdue University.


George Toma continues to serve as a mentor for many in the sports field industry. He always emphasizes the importance of the entire crew in effective sports field management. George’s motto is ‘if you love what you do and give it your all – ‘and then some’ you can achieve your goals.” Te George Toma Golden Rake Award validates the ‘and then some’ attitude of an SFMA member in “on the


TPI Turf News March/April 2023


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