From the President’s Pen

Changing Seasons

I hope all of you had a productive and successful summer and are looking forward to the shorter days and cooler temperatures that fall brings. As the seasons change and we wrap up 2025, I want to thank each of you for your continued support of both our industry and the Alabama Turfgrass Association.

The 2025 Lawn and Landscape Workshop was held on August 27th in Montgomery. I hope everyone that was in attendance came away with some useful information that they can benefit from. Looking ahead, we are excited to gather again in Biloxi, MS for this year’s Deep South Turf Expo. It is always a great event to close out the year—an opportunity to learn, share, and connect with others who share a passion for excellence in turfgrass. In this issue, you will find a full schedule of events, including golf and the tailgate celebration at The Preserve and the super competitive cornhole tournament during the tradeshow. The dates for this year’s DSTE are October 28-30, in Biloxi, MS. Don’t forget to register for what is always a great opportunity for networking, education, and fun.

Being my final President’s Message, I would like to say that I have enjoyed my time serving as your president and being a part of the decision-making process that affects all of us as ATA members. Drew Charcandy will be our president for 2026, and I know he will do a fantastic job leading the association next year. A big thank you to all our board members for their service and for another great year for the ATA. We will be welcoming some new faces to the board for 2026, be sure to get to know them and welcome them and thank them for their service. I would also like to thank all our sponsors for their continued support. Lastly, I want to thank Kayla Cook, Tricia Clem, and Melanie Bonds for all that they do for our association. They are the ones that make everything happen. Make sure to thank each of them the next time you see them.

I hope to see you all in Biloxi.

Patrick Pierce

2025 ATA President