GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors: Building a Network Mitch O’Brey, AGCS and Anthony L. Williams, CGCS In 2014 the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) took its government relations efforts to another level. They created the GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors program. The program goal is to match a member of GCSAA with each member of Congress, and to build strong relationships between them. The program’s vision is to establish a network of committed volunteers to serve as the “go-to” people for lawmakers and their staff on golf course management issues. The Grassroots Ambassador is committed to sharing their unique story, our story as an industry made up of real people and issues. To build and sustain this army of grassroots advocates the GCSAA needs volunteers. Do you have what it takes? Check out the following advertisement.
Anthony Williams, Congressman Kenny Marchant (Texas District 24) and Mitch O'Brey meet as part of the GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador Program.
GCSAA is seeking enthusiastic, motivated members (Class A, B or C) to serve as a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors. The link between the Member of Congress and the GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador is based on golf facility location. Also, GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors need to belong to an affiliated chapter. How many of you hard working superintendents/assistants have interest in this program but are a little nervous to volunteer. It is natural to be a little nervous, I know that I was but let Mitch and I tell you our story and it may help you decide to join in the fun. Let me tell you how Anthony Williams Grassroots Ambassador came to be. I had won the GCSAA 2014 GCSAA Excellence in Government Relations Award and had heard about the new Grassroots Ambassador program. I really wanted to move my advocacy forward so I accepted the challenge and suddenly I was back in the trenches, as a new recruit in the inaugural 2014 Grassroots Ambassador Class. We had boot camps and webinars and ultimately we all felt ready to make things happen. If you join the Grassroots Ambassador Program I promise the training will give you all the tools you need. So no worries but truthfully, when I started I did not know just how many tools I already had! I was assigned to Georgia District 4 Congressman Hank Johnson. I wanted to find a way to be successful as a Grassroots Ambassador but we were on the surface total opposites. For instance, buddist-christian, vegetarian-hunter meat eater, inner city childhood-rural farm kid, lawyer-turf manager and the list went on. However when we met in his district office we found that our sense of community was shared and more powerful than our differences. We became friends and the congressman agreed to come and see our property, Continued on next page