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 .

“ We hold these truths to be self-evident , that all men are created equal , that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights , that among these are Life , Liberty , and the pursuit of Happiness ”

Howdy STMA members ! As I begin this July message , in homage to Independence Day , I felt it appropriate to begin with those famous words from the Declaration of Independence . As I read those words , I am reminded that the freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis are not given , but must be earned ; and I hope we all remember that as we celebrate this month .

I recently returned from a trip to Iowa during which I got to attend the first in-person event that the Iowa STMA chapter has held in more than a year . Let me just say how refreshing it was to once again spend a day with fellow sports field professionals , sharing knowledge and experiences with one another . One major topic of discussion from the event was the current labor shortage that many of us in the turfgrass industry are starting to experience . Unfortunately , there is no quick fix to this issue , and STMA recognizes this is a challenge to many of our members . We are working to develop as many helpful solutions as we can , but we can ’ t do it alone . To truly be successful combatting this issue , it will take a grassroots effort ; and we all must actively seek opportunities to spread the message of the sports field management industry to anyone who will listen ( i . e ., elementary schools , sports teams , city councils , parent / teacher associations , etc .). If we truly want to make an impact on our industry , we must live the words of Mahatma Gandhi and , “ Be the change you wish to see in the world .”

As chapters resume activities throughout the country , I can ’ t wait for our members to share and learn from each other . Speaking of learning and sharing , I encourage you to

start making plans now to attend our annual STMA Conference and Exhibition , scheduled to take place in Savannah , Ga ., January 17-20 , 2022 . The conference will feature 45 speakers , leading 39 educational sessions , covering nine different tracks . Additionally , we will have our full trade show , welcome reception , student challenge , and awards banquet — pretty much everything we have come to know and expect from our annual conference ! I hope to see you all there ! SFM

Nick McKenna , CSFM

Nick McKenna , CSFM STMA President nmckenna @ athletics . tamu . edu sportsfieldmanagementonline . com July 2021 | SportsField Management

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