EGO SW % 100
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Putting Green
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Class Notes
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Owning a golf course in Upstate New York has its challenges. Weather, especially along the shores of Lake Ontario, can be unpredictable, and the dramatic swings in temperatures and conditions can limit the number of days that golfers actually want to hit the greens. “We’ve been through the drought, the rain and everything in between,” said Scott Baker M’08 CAS’13, who co-owns Stone Creek Golf Course in Oswego. “Snow can come early, and stay late. We cannot control it, and we continue to focus on improvement regardless of what Mother Nature deals us.” But despite the unique challenges, he and his childhood golf partner, William Weimer, purchased the course, formerly named Griffin’s Greens, in 2016. Their goal for the course is reflected in its motto: Growing the game of golf. “The putting greens are an integral part of the golf course,” he said. “This is why we spend as much time and capital on them daily to produce the best putting surface we can. This includes chemical application, mowing, rolling, watering, aerifying and testing.”
Alice Massimi Crouch ’02 lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Lee Crouch, and two sons. She is the executive producer at Connecting Vets, and she is working on a master’s in strategic communication at American University. She established a fund at SUNY Oswego to present the annual Outstanding Senior Award. Dom Izzo ’02 of Moorhead, Minn., hosts a radio sports talk show on WDAY’s 970AM, “Hot Mic with Dom Izzo.” Dom also covers North Dakota State football and cohosts WDAY’s “First Down Fridays” show, which covers high school football games in the area and announces WDAY-Xtra’s “Game of the Week.” Andrew Mitchell ’02 of Williamsville, N.Y., is an enrollment agent for Idemia Identity Solutions N.A. in West Seneca, N.Y.
While the physical qualities of the course are important to its success, Scott said the most important part of running a successful business is fulfilling its commitment to customers. “The atmosphere and environment are what make a golf course exceptional,” he said. “Servicing the individuals who support the business is what creates success. Feedback from those who spend time at the course drives our daily operational intent.” In addition to owning the golf course, Scott works as a physical education teacher and golf coach at North Rose-Wolcott Central School District, and he balances his multiple careers with his responsibilities as a husband to Melissa Blanchard Baker M’09 and father to their two children. He said he depends on a great team of people to help run the day-to-day work of keeping the course in shape. His approach to ownership of the course is better characterized as “leadership.” “Leadership, as I learned through my education at Oswego State, is about putting the right people in place to create the product,” Scott said. “I give credit to my partner and our team for the success at Stone Creek.”
Michael Weyrauch ’02 M’04 is the director of Career and Technical Education and Instructional Services at Orleans/Niagara BOCES in Sanborn, N.Y. Before taking over the reins of the two programs, he was the principal at Orleans Career and Technical Education Center in Medina, N.Y. He has been with BOCES for nearly eight years. He and his wife, Jennifer Roberts Weyrauch ’02, live in Corfu, N.Y., with their three daughters. Robert C. Whitaker Jr. ’02 was selected for inclusion in “Upstate New York Super Lawyers” for 2019. He is a partner in the Labor and Employment, Construction and Intellectual Property Practices at Hancock Estabrook in Syracuse, N.Y. He is the chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Department and leader of the Military Law Practice, and he formerly served as chair
of the firm’s Hiring Committee. He and his wife, Jennifer Meister Whitaker ’01 M’02, live in Camillus, N.Y. Tammy Farrell M’03 CAS’10 is the principal of Groton (N.Y.) Junior-Senior High School. She has been in education for 20 years, having worked as a juvenile justice services alternative education teacher and coordinator, a sixth-grade math and science teacher in the Syracuse City School District, a sixth-grade teacher in the Marcellus Central School District, a director of curriculum, instruction and special programs at the Hannibal Central School District, an independent contractor and school improvement consultant with PLC Associates, and New York State Department of Education outside education expert.
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