SFMA will offer post-conference virtual education on Tuesdays in February and early March 2026. The lineup is as follows:
2 – 3 p.m. | Importance of the Right Foundation: Principles of Athletic Field Rootzone Design and Maintenance — Speaker: Joshua Marden, CSFM.
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. | Water Quality and Lack Thereof — Speaker: Marco Schiavon, Ph.D.
2 – 3 p.m. | What is Nanotechnology and How Can it Help My Sports Fields? — Speaker: Geoff Rinehart, MS.
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. | Soil Health of Sports Fields: Are Pesticides and Fertilizers Killing our Soils? — Speaker: Bryan Hopkins, Ph.D.
2 – 3 p.m. | Cool-Season Turfgrasses for Reduced-Input Grounds and Sports Fields — Speaker: Brad Park.
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. | Relationship Goals: How to Improve the
Success of Your Sports Field by Communication — Speaker: Keith Fisher.
2 – 3 p.m. | Budgeting Fundamentals: Knowing What Goes Where and How — Speaker: Brad Jakubowski, MS, CIT.
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. | How to Plan Athletic Field Management for an Effective Integrated Pest Management Plan — Speaker: Amanda Folck, MS,
For more information, visit https://www.sportsfieldmanagement.org/2026-sfma-conference-education/
On the latest episode of the SportsField Management Podcast, SportsField Management magazine Editor John Kmitta visited with Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) leadership.
SFMA CEO Paula Sliefert, SFMA Immediate Past President Adam Thoms, Ph.D., and SFMA President Alpha Jones, CSFM, shared insight based on the SFMA listening tour, the state of the association and an overview of upcoming initiatives.
Listen wherever your favorite podcasts are found.
The 2026 Iowa Turfgrass Institute (ITI) conference and trade show will be held February 10-12, 2026, at the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport Conference Center.
Iowa’s premier education and networking opportunity for the turfgrass industry will welcome more than 750 turfgrass professionals, more than 70 exhibiting companies and will feature more than 20 education sessions.
Featured speakers include Kyley Dickson, Ph.D.; Matt Fleetwood, Ph.D.; Tom Gould; Paul Hurst and Gregg Munshaw, Ph.D.
Additional speakers include Matt Anderson; Shawn Buckner; Christian Baldwin; Kris Baldwin; Brian Dornsbach; Jeff Iles, Ph.D.; Holly Espenhover; Quincy Law, Ph.D.; Tami Madsen; Jake Newman; Rob Sikma; Paula Sliefert; Alex Stuedemann; Adam Thoms, Ph.D.; Kristine Tidgren and Dane Wilson.
For more information, visit https://www.iowaturfgrass.org/conference
The 2026 New England Regional Turfgrass Conference will be held March 3-5, 2026, at the Rhode
Island Convention Center, Providence, Rhode Island.
The event will feature education sessions, a conference reception, a sports turf seminar, trade show and more. To learn more about the show, visit
https://www.nertf.org/
Erin Wolfram, who brings 15 years of experience in the careers services profession, was named director of First Green and workforce development for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).
In her role, Wolfram will lead the execution of the initiatives focused on enabling current members to continue to grow their careers, providing programs to find and retain skilled employees and increasing interest in turfgrass management careers. At the center of these efforts is GCSAA’s First Green STEAM-education program.
Wolfram is a familiar face to many GCSAA members, whom she has supported through individualized career coaching and job search services as the owner of Career Advantage Golf since July 2020. She takes over the director of First Green and workforce development position from Leann Cooper, who was recently promoted to senior director, member programs.
Wolfram most recently served as program director for the University of Kansas Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. She holds two master’s degrees from the University of Kansas in educational technology and counseling psychology. Wolfram earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Kansas State University.
“After working with hundreds of GCSAA members through Career Advantage Golf, I am excited to transition into a full-time role at GCSAA,” Wolfram said. “I am looking forward to strengthening the relationships I already have with members and continuing to help them and the industry grow while applying skills and knowledge from teaching, career services and program management.”