Member Spotlight

Jon DeWitt –

“Chasing that Epic Field Moment”

Ironically, Jon DeWitt, CSFM, who is the Director of Sports Grounds at the University of Alabama, does not have a degree in turfgrass management, horticulture, or plant science. Jon attended the University of Alabama in Birmingham and his career path has been very untraditional.

“I’d say sports turf management choose me, rather than me consciously choosing it. I grew up around the larger green industry. My dad worked in facilities and grounds at colleges and institutions throughout my childhood and teen years. He was also a partner in a private residential / commercial landscaping company, so these were my initial exposures.”

In high school Jon attended Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham. It was there that he began experimenting with sports turf. Jon did grounds work and sports field work to pay for college where, “I studied English of all things. LOL!”

After completing college, Jon became the fulltime grounds keeper at Briarwood Christian School. From there he went to Wesleyan School in Norcross, GA to develop a grounds department from scratch, as they were outsourcing everything at the time.

“Wesleyan also gave me the opportunity to try my hand at teaching and fall back on sports turf if that better suited me. It’s obvious which direction I chose. After seven years at Wesleyan, a great opportunity at Georgia Tech basically fell into my lap in 2007. Then, in 2015, Alabama had a vacancy in the Sports Turf Manager’s position which obviously appealed to me, not only professionally, but also personally since it was adjacent to ‘home’ in Birmingham.”

Jon acknowledges being somewhat isolated as he navigated his career. His strengths are maintaining sports fields, as well as being good at logistics and organization, which helps manage all the moving parts of a turf program at a college.

“I am thankful to my dad for instilling a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and the importance of organization in me. Also, my dad’s close friend Dr. Kynerd, Briarwood Superintendent, was a mentor in terms of faith, life skills, and, once again, work ethic. Jerry Simmons and Phillip Hindman (Harrell’s) both helped me out early in my career at Briarwood. Phillip was my sales rep again at the University of Alabama when I took the job here. Both men are ATA lifetime achievement winners. My story is just one of many that is a testament to what they brought to the turf industry in Alabama, through their relationships with people and mentoring.”

( l – r ): Ellie, Jon and Evie DeWitt with Sir Oates. Cooking at Christmas 2021

There are many things Jon likes about his job: the challenges to overcome, the need to constantly learn and improve because of new scenarios, and even navigating weather events. “I am a taskoriented guy, so the fact that there is literally always something to do, or something you could be doing, drives and motivates me. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was from Dr. Kynard who said, ‘Stay flexible!’ In college athletics situations can change so quickly – many times on just the whim of a powerful coach. Add in weather, personnel, and equipment and you’ve got a recipe which requires being on your toes 24/7 and even the occasional magic trick.”

Jon and wife, Laura, eating out with Family, Christmas 2021

For Jon, the relationships and comradery among peers, colleagues, and vendors is certainly a great part of the job. During his off-time, Jon enjoys being involved in his church and studying the Bible. He is a big fan of live music/concerts.

Jon is married to Laura. He says she’s “a real saint for putting up with my turf addiction, but she’s also a University of Georgia fan so there’s that.” They have twin daughters, Evie and Ellie. Evie works at Publix, and Ellie is moving back to Tuscaloosa to go to school at the University of Alabama after a fouryear stint in the Navy.

Jon is a member of the Sports Turf Manager’s Association, now Sports Field Management Association. He was a founding board member of the Georgia Chapter of Sports Turf Managers Association (GASTMA) and served as president of that organization for a few years. We are proud to have Jon as a member of the Alabama Turfgrass Association.