Director’s Corner
Three New
Endeavors to
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
Serve You W
hile the VTC represents a diverse industry, there is tremendous commonality within that diversity. From aerating golf greens to manicuring home lawns to restoring a university football field after a playoff game, our members care for turfgrass. Regardless of the venue, roots must be strengthened, grass must be cut, and pests must be controlled. Because we recognize that diversity, the VTC has formed partnerships to provide three new opportunities for our members: the Mid Atlantic Turfgrass Expo (M-A-T-E), the Certified Turfgrass Professional Certification and the Green Industry Team Leadership Certification. In previous columns, I have listed the various entities that have partnered to form the Mid Atlantic Turfgrass Expo and will not repeat that list here. But allow me to emphasize the unique arrangement we have with Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland. All profit from M-A-T-E will be donated to turfgrass research at those two universities! Yes, 100 percent. Research is the lifeblood of our industry, and we want to ensure that scientists and professors are able to continue providing solutions for the challenges we all face. Anyone seeking to become a Certified Turfgrass Professional (CTP) must meet exacting standards and pass a rigorous examination that accesses all aspects of turfgrass management. This certificate is the result of years of hard work by Dr. Mike Goatley of Virginia Tech and Jimmy Viars, who is chair of the VTC’s Certification
Committee. During the past two years, we have run numerous trials of the training and examination. The launch is nearly ready and is scheduled for October 1. Recognizing the continued importance of research, we are donating 10 percent of the revenue from the Certified Turfgrass Professional program to the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation. Also, we are working closely with the Professional Grounds Management Society of Virginia (PGMS-VA) to develop the Green Industry Team Leader certification (GITL). This new endeavor for us is being formed because of requests from municipalities and universities. Much of the information presented at the GITL program is entry level and covers topics of importance for front-line crews: (1) basics of plant growth; (2) maintenance of turfgrass, ornamentals and trees; and (3) basic management principles. The program will debut in February 2016 at our Come to the Bay event and will involve two days of training and an examination. A notebook is included as part of the training. Because of the assistance of PGMS-VA, 10 percent of the profit from Green Industry Team Leadership Certification will be donated to them. I never forget that the Virginia Turfgrass Council exists to serve you, our members. These three new endeavors are our latest moves to serve you. As always, please contact me if there is anything else we should be doing. c
8 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2015 www.vaturf.org