PROFILE
Advocating for parks on Capitol Hill
From the beginning of the interview process, Sliefert was open with SFMA leadership about her role as executive director of the Professional Football Field Managers Alliance( PFFMA), a part-time consultant position she took on beginning in March of 2025, and a role she plans to continue moving forward.
At PFFMA, Sliefert is responsible for leading the organization’ s overall operations, and aligning its strategies and initiatives with its mission, vision and goals set forth by its board.
“ I ' m there to serve,” said Sliefert.“ That is a part-time role, and they recognized that they needed somebody to help them get to where they wanted to go.”
Sliefert plans to keep the business portions of both roles separate, and both organizations are aware of how she plans to serve their respective interests.
“ I couldn ' t have been more transparent with either organization of how I was going to do this,” she said.“ They both value the skill set that I can bring. I know how to get things done and I ' m a connector.”
According to Sliefert, her ability to facilitate connections is a key trait that she brings to her new role as SFMA CEO.
“ We can be bigger, and I can help us get there through collaboration and memorandums of understanding,” she said.“ You have to leverage the value you have, but you can ' t do it alone. You have to do it through partnerships and discussions.
“ Our goal is to become the leading knowledge resource for sports field managers,” she said.“ We ' re not there yet, but with the right strategy in place, I believe we can get there.”
SERVICE TO OTHERS Sliefert has a long history of giving back through volunteerism, including serving on the alumni board for Simpson College, the executive board for City Parks Alliance, the board of directors for the Minnesota sportsfieldmanagementonline. com July 2025 | SportsField Management
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