PRESIDENT’S TURF Turfgrass Sod Family and Friends,

2016-2017 TPI Board of Trustees

Linda Pittillo Bradley

IT was FABULOUS and I am INSPIRED! Tanks to all of you who attended and made this celebration better than we dreamed. I certainly hope you all feel the same as I do. I felt like I was trying to take a sip from the irrigation hydrant. Someone said that’s exactly what we wanted; it means it was a successful conference. Next issue will feature photos and articles from our 50th Celebration!

What do you do with what you’ve just learned at the conference? I enjoy sharing my newly gained knowledge with as many people as possible. Tat way, they can process and ‘chew’ on it as well. Talk about what you’ve learned with your spouse and children at the dinner table. Give a report to your entire staff. Or invite them to review a session with you. With the Turfgrass Educational Center on our TPI website, every member can have access to the conference presentations. Ten ask your staff to consider how to put this knowledge to work in your business, and in their lives, and plan a meeting later to share those ideas. Make sure you continue to increase the value gained at the conference.

Te new logo is impressive. I’d like to recognize and express gratitude to Sod Solutions for allowing their marketing team to develop and submit several logos. Our new logo accurately says who we are—producers, vendors, installers, educators, etc.—all supporters of Natural Grass.

I am extremely grateful for Ms. Sandy Reynolds. She, along with her staff at Meetings and Events USA, and our TPI staff, organized a very successful 50th Celebration, as she continues to serve as our Interim Executive Director. Many people have asked how I feel about not having an Executive Director yet. I can easily say that we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last year at this time. We are blessed that our staff has taken on extra duties to ensure TPI’s success. If you talk to Sandy, Jim or Geri, please be sure to say “Tank You!” Also please be in prayer for your executive director search committee as we continue to seek our next leader.

Congratulations to our award recipients: Ken Ensor, Ray Weekly, Bob Weerts, Michelle Williams, Dr. William Meyer and Dr. Clint Waltz. We are indebted to each of them for making TPI stronger. We are thankful to all of our members and look forward to making TPI an even healthier organization moving forward.

Don’t forget the millennial generation will outspend the baby boomers this year. Are you ready? Is your farm “Uber” ready? Go online, view the education sessions for all you might need to know. Keep learning! Sign up today for our joint summer meeting with the International Turfgrass Research Conference. Enjoy the spring and have a glorious Easter with your families!

Blessings,

Officers President Linda Pittillo Bradley Turf Mountain Sod, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-828-685-3642 turfmountain@bellsouth.net

Vice President Jimmy Fox Evergreen Turf, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-480-456-1199 jimmy@evergreenturf.com

Secretary-Treasurer Eric Heuver Eagle Lake Professional Landscape Supply – CANADA +1-403-235-8873 eric@eaglelakelandscape.com

Past President Will Nugent Bethel Farms – U.S.A. +1-863-494-3057 willnugent@bethelfarms.com

Interim Executive Director Sandy Reynolds Turfgrass Producers International – U.S.A. +1-847-649-5555 sreynolds@TurfGrassSod.org

Trustees John Coombs, Sr. Coombs Sod Farms, LLC – U.S.A. +1-856-358-4763 jhc@coombsfarms.com

Hugh Dampney ECO Turf – ENGLAND +44 1202 572 166 hugh.dampney@parleycourt.co.uk

Steve Griffen Saratoga Sod Farm, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-518-664-5038 steve@saratogasod.com

Randy Jasperson Jasperson Sod Farm – U.S.A. +1-262-835-2826 rj@jaspersonsod.com

Hank Kerfoot Modern Turf – U.S.A. +1-803-713-8873 hank@modernturf.com

Mark Tribbett JB Instant Lawn, Inc. - U.S.A. +1-503-581-7823 mark@jbinstantlawn.net

Tim Wollesen Sales Midwest, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-913-254-9560 tim@salesmidwest.com

Legal Counsel Monte B. Lake CJ Lake 525 Ninth Street, NW- Suite 800 Washington, DC – U.S.A. +1-202-789-8644

Science Advisor Dr. James B Beard International Sports Turf Institute College Station, Texas – U.S.A. +1-979-693-4066 isti@neo.tamu.edu

2 TPI Turf News March/April 2017