Officers

President : Sun Roesslein , CSFM

Immediate Past President : James Bergdoll , CSFM , CPRP

President Elect : Nick McKenna , CSFM

Secretary-Treasurer : Adam Thoms , Ph . D .

Vice President Commercial : Paula Sliefert

Directors

Academic : Chase Straw , Ph . D .

At-Large ( elected ): Ryan DeMay , CSFM

At-Large ( appointed ): Zachary Holm , CSFM

Commercial : Erin Boyd Wilder

Higher Education : Jason DeMink , CSFM

Parks and Recreation : Jason Bowers , CSFM

Professional Facilities : Alpha Jones , CSFM

Schools K-12 : Jeremy Driscoll , CSFM

SFMA OFFICE P . O . Box 1673 Lawrence , KS 66044 Phone : 800-323-3875 Email : SFMAInfo @ SportsFieldManagement . org www . sportsfieldmanagement . org

SFMA EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Chair : Brad Thedens , CSFM Board Liaison : Chase Straw , Ph . D . Members : Matthew Arms , CSFM ; Philip Braselton ; TJ Brewer , CSFM ; Joe Churchill ; Forrest Jammer ; John Kmitta ; and David Schwandt .

The partnership between SFMA and our 34 chapters is priceless . We share a common goal of serving our members and the sports field management profession to the best of our ability . We ’ ve all heard that TEAM means Together Everyone Achieves More . And that truly fits the roles that chapters and the national association play .

Chapters provide local support and often provide more personal interaction and engagement opportunities for members in their area . They serve as regional channels of information to current and future sports field management professionals . Some of the key functions that chapters provide include :

Sharing information on services , programs , publications , and events that the chapters and SFMA provide .

Providing expertise , particularly region-specific knowledge .

Educating and developing professionals . Recruiting members . Engaging and connecting members through local programs .

Developing leaders through chapter opportunities and enhancing essential skills .

Advocating for the profession and the association through direct contact with stakeholders and end users .

Listening to and conveying trends and potential issues to SFMA .

A successful relationship between a chapter and the national association is reciprocal and mutually beneficial .

The chapter relies on the resources and support of the association for operations , while national benefits from the local or regional knowledge and expertise of the chapter . When the relationship is working well , both entities benefit .

SFMA ’ s Board of Directors and Chapter Relations Committee are committed to the ongoing enhancement and support of this partnership . The committee , chaired by Jason Bowers , CSFM , is working to provide more resources for local chapter leaders . Marketing and information templates will be created , social media support has been increased , a solid program for the COTS ( Chapter Officer Training Session ) is in development , Town Hall meetings for education and networking have been launched , and chapter information will be made readily available at the 2024 Conference & Exhibition to help

attendees connect with a chapter in their region . We have also streamlined some processes for chapters — such as providing an online form for submitting events to be posted on the SFMA website for all to see and access .

If you are not a member of your regional chapter , I strongly encourage you to consider it . This is a great way to expand your network , share and gain knowledge and increase your expertise . SFM

Laura H . Simmons , MBA , CAE SFMA Chief Executive Officer LSimmons @ Sportsfieldmanagement . org

Laura Simmons , MBA , CAE sportsfieldmanagementonline . com September 2023 | SportsField Management

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