President : Nick McKenna , CSFM

Immediate Past President : Jimmy Simpson , CSFM

President-Elect : James Bergdoll , CSFM

Secretary-Treasurer : Sun Roesslein , CSFM

Vice-President Commercial : Jeremy Bohonko

Professional Facilities : Nicole Sherry

Academic : Adam Thoms , Ph . D .

Higher Education : Clark Cox , CSFM

Parks & Recreation : Brad Thedens , CSFM

Schools K-12 : Jeremy Driscoll Commercial : Paula Sliefert

At-Large Elected : Scott Thompson , CSFM

At-Large Appointed : Alpha Jones , CSFM

STMA OFFICE P . O . Box 1673 Lawrence , KS 66044 Phone : 800-323-3875 Email : STMAinfo @ STMA . org www . STMA . org

STMA EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Chair : Brad Thedens , CSFM Technical Editor : Adam Thoms , Ph . D .

Rebecca Auchter , CSFM ; TJ Brewer , CSFM ; Joe Churchill ; Arthur Eddy ; Charles Goode ; Eric Harshman ; John Kmitta ; Cody McKee ; Kelly Rensel , CSFM ; Eric Roberts , CSFM ; David Schwandt ; Chase Straw , Ph . D .

Howdy STMA members , and Happy New Year ! As I sit here and write my last President ’ s Message , I ’ m reminded of a movie quote : “ Beginnings are often scary , endings are often sad , but it ’ s the middle that counts .” That pretty much sums up my year as your association president . The beginning of the year was a little scary knowing that I was now responsible for the leadership of this association . There was a lot to figure out coming off a challenging year that saw many of us with limited events , reduced staffing / budgets , and a handful of other unknowns that carried into 2021 . Fortunately , a lot of those worries were simplified by the phenomenal group of people that I get to share the board room with and our fantastic HQ staff ! One thing I ’ ve noticed through my years on the board is that even though the group continually changes , one thing that is constant is the commitment and dedication to our association and its members ! Being able to serve as the leader of that group and represent the entire membership for the past year has been the honor and privilege of my career , and I thank you all for that .

The sadness of an ending is limited for me in knowing that even though my time as president is drawing to a close , I still have the opportunity to continue serving you all for one more year as immediate past president .

However , as the quote says , the time between the beginning and end is what has truly counted , and is what I ’ ll cherish the most . Whether it was being a guest of the Brentsville Turfgrass Program on Tiger Turf Talk , attending a field day in Iowa , chatting with members at the SE Regional Sportsturf Conference , or getting the opportunity to work on the grounds crew for the MLB Field of Dreams Game , this past year will be one I ’ ll never forget !

As has become my habit , I ’ ll leave you with a quote one last time . Along the theme of beginnings and endings , C . S . Lewis once said , “ You can ’ t go back and change the beginning , but

you can start where you are and change the ending .” We are on the precipice of a new age as both an association and as a profession . While recognizing where we ’ ve been , we must look toward the future that we want to create and write our own ending ! Our brightest days are ahead , and I look forward to working with you all to write that story ! SFM

Nick McKenna , CSFM

Nick McKenna , CSFM STMA President nmckenna @ athletics . tamu . edu sportsfieldmanagementonline . com January 2022 | SportsField Management

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