EARTH SHAPING NEWS Published Quarterly by the Golf Course Builders Association of America
SUMMER EDITION
Past Perry O. Dye Service Award Recipients that were able to attend the Summer Meeting: Steve Christman, 2013; O’Brien McGarey, 2021; Dennis Wagner, 2018; and Tommy Sasser, 2015
Inside Issue the
7
President’s Perspective
8
Executive Director Notes
16 Human Resources 18 Allied Updates 23 Movers & Shapers 30 New Members 30 GCBAA Meetings Calendar
GCBAA HOSTS Summer
Meeting/50th Anniversary Celebration AT THE BILTMORE, ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
F
or the past 15 months, your GCBAA Board of Directors, Meetings & Education Committees, and staff have been waiting to host our annual summer meeting AKA the pandemic beatdown gathering! When registrations opened, we had little doubt that members were hesitant to gather when our room block immediately sold out. Even the expanded block reached capacity as well as the need to work with the property to take over their largest rooms to host an overwhelming number of attendees and their spouses and special guests. By the numbers; 36 Builder Members, 108 Suppliers, 50 Spouses and Guests, 15 speakers, staff and allied association members, and unbelievable support from sponsors and those that contributed to the Sticks for Kids Auction. There were 20 trade show exhibitors, over 50 sponsors of feather flags that outlined each gathering area, a full lineup of education sponsors, and support for other networking and teambuilding events. Over $50,000 was raised during the auction with attendees purchasing products, trips, and specialty items generously donated by fellow members, as well as a “one-ask” campaign where fellow members challenged their colleagues to match voice contributions. As a result, an additional $50,000 was raised. The final result included contributions from the Perry O. Dye Memorial supporting Sticks for Kids that raised a total of $107,000 for the GCBAA Foundation! To recap the week, GCBAA Board Members arrived at
Asheville Monday morning for an afternoon Board of Directors meeting. This was the first in-person board meeting since the 2020 Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Florida. Although the group had been meeting via virtual platforms, it was an excellent opportunity to see each other face to face and catch up on association business as well as welcome some new faces that had joined the board. After the meeting, the group was joined by special guests that included Foundation Board Members, as well as Board of Governors and past Perry O. Dye Award recipients. The Biltmore property offered a unique and once in a lifetime opportunity to dine the group in the hayloft above the stables connected to the Vanderbilt home. The setting was a time machine showing the creativeness and innovation of an era. The backdrop reminded attendees of not only how far automation has come but was also a nice reflection on the organizations 50th year! With business wrapped up the prior day the Board brought back a long-time tradition of a Board Golf Outing. The renowned Biltmore Forest Country Club hosted the majority of the board. While Board of Directors tried to stay dry and sink putts, the Board of Governors caught up with their Certification business that also had been subject to virtual meetings for the prior year. The Board of Governors and Directors hosted an invitation-only event with fellow Builder Members in a Builder continue on pg. 2