I am on my return flight from GCSAA Headquarters in Lawrence after the Chapter Leaders and Executives Symposium with MiGCSA President Jay Eccleton, CGCS. As I often do once I get on a plane returning from anywhere I tend to reflect, so I thought this is a perfect 1 hour and 15 minutes to get in a blog entry.
This is my third trip to GCSAA Headquarters and I have to say it is not quite as exciting or the same as my first experience years ago as the chapter delegate of the NMTMA, but I am always impressed by the amount of care and advocacy the staff in that building bring to the table for all of the members of the GCSAA and MiGCSA. I have not met a more dedicated group in any other section of my life. The field staff has really been put in place so more members can experience this extreme dedication to individual member needs, and that is the real key is individual contact. I know it has been said before but I wish every member could experience the GCSAA headquarters, but now the field staff can try to bring this experience to the members. I was also struck by the amount of times the MiGCSA was referenced during the various topics, and I am happy to say in a positive light.
This is also the second time I was able to network with my new set of piers, and what a fantastic source of information and unique point of views. It is very similar to the Superintendent profession, a small group of dedicated professionals with a very unique set of issues that is very hard to have others understand. I do have the unique advantage as some others do as well of being a Superintendent at heart. I relish the opportunity to learn more from them on the Association Management and to be of use to them on the Superintendent point of view.
I now look away from reflection and on to upcoming events. The MiGCSA Board will be gathering in Lansing at the Hancock Turfgrass research Center next week along with John Miller and Steve Randall from the GCSAA to have a strategic planning session for the MiGCSA. This is a requirement of the GCSAA affiliation agreement but is also a great way to benchmark our progress and to make sure our direction is understood. This will be the first strategic plan we have had since I have been in my new position.
It is spring, a time of new growth and renewal; I hope this will pertain to the MiGCSA as well as we make a path for the future of the Association in Michigan.
