PGMS Announces Leadership, Recognizes Industry Professionals

The Green Industry Expo, held in Charlotte, N.C., Nov. 3 to 6 was a busy time for the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS). A co-sponsor of the season’s biggest trade show event, PGMS took the opportunity to elect new officers at its annual business meeting and also recognized members who have dedicated themselves to the organization and the industry.

NEW OFFICERS. Establishing its leadership for 2005, PGMS members elected Chris Fay, grounds manager at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, as the new volunteer president. Fay is the 83^rd grounds management professional to hold the highest office of the 93-year-old organization.

Additionally, Ellen Newel, assistant director of grounds services at Arizona State University became PGMS’s president elect; Michael Mongon of Fairview Country Club, Greenwich, Conn., became vice president; and Greg Nichols of Bryn Mawr college, Bryn Mawr, Pa., became treasurer.

Joining the PGMS board of directors is Kevin Harvey of St. Augustine’s/St. John’s Airport, St. Augustine, Fla., who was elected as director-at-large. Also, Joseph Jackson and Mike Loftus were re-elected as Southeast and Northeast regional directors, respectively. Jackson is the assistant director of facilities management at Duke University and Loftus serves as assistant director of facilities at the University of Delaware.

AWARD WINNERS. In addition to recognizing association leaders who hold elected posts, PGMS honored other leaders within the organization for their long-time dedication and hard work.

Receiving the inaugural E. Earl Wilson Award during a ceremony at GIE was Kevin O’Donnell, superintendent of grounds at Villanova University, Villanova, Pa. As a tribute to PGMS Past President E. Earl Wilson, the new award will be presented when deemed appropriate to an individual representing outstanding and sustained service and dedication to PGMS and the green industry as a whole.

O’Donnell has served as president of PGMS and on the GIE board of directors during the past 10 years and remains active in PGMS through committee work and by representing the society and professional grounds management work at several national conferences throughout the year.

Receiving another high honor, PGMS awarded George Toma with the society’s Gold Award. Previously presented only when deemed appropriate, PGMS has chosen to make the Gold Award an annual honor, recognizing an individual or entity for outstanding and long-term achievements and contributions to the green industry.

Toma is considered to be the world’s foremost expert on groundskeeping for athletic fields. With six decades of experiences, he has worked on every Super Bowl field and in 2001, the National Football League Hall of Fame presented Toma with the Daniel F. Reeves Pioneer Award to acknowledge his contributions to professional football. Toma was only the sixth person to receive this award.

Also receiving awards at the PGMS ceremony were John Van Etten of Hoffman Development Corp., Albany, N.Y., and Monica Higgins of Shadow Glen golf Club, Olathe, Kan. Van Etten and Higgins received the President’s Award in recognition of their service as outstanding society volunteers. Van Etten has worked to further the organization’s Green Star Awards and certification programs and Higgins has focused on generating interest in branch development in the south central region of PGMS.