Virginia Tech Turf Team
Director’s Corner
Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-5807 askew@vt.edu
Service: Present and Future
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
The
15-month lockdown did not stop our Board of Directors and committees! Because of their tireless – and creative – efforts during the pandemic, the VTC established new endeavors while preserving existing activities.
Here are a few examples: •W e formed the VTC Environmental Institute and were able to get it designated as a 501-c3 tax-exempt corporation •W e developed and distributed 25,000 flowering pollinator seed packets. These packets contained enough seeds to establish pollinator plants in ¼ million square feet • We held our first ever Road Show to promote the new Environmental Institute • We were very active with legislators and legislative issues that affect our industry: We lobbied against and were able to defeat anti-industry legislation in the 2021 General Assembly; we sent packets of flowering pollinator seeds to members of the General Assembly; and we developed new relationships with both senators and delegates. One state senator told us she will promote our industry to environmental groups and their lobbyists • We worked with the City of Virginia Beach to provide and plant 6,000 dunepreserving American Beach Grass plants at the oceanfront. Those plants have taken root and are protecting an important part of the environment • We met with Virginia Beach’s mayor. At that meeting, a prominent beekeeper told the mayor and his aide, “The turf and landscape industries are not the ones killing bees” • We formed relationships with key persons at Virginia State University. Our goal is to work together to increase the number of minorities in leadership positions in our industry •W e applied for and received a grant to restore eroded land in the City of Petersburg • We conducted numerous on-site and virtual training seminars. All the above items have a common theme: Service. We never forget we exist because of you – turf and landscape industry professionals.
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
8 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 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
