FTMI FTMI
The 2017 AGCSA Future Turf Managers’ Initiative will see 20 aspiring Australian and New Zealand superintendents converge on the Sunshine Coast as part of the 33rd Australian Turfgrass Conference
T FTMI Class of 2017
In just its second year, the AGCSA Future Turf Managers’ Initiative, presented in conjunction with Gold Partner Jacobsen, has had an unprecedented response. ATM profiles this year’s successful candidates who will converge on Twin Waters in late June.
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he success of any mentoring programme can be measured by how its participants have gone on to further themselves by taking the skills learnt and applying them in the real world. If last year’s AGCSA Future Turf Managers’ Initiative (FTMI) is any indication, its remit to help foster emerging course superintendents and boost their career prospects has more than been realised. At the 2016 Australian Turfgrass Conference, 13 candidates ranging from foremen, assistant superintendents and one regional superintendent, gathered in Melbourne for the AGCSA’s inaugural FTMI, presented in conjunction with Gold Partner Jacobsen. Over the course of two days the candidates were immersed in a range of conference sessions, forums and networking opportunities with a strong focus on management, budgeting, communications skills and interview techniques to assist them as they progress through their careers and up the course management chain. In the months following last year’s FTMI, three candidates did indeed take the next step. Kirsty Herring was appointed superintendent at Katherine Golf Club in the Northern Territory after being assistant at Kalgoorlie Golf Club for a period. Rowan Daymond moved from his role as assistant superintendent at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide to take on his first superintendent role at Murray Downs Golf and Country Club, while most recently Nick Marino left Club Mandalay to assume the role of superintendent at the nine-hole Royal Park Golf Club in the heart of Melbourne. Jacobsen has run the FTMI programme in four different countries and the success of past attendees, like the trio just mentioned, has meant that the initiative has quickly taken off around the world. However, the AGCSA and Jacobsen didn’t quite expect the number of applications to come flooding in when it was announced the FTMI was returning for a second year as part of the 33rd
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Australian Turfgrass Conference. Over 30 applied this year and such was the calibre of applications that the AGCSA and Jacobsen agreed to increase the number of successful applicants to 15. “The inaugural FTMI was a huge success, and we are confident that this year will be a continuation of the positive energy and experiences that last year’s delegates enjoyed,” says Karen Proctor, Jacobsen’s international marketing and communications manager. “The standard of this year’s applications was exceptionally high and short-listing just 20 delegates was very difficult. I was particularly impressed with the enthusiasm that shone through from everyone that applied. There is clearly an incredible amount of talent Down Under and I look forward to working with the successful candidates. “I would encourage those that just missed out to re-apply next year and continue to gain as much experience as possible in the interim. The application process was particularly competitive this year, but we thank everyone who took the time to apply and we look forward to welcoming more FTMI delegates to our ever growing family.” This year’s FTMI features a veritable United Nations flavour and in addition to the 15 Australian candidates, one of whom hails originally from the US and a couple who are from the UK, the AGCSA FTMI welcomes five New Zealand Golf Course Superintendents Association candidates who will make the journey from across the Tasman. This year’s group will again be joined by superintendent mentors who will help to guide them through the sessions and impart some wisdom from their years at the coalface. This year’s mentors are John Spraggs (Royal Wellington GC, NZ), Travis Scott (Riversdale GC, Vic), Leon Hennessy (Cromer GC, NSW) and Ben Tilley (Headland GC, Qld). The AGCSA and Jacobsen congratulate the following members of the FTMI Class of 2017...