“ The organization clearly has a strong foundation , and I felt there are a lot of possibilities and opportunities for me to build upon that . It ’ s a strong organization , and I am excited to be a part of it .”
PROFILE
and invest back into the industry really spoke to me . And the focus on safety was a key factor . The organization clearly has a strong foundation , and I felt there are a lot of possibilities and opportunities for me to build upon that . It ’ s a strong organization , and I am excited to be a part of it .
SFM : What was the interview process like for you , and what did you learn about SFMA and its members throughout that process ? SIMMONS : Really , it was the exclamation point for me on wanting the position . The job description caught my attention , and I did my research before I even applied . But it was meeting the people on the search committee – current leaders , past leaders , and some who have not yet become SFMA leaders – and hearing their passion and excitement . Even when they had concerns , it was never negative ; it was “ What can we do better ?” and “ How can we grow ?” It was great to be able to just have a conversation and connect . I was able to do that by Zoom , but once we met in person , I was like , “ Yes , these are my people . I am ready to go .” It was really the final “ yes ” for me .
SFM : You spoke about the diversity of tasks you have to manage in this role . What are the keys to prioritizing all the things that need to be done as CEO ? SIMMONS : The key for me is that I still have a lot to learn , so I have to get in and get started immediately . But I am already working on some transitional tasks and setting priorities . I will start getting up to speed on where the staff is with projects and what I can do to support them . With conference coming up , I know they are super busy . So , I need to support them at this point , and then once we are past conference I need to do a deeper dive into who is doing what , and do our own internal SWOT analysis to determine what is working in our operation and what is not . How can we better support our members ? How can we better support the foundation ? There is a wealth of knowledge on this team , and I want to make sure they have the opportunity to voice their thoughts and opinions about the future of the organization .
SFM : What are you most excited about in the new role ? SIMMONS : Meeting the members . That is one of my top priorities . The timing is perfect with the conference coming up , as I will get to meet a lot of them . But the other thing I really want to do is reach out and do tours of some fields and facilities to get myself more ingrained . I am planning to take the Sports Field Management 101 course we offer , but doing that
“ The organization clearly has a strong foundation , and I felt there are a lot of possibilities and opportunities for me to build upon that . It ’ s a strong organization , and I am excited to be a part of it .”
– LAURA SIMMONS , CAE
versus seeing a team in action is much different . I want to get out and see members and make sure I have a comfortable understanding of the industry . I need to have a full understanding to help me do the best I can when developing new programs and building respect for the profession .
SFM : What are your initial goals or vision for SFMA ? SIMMONS : To step back into the strategic plan . I know it was developed it in 2021 , and with the former CEO ’ s departure , some of it got put on hold . So , to step back into that with James [ Bergdoll ], Sun [ Roesslein ] and the rest of the board to get that process going again , reevaluate it , and determine next steps and make sure we are in a good place to attain those goals . That is my top priority .
SFM : Can you tell us a bit about yourself outside of work ? SIMMONS : I have been married for 30 years , we have two adult children and two dogs . We live in a small town south of Kansas City . It is a great little community , and it is a nice break away from the city . We love the outdoors , and we have a little bit of land . We enjoy gardening and canning ; I make a great salsa . I am an avid reader , and love to immerse myself in a good book .
SFM : Is there anything you would like to add ? SIMMONS : I am really excited to get to know the members , and to dive in and work with this great team that we have . I look forward to doing the best we can to implement the strategic plan and really build upon the great foundation that is already in place . I am very excited to get started .
12 SportsField Management | January 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com