Officers

President : Sun Roesslein , CSFM

President Elect : Adam Thoms , Ph . D .

Secretary-Treasurer : Alpha Jones , CSFM

Vice President Commercial : Erin Boyd Wilder

Directors

Academic : Chase Straw , Ph . D .

At-Large ( elected ): Kyle Patterson

At-Large ( appointed ): Lee Van Meeteren

Commercial : Warren Gorrowitz

Higher Education : Casey Carrick , CSFM

Parks and Recreation : Zack Holm , CSFM

Professional Facilities : Dan Farnes

Schools K-12 : Jeremy Driscoll , CSFM

SFMA OFFICE P . O . Box 1673 Lawrence , KS 66044 Phone : 800-323-3875 Email : SFMAInfo @ SportsFieldManagement . org www . sportsfieldmanagement . org

SFMA EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Chair : Brad Thedens , CSFM Vice Chair : TJ Brewer , CSFM Board Liaison : Chase Straw , Ph . D . Members : Matthew Arms , CSFM ; Joe Churchill ; Cliff Driver , CSFM ; Kate Garassino ; Rebecca Knapp , CSFM ; and Tony Koski .

Season ’ s Greetings , SFMA !

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Women ’ s Leadership Academy , put on by our friends at the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America ( GCSAA ). There were several great takeaways — one of which lines up really well with one of SFMA ’ s strategic pillars , and it is empowering our future .

The strategic pillar that we have adopted is to “ Grow the organization by focusing on integrating the next generation into positions that will ultimately lead to the sports field manager .”

At the Women ’ s Leadership Academy , emphasis was placed on mentorship , sponsorship and support for future generations . Did you know SFMA launched a structured mentorship program following our 2024 conference ? Thirty people are participating in the inaugural program . I can ’ t wait to see how those relationships build and benefit all participants in the future then , in turn , help to grow our organization . As work slows a bit during the winter , please consider joining the mentorship program next year to help empower the future of SFMA .

While most of our events — from the annual conference to volunteer opportunities — could not happen without sponsor partners , this particular kind of sponsor is the person who supports you when you aren ’ t in the room . Who is standing up for you , backing your expertise and raving about your passion when they are in meetings ? I fully believe that having a sponsor or two ( or more ) will not only enhance your career but also garner respect for your expertise .

It ’ s quite possible that your sponsor or mentor will advocate on your behalf in their meetings with others , or even recommend that you be consulted on the topic at hand . The opportunity to build relationships that evolve to sponsorships is a big part of the

SFMA annual conference in January . Registration is open , and early bird pricing ends December 15 . Be sure to sign up early to beat the price increase .

I truly hope you enjoy your holiday season . Take good care of yourself this month ! SFM

Sun Roesslein , CSFM

Sun Roesslein , CSFM SFMA President Sun . Roesslein @ jeffco . k12 . co . us sportsfieldmanagementonline . com December 2024 | SportsField Management

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