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News from ATA
John David AndrusAt Large Board Representative
John David Andrus is a dedicated horticulturist and entrepreneur from Dothan, AL, who grew up in Opelika. He began his journey in landscaping by mowing lawns and taking on small projects in his neighborhood at the age of 10. A graduate of Auburn University in 2005, he majored in Landscape Horticulture and worked in local nurseries. In 2009, John David returned to Opelika from Woodstock, GA, where he had worked in landscape installation, to open a Spring-Green Lawn Care franchise. He has thrived as owner and operator there for 15 years. Under his leadership and direction his local Spring-Green grew from $0 – $1 million in gross revenue in eight years, the fastest in Spring-Green’s history.
A devoted father to two boys, Jake (14) and Luke (11), John David enjoys coaching them in sports and sharing the excitement of Auburn football and basketball games. He loves cooking, grilling, and reading fiction and philosophy. An avid mountain biker, he rides 30 – 50 miles each week, embracing the outdoors he has always cherished.
Nate LewisSod Representative
Nate grew up in Birmingham, AL and attended Auburn University where he studied turfgrass. Initially planning a career as a golf course superintendent, Nate got the opportunity to work at a sod farm and found his new passion. He graduated from Auburn in 2020 with a degree in Agronomy and Soils: Turfgrass. Nate was hired at Beck's Turf, Inc. directly out of school and serves as Vice President of Operations.
Camping, hunting, and spending time with his family are Nate’s favorite things. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Auburn with two children. They spend a great deal of time in church or traveling with family.
Nate is currently serving on the Deep South Turf Expo Board as a representative for ATA and he is looking forward to serving on the ATA Board of Directors.
Jarrod LigonAt Large Board Member
Jarrod grew up in a small town in Clay County, Alabama, where he developed a passion for the outdoors. An avid outdoorsman, Jarrod enjoys hunting and fishing in his free time. After high school, he began his career in turfgrass management, working at several golf courses in the Birmingham area for several years. He then spent a majority of his time with a landscaping and maintenance company that services much of the Southeast.
About eight years ago, Jarrod settled in Mobile, Alabama, and recently took on the role of Sports Turf Manager for the City of Daphne. In this position, he aims to further enhance his knowledge and skills in maintaining highquality turfgrass.
Chad WarrenAt Large Board Member
A native of Bessemer, Alabama, Chad has 34 years of experience in the lawn care industry. After receiving a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Bessemer State Technical College, he worked for a national lawn care service company for 10 years. Beginning as a technician, Chad advanced to Field Service Manager. For the past 24 years, Chad has owned and operated his own lawn care company, Warren Lawn Care, which is focused on providing “professional lawn care with a personal touch.” Chad is married to Kelly, who manages the office for their business. They have two children, Katie, who will graduate from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in December, and Jared, who is a junior at the University of Alabama – Birmingham. In his spare time, Chad enjoys fishing, golf, and playing guitar.
