EARTH SHAPING NEWS Published Quarterly by the Golf Course Builders Association of America
Inside Issue the
8
President’s Perspective
28 Executive Director Notes 29 Foundation Update 32 Human Resources 35 Allied Updates 38 PM Spotlight 40 GCBAA Member Highlight 42 Movers & Shapers 66 GCBAA Meetings Calendar
SUMMER EDITION
DOES THE GCBAA
Still Have a Newsletter?
BY YOUR (SLIGHTLY OVERDUE) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
L
et’s answer the question right out of the gate: YES — the GCBAA absolutely still has a newsletter. And by the time you make it through the next 68 pages, you’ll not only know that, but you’ll also be wondering how you’re going to get all this info out to your staff without creating a project management spreadsheet. (Pro tip: Sticky notes. Lots of them.) This isn’t just any issue. This issue of EarthShaping News is one for the record books. It’s officially the largest publication in GCBAA’s history and marks the longest stretch of time between issues since this beloved publication started back in the early 1990s. Who’s to blame? Well… that would be your friendly neighborhood Executive Director (me). But in my defense, it turns out putting together nearly 50 pages of meaningful, curated, relevant, and actually-still-true content is kind of a big lift. Clark Kent wore a fedora for a reason — probably to keep from tearing his hair out in editorial frustration. (Yes, I Googled that. No, I’m not comparing us to superheroes. You already know better.) Why the long pause? Over the past few years, GCBAA leadership has had a thoughtful debate about the newsletter’s future. Between the cost of printing and mailing, the content wrangling, the everchanging mailing addresses, and the eternal stress of bleed lines and deadlines — this thing can be a bear. But you kept asking, “Where’s
the newsletter?” And honestly, that steady drumbeat told us everything we needed to know. So here it is. And we’re proud of it. What’s inside? This issue is more than a recap — it’s a celebration of your work. It covers 12 months of GCBAA milestones, conversations, innovations, and stories that you, our members, helped shape. It’s proof that we’re staying true to our mission of being a Member-Driven Association. These aren’t ideas that started in the GCBAA halls and ended up in your inbox. They began in conversations at job sites, at meetings, and over phone calls — and we turned them into action. You’ll find updates on member benefits that can save your business real money, highlights from industry events, tools like the Construction Job Board, and yes, ideas for how to find your next great hire through our newly created Career Development Portal. Every page has something — and probably something you can act on. Here’s your homework (you knew this was coming): Grab a pen, a pad of sticky notes, and start tagging. By page 68, you should have a small forest of flags sticking out of this thing. Then walk around your business and start delegating: • Mark that upcoming GCBAA event on the company calendar • Assign a team member to register for the continue on pg. 2