Virginia Tech Turf Team
Director’s Corner
WORKING TOGETHER
Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-5807 askew@vt.edu
FOR THE
GREATER GOOD
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
Impossible! They will never work with us. You can’t trust them! We will always be enemies.
T
hose words echoed in my mind as I sat at a meeting of Virginia beekeepers, government regulators, and various industry representatives, including yours truly. Naysayers were wrong. Beekeepers in the room accepted industry’s role in protecting pollinators. They also expressed interest in collaborating with us on issues that arise. That partnership will be extremely valuable when, as predicted, well-meaning members of the General Assembly introduce anti-industry legislation falsely believed to protect pollinators. Fortunately, reasonableness and sanity prevailed over the naysayers. Over the past ten months we developed very positive and fruitful relationships with powerful environmental groups. Together we are accomplishing great things and representing our industry in a positive light. Remember, these environmental groups have contacts and friends at every level of government. Politicians and regulators from city halls across the state to the halls of the General Assembly listen to them. Working together for the greater good is always good. Fortunately, we have found beekeepers, environmental groups, and others willing to put aside name calling, divisiveness, and segmentation. We are moving forward together. The industry benefits!
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Virginia Turfgrass Journal, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or VTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright © 2021 by the Virginia Turfgrass Council. Virginia Turfgrass Journal is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of VTC. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to VTC, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471. Postage guaranteed. Third-class postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Virginia Turfgrass Journal allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to VTC. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064-3394, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524. Deadlines are the first of the month prior to the following month’s publication. (Example: August 1 for the September issue.)
8 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2021 www.vaturf.org
Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757-363-3900 adelpozo@vt.edu Jeffrey F. Derr, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757-363-3912 jderr@vt.edu Mike Goatley Jr., Ph.D. Virginia Tech 420 Smyth Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-2951 goatley@vt.edu David McCall, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9598 dsmccall@vt.edu Dan Sandor, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 170 Drillfield Dr. 411 Price Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9775 dsandor@vt.edu WITH SUPPORT FROM: Thomas P. Kuhar, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Dept. of Entomology 216 Price Hall 170 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-6129 tkuhar@vt.edu
