Association News

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OTF Elects 2008 Officers & Trustees

The Ohio Turfgrass Foundation elected its 2008 officers and trustees at its annual meeting. Officers elected to serve one-year terms include President Todd Voss, Vice President Dan Walter and Treasurer Joe Enciso. Elected to three-year terms were trustees Jason Straka and Doug Gallant. Also serving on the board of directors are Immediate Past President Mark Jordan, Executive Director Kevin Thompson, John Street, Mike Dietrich, Mark Grunkemeyer, Kim Kellogg and Don Lawrence.

Heart of America GCSA Donates to The Institute

The Heart of America Golf Course Superintendents Association continued its longtime support of The Environmental Institute for Golf with a $5,000 donation toward research and education to enhance golf’s relationship with the environment.

News From GCSAA

Aaron Johnsen, Brian Schwartz and Bradley Sladek have been awarded $5,000 postgraduate grants by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America as winners in the 2007 Watson Fellowship Program, which is funded by a partnership between the Toro Co. and The Environmental Institute for Golf. It is named after James R. Watson, a retired vice president for Toro and pioneer in turfgrass research. The winners have been identified as promising future teachers and researchers in the field of golf course management. Johnsen is working on a master’s degree in applied plant science with a turfgrass science emphasis at the University of Minnesota. Schwartz is pursuing a doctoral degree in turfgrass breeding at the University of Florida. Sladek is working on a master’s degree in turfgrass germplasm evaluation at Texas Tech University.

David S. Downing II was elected GCSAA president at the association’s annual meeting. Also elected were Mark D. Kuhns, vice president; James R. Fitzroy, secretary-treasurer; and Sanford G. Queen and Patrick R. Finlen, directors. Robert M. Randquist and Keith A. Ihms are both entering the second year of their terms as directors. Ricky D. Heine will serve as immediate past president. John J. O’Keefe was appointed to the board of directors, filling the remaining year of Fitzroy’s term.

The Iowa State University team of Adam Hebbel, Matt Hoffman, Shane Brockhoff and Brad Johnson won the 14th annual Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition. The Turf Bowl challenged students in areas of turfgrass growth and development, mathematics, turfgrass species and identification of soils, diseases, weeds and insects.

GCSAA CEO Steve Mona said farewell to the association after 14 years at the helm and will now serve as CEO of the World Golf Foundation.

DuPont and PBI/Gordon Corp. have pledged their support of the GCSAA and its members by committing to participate in the association’s Partner Recognition Program at the Silver level.

WTA Elects Biddick President

The Wisconsin Turfgrass Association has elected Dan Biddick to a three-year term as president. Biddick has been a board member for over five years. He is also vice president of the professional turf products division of Deer Creek Seed, Inc.

ASGCA Publishes Third Edition of Environmental Book

The environmental committee of the American Society of Golf Course Architects has published the third edition of “An Environmental Approach to Golf Course Development.” The first edition of the book was released in 1992 and was updated and republished in 1999. All three editions have been written and edited by environmental committee Chairman Bill Love.

The full-color, 57-page book includes background and instructions for anyone involved in the development of a new layout or the remodeling of an existing golf course.

Ed Combest and David Withers,
Ransomes/Jacobsen managing director.

Combest Receives Edwin Budding Award

Ed Combest was the first annual recipient of the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association’s Edwin Budding Award, sponsored by Ransomes/Jacobsen. Combest is a retired professor from Lake City Community College in Lake City, Fla.

ANLA Graduates GCU Class of 2008

The American Nursery & Landscape Association has graduated the 40-member Garden Center University class of 2008. Taught by Program Director Ian Baldwin, the two-year program is designed to train owners and managers to create a more profitable, efficient and customer-friendly garden center.

Brede Receives TPI Award

Doug Brede was the recipient of Turfgrass Producers International’s Innovator of the Year Award. Brede is a research director at Jacklin Seed in Post Falls, Idaho. Before joining Jacklin Seed in 1986, he was an associate professor of turfgrass management at Oklahoma State University. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Pennsylvania State University in turfgrass agronomy.

Doug Brede receives his award.

Kvasnak Named NTEA Manager

Kathleen M. Kvasnak has been named project and public relations manager for the National Truck Equipment Association. Kvasnak will be responsible for overseeing the association’s public relations activities and will serve as liaison with NTEA’s public relations agency.

Kvasnak has extensive experience in developing and implementing marketing communication and public relations campaigns and programs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with an emphasis in journalism, public relations and marketing from Wayne State University, and a master’s in advertising from Michigan State University.