TXSTMA - Winter 2015 Sidelines

Texas Sports Turf Managers Association Txstma.org

Providing education and training for safer and healthier sports turf facilities

Winter 2015

The TXSTMA and the entire sports turf world lost a giant and a legend with the untimely passing of Leo Goertz on Monday, December 7, 2015.

Several news stories have been published about his life and accomplishments:

LEO GOERTZ 1960 - 2015

12thMan.com Story The Eagle KBTX News Aggie Nation CLICK HERE TO DONATE

The TXSTMA has established a scholarship in honor of Leo that will be awarded to deserving turfgrass students. An account has been established for donations from friends and admirers of Leo.

Amelia Ruth 6 lbs. 9 oz. 19.5" born to Kevin and Kara Lebanik at 5:42 p.m.

November 17th

TXSTMA Annual Meeting December 16, 2015, 11:30 a.m.

Friendships There are multiple groupings of Friendships that each of us develop over our lifetimes.

One is your childhood Friendships that hopefully you have been able to maintain some of those into adult life. Then there are your daily work Friendships, if you are lucky enough to work at a job that you enjoy. Those are possibly strong Friendships since most of us spend at least 1/3 of our daily lives or more with those folks. Then there are your professional Friendships that you have or will developed thru your local, state or national trade organizations. I would encourage you to do everything you can to build those Friendships as early in you careers as you can, because as you advance in your career those Friendships will be invaluable to your future. Never under estimate or take for granted the value of Friendships. As soon as you do, you may lose that Friend to death and then will be left wondering how that can happen to someone so young. Enough on the sad side. Celebrate the times that you do get together and don’t use the excuse that you are too busy (spoiler alert everyone is too busy). Make time to nurture those Friendships, you never know if this is the last time you will see that Friend.

Now is the time to rekindle those professional Friendships at TTA (Texas Turfgrass Association) state conference December 15-17 in San Antonio, Texas and 1 month after that is the STMA (Sports Turf Manager Association) national conference January 19-22 in beautiful San Diego, California. At our Annual TXSTMA meeting we will be voting on some bylaws revision and adoption of our new Financial SOP, new executive board positions and directors positions. We will also be recapping our year of Field Days. All members present at the luncheon will be eligible for our give-a-ways of a FREE Full Conference registration to STAMA (valued at $375.00). We will have several door prizes such as a Yeti cooler and several gift cards to give away at the meeting. You must be present at our Annual meeting on December 16 at TTA conference to win. Hope to see you there.

Farewell; Thanks for allowing me to serve as the President of TXSTMA for the past 2 years. It truly has been an honor and pleasure for me to have had the opportunity to give back a little to turf industry. A career that started way back in 1978 in the golf business and hopefully will be finished off in the not too distant future on the sports field side of the turf business. Best of luck to all in 2016.

(Note - This was written 2 days prior to our good friend and mentor to many Leo Goertz suddenly passing away) Always Your Friend in Turf,

Rusty Walker, CSFM City of Grapevine, Athletic Foreman

December 15—17, 2015 Texas Turfgrass Association Conference & Show San Antonio, Texas Gonzalez Convention Center & Grand Hyatt Hotel

December 16, 2015 Texas Sports Turf Managers Association Annual Meeting 11:30 a.m.

Thank you to our 2015 Star Sponsors.

Your generous support is greatly appreciated.

2015 Three-Star Sponsors

2015 One Star Sponsors

2015 Two-Star Sponsors

Houston, we have a new galaxy of stars More than anything else, the All-Star Series has given several fans a chance to watch their first cricket match in a stadium and share an experience they are unlikely to ever forget Forty-four year old Dan Bergstrom, the head groundskeeper of the Houston Astros, admits he is slightly nervous. He has never seen a cricket match before and never thought he would see one "until a few months ago". Ever since the AllStars Series was announced, the bespectacled Bergstrom has been "studying, catching up with videos online", to gear up for the second game of the threematch series on Wednesday.

Bergstrom is relieved that Houston's Minute Maid Park is equipped with a roof, especially on days like Wednesday when the forecast is cloudy with a chance of rain. He understands that the pitch is the "core of the game" and also knows that, unlike in baseball where most home teams want the ball to slow down once it bounces, cricket crowds like to see the ball race to the fence. For five hours on Sunday, while laying the drop-in pitch that had traveled in a truck from New York, Bergstrom and his crew tried to grasp the nuances of pitch science. They quickly figured that it would take them a lot more time to "even get started" on how to prepare a surface.

Standing next to Bergstrom is Isiah John, a 65-year-old security officer, who is yet to see a cricket match. "I spent a lot of time in England in the '80s and '90s," he says, "But there I watched only soccer, no cricket. Now I am trying to understand all about these fours and sixes and wickets. And it's great to see how passionate these cricket fans are. It's not so crazy during baseball."

While the majority of the spectators attending the All-Stars Series have watched cricket in a stadium before, there is also a set of first-timers who are getting a first taste of a live match. These include ground staff, security officers, ushers, volunteers, cameramen and - most of all - kids, many of whom have only watched cricket on TV and online (both live and recorded).

The cricket stars have conducted clinics for junior cricketers in New York and Houston.

The hurried nature of these sessions, and lack of extended interactivity, has meant that Continued on Page 16

Are You Connected with TXSTMA? We hope you are enjoying all of the new communication vehicles we are using to reach our members!

Please make sure your email address is current so you don’t miss out.

Let us know at txstmainfo@yahoo.com You can also “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter!

The Texas A & M Landscape and Field Day was held October 14th in conjunction with TXSTMA. There was a great crowd on hand for both the morning TAMU session and the afternoon TXSTMA tour. Attendees were treated to the latest information regarding the research program and projects being conducted on the A&M campus during the morning session. After breaking for a terrific BBQ lunch, most of the attendees jumped on the buses to tour the TAMU athletic facilities. The three buses rotated through the soccer fields, Olson Field and Kyle Field. Tours at each facility were conducted by Craig Potts, Nick McKenna, and Leo Goertz. Of course the highlight was the brand new Kyle Field. It was spectacular!

Dr. Richard White along with several others provided the latest information on the experiments and research being conducted at the turf plots on the campus of Texas A & M.

The Turf Club held a closest to the hole contest to raise much needed funds. These funds are used to send students to competitions at the STMA Conference and the GCSAA Conference.

As attendees enjoyed a barbeque buffet lunch with all the fixings, Rusty Walker CSFM and Dr. Richard White thanked the crowd and the vendors for their participation and sponsorships of this great event.

They are looking forward to an even larger crowd next year.

Mr. Leo Goertz fills everyone in on the buildings surrounding Kyle Field. There are indoor practice fields, a weight room just for the football team, as well as the memorabilia room including Johnny Football/’s Heisman!.

The folks that wanted to take the athletic tour boarded buses to get to the soccer field, Olsen Field and Kyle Field.

Inside the walls of Kyle Field is this beautiful banquet hall. The ceiling is shaped like a football, the length of a football field and rents for about $10,000 before food and decorations. Wow!

Mr. Joe Todaro, professor at TSTC in Waco brought a group of turf students for the day. Not only did they pick up a lot of education, but they also enjoyed the tours.

Leo Goertz fills everyone in on the details of how Kyle Field was built, how it is maintained, how long it took to build, and of course the cost of not only how much it was to build it, but the cost of all the suites and seats. Amazing!

Mr. Jim Newkirk with Austin Turf & Tractor sponsored the TXSTMA portion of the event. He brought along a couple of pieces of equipment for folks to check out. Thank you Jim for your continued support!

27th Conference & Exhibition January 19 - 22, 2016 San Diego, California

Powerful education sessions to help you transform your sports fields and your performance.

So Much to See and Do!

CSFM Testing Networking Seminar on Wheels Tours The Conference Education Committee has completed the educational program. General Sessions' highlights include: Wednesday's Opening Session Focuses on Injury Biomechanics Richard Kent, Ph.D., University of Virginia, will speak about shoes and field surface interaction. He has worked on the NFL Foot and Ankle Committee since 2008 and chaired the Taskforce to develop the NFL's Recommended Practices for Game day Fields.

Dan Russell, Ph.D., Penn State University, will address the physics and acoustics of baseball bats. His primary research area involves the acoustics and vibration of sports equipment, and he has provided testing and vibration consulting services for several sporting goods manufacturers.

Joel Stitzel, Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, will discuss his current research involving crash injury and engineering biomechanics of trauma, automotive safety, and sports and military biomechanics.

These three will present in-depth sessions later in the conference.

Thursday's General Session Addresses Concussions Timothy Gay, Ph.D., University of Nebraska physics professor and industry helmet consultant, will present on turf, sports, physics, and concussions.

Choose from 9 Educational Tracks Agronomic Construction/Renovation Facility Management Industry Developments Pest Control Professional Development Research Sustainability Water

The 2015 Texas Sports Turf Managers Association’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon will be held December 16th at 11:30. It will be located in room 007 at the Gonzalez Convention Center. It is free to all current members. Please make arrangements to attend and hear what we accomplished this past year and have to look forward to in 2016.

The TXSTMA Board of Directors have been working very hard in 2015 looking at the current bylaws in order to clarify some questions that have arisen in the past. The STMA has also reviewed the document and has offered recommended changes.

Attached to the links below are a review of bylaw changes that are being recommended by the TXSTMA Board of Directors as well as a Proposed Finance Policy. At the Annual Meeting in San Antonio, these bylaw and policy proposals will be presented to the membership and they will have the opportunity to vote for or against the changes. An online ballot will also be made available at txstma.org. Please take the time to review these documents and contact the TXSTMA office or any Director if you have any questions or comments.

The first document is a review of the proposed changes to the bylaws: 2015 Bylaw Recommendations The second is a proposed Financial Policy document. This policy is not part of the bylaws but the board would like the approval of the membership prior to adoption.

2015 Finance Policy Proposal

Anatomy of a successful STMA Chapter Field Day

By Rich Watson

Every year I am impressed by the quality of the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Conference and Exhibition. This year is no different as I eagerly await the upcoming 2016 conference in San Diego. The amount of time spent planning really shows when you are there taking it all in. The educational sessions, vendor options and opportunity to network with your peers is a great chance to move your career forward. I always encourage anyone who has not been to the STMA national conference to try at some point in their careers to get to one. That may be easier said than done, though.

For those that cannot make it, there is another option: STMA Chapter field days also offer education, vendor participation and the opportunity to network with peers in your local area. I am the president of the Sports Field Managers Association of New Jersey (SFMANJ), the New Jersey Chapter of STMA. We hold spring and fall field days every year. It is an opportunity for our organization to provide education, pesticide and fertilizer credits, equipment demonstrations, food and a fun day away from work.

There are several things that have made our events successful (including but not limited to): a site with indoor and outdoor availability, a quality educational program; food; and a proportionate amount of attendees to vendors. It also doesn’t hurt that the event is free to attend. How is that possible? Let’s take a look at the formula that has been developed in the Garden State.

Picking the Right Site When you think of a field day it brings to mind great weather, beautiful fields and an entire day of outdoor activities. Sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. The weather in New Jersey and throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic can be somewhat unpredictable in the spring and fall. I know that the folks attending our events are outdoor people but it is hard to concentrate when you have been in the rain for hours at a time.

In addition to having a host sports complex with a variety of sports fields, we have also made it a priority to find a site with an indoor facility for educational sessions and vendor set up if the weather turns ugly. This thinking has turned out to be a good strategy for a couple of reasons. It gives us the ability to have our event rain or shine. The other benefit is subtler;

having the ability to hold some of our talks indoors makes it a little more like a classroom talk. This has been important during our talks that receive pesticide credits. The indoor setup keeps everyone in the same location and gives the entire group the opportunity to hear what the speaker is saying. It can be difficult to hear when you are listening to a speaker outside due to wind or other outdoor distractions. It also can be a good way to start the day when the morning temperatures are cold and the turf is wet. Having the right site is the foundation of a great event and should not be overlooked.

Education “Sports Field Managers Association of New Jersey is committed to enhancing the professionalism of athletic field managers by improving the safety, playability and appearance of athletic fields at all levels through seminars, field days, publications and networking with those in the sports turf industry.” That is the mission statement of our chapter. It is something that we take very seriously. Providing education to our members is really what we are all about.

Our Board of Directors goes through a process every year to put together topics that are timely and developed in part by a site visit to the host venue. An example of a timely topic was New Jersey’s Commercial Fertilizer Applicator’s Certification Program. The state enacted a law in 2012 that requires anyone applying fertilizer as part of their job to be certified and accrue continuing education credits to maintain your certification. As with any new program there was a lot of anxiety and confusion when it was enacted. Our Association took the lead by offering education explaining the law and awards fertilizer recertification credits at our events.

Educational programs also include NJ School IPM Category pesticide credits that are difficult to acquire. Having the ability to provide hard-to-find fertilizer and pesticide credits is a great help in attracting people from all parts of the turf industry to attend our events. In addition to the accredited talks, we also encourage our vendors to provide hands-on education through a variety of field equipment demonstrations. This provides a good balance to our classroom-type education. Everyone enjoys seeing new equipment and envisions how they might make it work on their sites. Recently we have seen a variety of new aerating equipment, fraze mowers, infield groomers, pesticide application equipment as well as the newest mowers on the market. It is a great way for our vendor members to contribute to the educational portion of the event while promoting their products.

Vendor support The vendor members of our organization are the glue that holds everything together. We have a group of talented business people who really respect the industry and are a huge help in promoting the SFMANJ. This group provides the financial backing that makes it possible to hold our field days free of charge for SFMANJ members. I mentioned this earlier as a tease but holding a free event is a great way to give back to the membership. It also allows municipal and school employees, who make up the bulk of our membership, an easier way to get to the event by not having to try and find someone in their business office to go through the process of producing a purchase order for payment. In the past many of our members had complained about how difficult it was to get to our field days because of the paperwork involved. We listened and thanks to our loyal vendor members, more people are able to attend. There are many ways that a vendor can support our field day. We offer a variety of packages that can include having their literature placed in the attendee packet, a tabletop booth to display information and products, a field demonstration with equipment and sponsoring breakfast or lunch. These options allow the vendor to participate as little or as much as they want in our event. We hope that our field days provide a good return on their investment in us.

Food It always amazes me how much joy people get out of having food provided at an event, although it shouldn’t be a surprise.

The late Dr. Henry Indyk, founding father of our association, made the point that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Henry made sure that there was food available at SFMANJ events because he reasoned that it made people feel better and think clearer. I completely agree. We offer coffee, doughnuts and sometimes bagels to get our events started. It is also an opportunity to mix and mingle with our vendors that have set up tabletop booths around the area that is serving the food. It gives the vendors direct access to the attendees and keeps everyone in the same area until the educational sessions begin.

While I am a breakfast man, lunch at a SFMANJ field day steals the show and not for an obvious reason like gourmet-type food. The food is great but there is one man that really makes it a special meal. Don Savard, CSFM, and a past president of SFMANJ, puts together a lunch that keeps everyone happy. Don is an extremely modest guy but through his dedication and mobile catering equipment we feed everyone at a very affordable price (i.e., the cost of ingredients). Everyone is given two of Don’s “dirty water dogs” with sauerkraut or homemade chili, a bag of chips and a beverage. It is as simple as it gets but most everyone loves this lunch. Don is the maestro in the kitchen but our Board of Directors serves the lunch to the members. It is our way to thank the members for their support and puts a personal touch on the event. In the past we had purchased boxed lunches from various deli operations but nothing comes close to Don’s “dirty water dogs.”

Tidbits There are other things that don’t seem important but we have found make a big difference in our events. We have found that if you schedule a field day at the same time every year, it makes it easier for the membership to plan to make it to your event. The people that attend our events are very busy people with changing sports schedules but if they have the information about an event early enough, it makes it easier for them to make plans to attend. The other thing is the structure of an event. We have made a timetable for our field days that stays the same every year and all we have to do is plug in the new speakers or vendors. It saves time and makes the planning portion of the event easier.

The SFMANJ Board of Directors and Executive Secretary Debbie Savard have put a lot of time and energy developing the formula for our field days. It has taken some time to work out the details through trial and error but ultimately it has been very rewarding putting on a quality event for our members.

The STMA has great chapters all over the country. Try and get to a chapter field day near you and see for yourself what they have to offer.

Congratulations to last years scholarship winner TXSTMA Member

Aaron Clampitt!

I have worked for the City of Wylie Parks Department for 9.5 years in the athletic department. I applied for the Cody Hobbs scholarship last year. I used the awarded money towards my Sports Turfgrass Management certificate at the University of Georgia. It is a one year long class. My long term goal is to become a Turfgrass Manager. I like to go fishing, to classic car shows and build custom fishing rods.

CONGRATULATIONS 2015 Scholarship Winners Cody Hobbs Scholarship Christopher Neeley has been selected to receive a $500.00 Cody Hobbs scholarship. Chris works for the City of Grapevine Parks and Recreation as well as the Athletic facilities. He is working towards completing his Bachelor’s degree in Turf Management. Upon completion of his degree he will work to become a Certified Sports Field Manager. Congratulations Chris and good luck with your studies.

Dr. James McAfee Scholarship Brae Miner is a previous recipient of the $500.00 Dr. James McAfee scholarship. Brae is a student at Texas Tech University. Her expected graduation date is May 2016. Her ultimate career goal is to become the Director of Agronomy at an athletic complex or a nine-hole golf course in the Midwest. She would like to use her field or golf course as a means of promoting the Semper Fi Fund’s Community Athlete program. This program provides assistance to injured veterans and their families with money raised through athletic competition. Congratulations Brae and good luck!

Zhaoxin Chen is a MS student in Turfgrass Management at Texas A & M University. He received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University. Upon graduation he would like to work in the turf industry in the United States or China. He would like to manage sports fields or start his own consulting business in the area of sports fields or lawn management. Congratulations Zhaoxin and good luck with the remainder of your studies.

some of the kids (and parents) have felt short-changed by the experience. But it has also offered a chance for many young boys and girls to get a feel of a big stadium for the first time, and get close to some legends.

Many kids have showed off their autographed bats and a couple boys in Houston said they were planning to "keep it safely, near their beds". Others have got a chance to ask some of the star cricketers a question or two. And all have been granted tickets to attend the game with their parents.

For 13-old Sri Pare, who plays youth cricket in Austin, Texas, the word that came to his mind when he entered Minute Maid Park on Tuesday was "ginormous". Sri had never been in a stadium before, so "just walking in and seeing all these players like Sachin, it was something else."

Sri's father Ravi relocated from Hyderabad to the USA 14 years ago. "Sri's interests are mostly similar to the other American kids in his class," says Ravi. "He started playing cricket only three months ago. He is mostly obsessed with basketball, and LeBron James. But he watches cricket on TV. So I told him and his brother Pranav to play the game."

Nine-year-old Jude Nesom, a student at the British International School of Houston, is finding it hard to believe he has just met Shane Warne. "He is there, there!" he says, pointing to Warne warming up. Jude's friend Charlie lifts his shirt to show off his vest autographed by Warne.

Saad Humayun, a 15-year-old left-arm spinner who lives in Austin, Texas, is looking forward to seeing Daniel Vettori and Graeme Swann at the game. "I went to England a few years ago and was blown away by the cricket there," he says. "I want to play cricket for England or Australia one day - the Ashes is so amazing to watch on TV."

Many of these junior cricketers may not have seen Tendulkar, Warne and a host of other players in their prime. Sometimes it is apparent that they are slightly amused by their parents' feverish excitement. But, more than anything else, this series has given them a chance to watch their first cricket match in a stadium. And, as any sports fan will agree, it is an experience that they are unlikely to ever forget.

Boundary rope setup.

Trays arriving to field.

Hole we prepped for cricket.

Preparing the pitch after installation

Astros grounds crew after trays removed from field.

Pitch ready for play.

New field helping FC Dallas keep the game going through uncommon rain FRISCO - While FC Dallas was out on the longest road-swing in franchise history, a large-scale overhaul of the field was underway back at Toyota Stadium.

For the first time in seven years, the entire playing surface was torn up and the inch-and-a-half layer of organic material that had built up underneath the grass layer due to years of grass clippings, dirt and dust from the air was removed – creating a firmer playing surface with better footing for the players and, more importantly, improving the drainage on the field.

“During the Toronto game [before the renovation], we got about an inch-and-a-half of rain and you could tell the drainage was slow,” Director of Stadium Grounds Allen Reed said. “We were out there pushing water [off the field].”

Immediately after the work, a similar amount of rain before the game against Houston on June 26 had a much different result.

“We got an inch and a half in 30 minutes. It still puddle[d] up, but as soon as [the heavy rain] stop[ped], it

[caught] up,” Reed said of the new field that took just minutes to drain on its own.

Renovation removed 1.25" organic layer.

Rained 1.5" prior to kick last night. 3 week old pitch drained and played great.

The pitch at Toyota Stadium is built on a drainage system and a 12-inch base layer of sand to allow for quick

water drainage. Allen said the sand alone could drain 20-30 inches of water an hour, but once you put a layer of grass on top, the drainage slows to a capacity of about five inches per hour at a steady pace. The organic layer, or the thatch layer, that had accumulated over seven years slowed the draining capacity even more – similar to the way an accumulation of hair slows the flow of a shower drain.

The renovation process was initially discussed almost a year ago, and when FC Dallas’ 2015 schedule was released, one stretch stood out to Reed and his staff. At the start of the team’s five-week trip, there were two events at Toyota Stadium – Nitro Circus Live on May 25 and the annual Jimmy Buffett concert on May 30.

After that, there was a three week window in which Reed could go to work – exactly the time needed to do a full overhaul.

“The machine [we use] rips out the existing turf and through a series of conveyer belts throws it into a trailer, a dump trailer that’s running next to the tractor,” Reed said. “Monday we stripped out [the existing surface], Thursday we finished stripping out and Friday we laid sod on half the field. The other half of the field got laid on that Saturday the 6th.“ After two weeks of watering and allowing the seams between rolls of sod to fill in, the pitch was ready just in time for the Texas Derby match.

The process also allowed Reed to use a different variety of grass better suited for the unique nature of events in Frisco.

“We put in a new variety of Bermuda grass that is a little bit more co-tolerant [and] more wear-tolerant,” Reed said of the new grass that stays greener longer and recovers quicker from games, both soccer and football, as well as events.

For the full-time residents of the pitch, there’s a noticeable difference in how the new field plays as well.

“It’s a little more firm for them,” Reed said. “The old field was a little spongier. That thatch layer just gets real spongy and the footing is not that great once you get to that amount. It gets real slick [and] you’ll see some guys slipping around out there.”

Now, the field is in the final stage of the renovation. While games are still being played, Reed said he and his staff are cutting back on the amount of water placed on the field, forcing the roots to grow deep into the sand layer in search of water. This final step further stabilizes the playing surface and also allows the field to efficiently utilize lesser amounts of water for many years to come.

It is that time of year!

Time to renew your membership for 2016 The Texas STMA was established in 2004 by merging the North and South Texas STMA chapters to better serve sports turf professionals and the turfgrass industry in Texas. Our organization is comprised of professional turf managers across the state that manage college and university facilities, parks and recreation departments, school districts, private sport facilities, and professional sport venues. Our membership also includes turfgrass researchers, commercial suppliers, coaches and students pursuing a career in sports turf management. As you can see, we have a very broad range of members.

Texas STMA provides its members several opportunities throughout the year to network, share ideas, learn the latest research, and hear from top experts in the industry. Held at selected locations around the state, our events allow each member the chance to gain a better understanding of the sports turf manager's role in ensuring facility users have a safe and healthy sports turf to play on. These opportunities include: * Regional Educational Field Days and Workshops * Special Facility Tours * Annual Meeting & Luncheon held in conjunction with the Texas Turfgrass Conference * Vendor Exhibits * Equipment Demonstrations Our members also benefit from many programs and services unique to our industry. * Access to TXSTMA.org website providing industry and association news, turfgrass resources, & technical information * Email, Facebook, and Twitter communication for instant delivery of news and information * The Cody Hobbs Professional Member Scholarship award; The Dr. James McAfee Student Scholarship award * Sports turf manager Job Opportunities delivered to members via email and website. Resume posting service available to members on website * Coaches Corner – special section available to Texas coaches to have their field and technical questions answered by Texas STMA professionals I welcome and encourage you to become a member of Texas STMA soon. I know we can help you in your professional development, as well as any personal goals that you have set for yourself. Please take the time to visit our website at txstma.org often to get answers to any questions you might have. If you don’t find the answers or resource you are searching for please email a board member and we will try to assist you in any way possible. Our chapter executive team is also ready and willing to help you in any way – Carol Cloud, carolcloud@txstma.org, 682-583-3143.

New Member Application 2016 Membership Renewal Please don’t forget to go to the “Membership Payment” tab upon completion of your application to make payment for your 2016 membership.

Executive Directors: President: Rusty Walker, CSFM—City of Grapevine, rwalker@grapevinetexas.gov Past President: Nick McKenna, CSFM— Texas A&M University, nmckenna@athletics.tamu.edu President - Elect: Kevin Lebanik—Harrell's, Klebanik@harrells.com 1st Commercial Vice Pres: Darin Eberly—Pioneer Manuf. Co., deberly@pioneerathletics.com 2nd Commercial Vice Pres: John Kearns—Professional Turf Products, kearnsj@proturf.com Committee Directors: Advertising: Travis Sales—City of Mesquite, tsales@ci.mesquite.tx.us Communication Committee: Dan Bergstrom—Houston Astros, dbergstrom@astros.com Region I (DFW): Allen Reed, CSFM, FC Dallas, areed@fcdallas.net Region II (Austin/San Antonio): Michael Piñon, San Antonio ISD, michaelpinon@yahoo.com Region III (Houston): Josh Scott, Alvin ISD, jscott@alvinisd.net Membership: Brant Williams, CSFM, Dallas Baptist University, brant@dbu.edu Scholarship: Chris Pitts, Clear Creek ISD, chpitts@ccisd.net Chapter Executive: Carol Cloud, Carolcloud@txstma.org, (817) 736-0727

Texas Sports Turf Managers Association Providing education and training for safer and healthier sports turf facilities Txstma.org txstmainfo@ yahoo.com (817) 736-0727 P.O. Box 11967 College Station, TX 77842

Winter 2015 Issue

An announcement has been made by the Texas Turfgrass Association that a memorial service will be held in Leo’s honor in January 2016. There will also Posted by Leo on his Facebook page be a remembrance at the TTA Annual Meeting in San Antonio—December 15th.

RIP Leo