FOREWORD THINKING FOREWORD THINKING
BRETT BALLOCH, PRESIDENT, AGCSA
New era as AGCSA farewells Frewin, welcomes Wood
I
t has certainly been an interesting few months for the AGCSA and as I am sure most of the industry will be aware the association now has a new chief executive officer. On 19 September the AGCSA Board announced that Craig Wood had accepted the role following the departure of former CEO Peter Frewin in mid-August. Let me start by saying a big thank you to Peter for his tireless efforts during his near five years with the AGCSA. He has left the association in excellent shape and this is in no small part due to his love for the AGCSA and the industry as a whole. Peter left to take on a newly created role with Rain Bird Australia and we wish him all the very best in his new endeavours and thank him sincerely for all his hard work during his time at the AGCSA. Craig’s appointment as CEO follows an extensive procurement process and it was his zest for the position and positive ideas on moving the association forward that really came to the fore during his interview and struck a chord with the AGCSA Board. Craig comes to the AGCSA with an extensive background in senior management positions with Bayer Crop Science, Boddingtons Australia, ACTA and FMC Australasia, all companies that have involvement with pest control within the turf and agricultural industries. Craig started his new role with the AGCSA on Monday 3 October and we look forward to a very exciting next phase of our great association with him at the helm.
AGCSA
CONFERENCES The AGCSA Board recently attended the TGCSA Conference and Trade Show held in conjunction with STA Tasmania at Barnbougle Lost Farm, during which time we also held our quarterly Board meeting. This is the second year that the Board has
|
4
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 18.5
|
ventured to support the states holding their smaller conferences around the country (we were in Western Australia last year). We have found it beneficial to be able to have some face-to-face time with the state committees and members while also offering our support by providing speakers if required. Lost Farm has a magnificent clubhouse but in a ‘back-to-our-roots’ couple of days the conference and trade show was held in superintendent Phil Hill’s new maintenance facility. It was pleasing to see near 100 people in attendance and every one of them were very happy to see a number of patio heaters discreetly positioned throughout the shed, even if the weather was balmy by Tasmanian standards! On the national front, feedback has been collated from the 2016 Melbourne conference with a very pleasing large amount of surveys received from both delegates and exhibitors. Overall results were excellent and it comes as no surprise that Dr Frank Rossi was the standout presenter. Comments received from these surveys are used to investigate ways of improving future conferences. Planning is well under way for next year at Twin Waters and if any member who did not complete a survey has any thoughts on speakers they would like to hear, feel free to contact either myself, the AGCSA office or any Board member. On the topic of conferences, it would be remiss not to mention that planning is also under way for the proposed joint conference with the NZGCSA in Wellington in 2018. The AGCSA Board has formally agreed to the joint venture and is buoyed by the positive feedback that it has received from throughout the industry. A Partnership Advisory Group will be formed with representatives from both associations and the trade being involved.