From The President's Desk:

It is an honor to be a part of PNWSTMA. I am looking forward to working with the team of people who built the organization and to move PNWSTMA forward on this solid foundation.

During my years in the industry, many sports turf managers have told me how limited your budget is, how few employees you have, and how much wear your sports fields take. And yet in spite of all the challenges, when I visit your fields, many of them are in excellent condition. I know how seriously you take your position as sport turf managers and that the recognition for the hard work you do to make a field playable and aesthetically attractive is hard won.

In saying this, I would like you to recognize that you are the most important asset PNWSTMA has. You know what it takes to make a field last long past when it was due to retire. You know how to take a budget and stretch it and you know how to create some of the best fields anywhere.

In the coming months, I hope you will come together with PNWSTMA and share what works for you and might help others in the future. In addition, it is time to strengthen the organization so those who manage sports fields are recognized for your knowledge and for the hard work you do.

An organization is only as good as its membership and their participation. As your new president, I encourage you to get involved.

Tell us what you want from PNWSTMA. For example, should PNWSTMA to be a source of turf education? How about a certification program for sports turf managers? Should we be a source for pesticide recertification credits?

This is your organization, but we need to know how we can serve you. The only way for us to know how is for you to tell us. Let's hear from you and please get involved. You can e mail me anytime at 2dognite@whidbey.com or president@pnwstma.org

Let's move forward together!

Laura Strehlau, MBA