John Kmitta Associate Publisher / Editorial Brand Director jkmitta @ epgacceleration. com 763-383-4405

The Sports Field Management Association( SFMA) held an in-person board meeting and strategic planning workshop in the Chicago area in May. The meeting focused on the future direction of the association and profession.

Discussions centered on the development of SFMA’ s strategic plan, organizational priorities, member value, and long-term sustainability. SFMA Past-President( 1994-95) Greg Petry served as facilitator for the strategic planning workshop, which was built upon insights gathered during the recent SFMA Listening Tour and member survey findings.

In addition to the strategic plan workshop, the board addressed association initiatives focused on future conference planning, expanded educational offerings, member engagement, industry partnerships, leadership development, and the longterm financial sustainability of SFMA.

The board also received updates from SFMA committees, special task forces and special interest groups— all of which continue to play an important role in advancing the mission and work of the association.

“ In-person meetings continue to provide tremendous value for our board as we work through complex topics and strategic decisions together,” said Paula Sliefert, CEO of SFMA.“ The collaborative discussions, relationship building, and focused planning time allowed us to make meaningful progress on the future direction of the organization and the services we provide to our members.”

The board of directors was also joined by special guest and local legend Ken Mrock, head groundskeeper of the Chicago Bears, a position he has held since 1987.

As a Chicago-area native myself, I too had the pleasure of joining the board of directors and its guests while they were in town. Having grown up as a Chicago Bears fan, it was hard not to geek out and ramble on to Ken about my local ties and my love for the Bears.

From games with my family and friends at Soldier Field to early summer mornings spent at Bears training camp( first with my father and now with my son), Ken and his crews created the canvas upon which my favorite team has played and my lifelong Bears memories were built. So, for his decades of hard work, I just want to say a belated“ thanks!”

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6 SportsField Management | June 2026 sportsfieldmanagementonline. com