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James Bartley, Southern Lawns and Incoming ATA President
By Tricia Roberts, ATA Executive Director
Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Fa ll 2 011
J
ames Bartley is no stranger to the Alabama Turfgrass Association. In fact, he is a second-generation member of ATA. His father, Paul C. Bartley Sr., was head of the grounds at Ft. Rucker and was a member of ATA back in the 1960s and 1970s. James has been a member of the Alabama Turfgrass Association since 1979 and served on the board of directors four times over those thirty-two years. Being that his father worked at Ft. Rucker, James was born and raised in Ozark, Alabama. Within a couple of weeks after graduating from Carroll High School, James enrolled in the summer quarter at Auburn University in wildlife management. After two quarters, James realized that the job outlook for that field was poor, so he took his father’s advice and tried something in agriculture. Dr. J.T. Hood sold him on agronomy and soils, and after a few classes, James knew that was the right direction for him. In 1977, when James graduated and lawn care was in its infancy, James was hired to start Southern Lawns, which 8
grew to two offices (in Montgomery, Alabama, and Columbus, Georgia). After 33 years, Southern Lawns was sold a year ago except for the territory that was retained in east Alabama. James’ office is now in Auburn, and he spends most of his time troubleshooting landscapes, customer service, marketing, sales and personnel management. James is married to Donna Tussey Bartley, a native of Auburn and who is excited to be back home on the plains. James enjoys hunting and fishing, but his true love is farming fruits and vegetables at his farm in Chambers County. James is an active member of the Eastwood Presbyterian Church and serves on the board of trustees for the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation. We are honored to have James as our incoming president. His history of our organization, along with his leadership abilities, will move us forward in our 51st year. If you don’t personally know James, please make sure to meet him at the Annual Turfgrass Conference and Tradeshow in October. v