From the President’s Pen >>>
A GREAT YEAR AHEAD
Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022
Hi,
my name is Ben Anderson and it is my privilege to serve as the Alabama Turfgrass Association President for the upcoming year. I have been in the golf course industry for almost 20 years and I am currently the Superintendent at Arrowhead Country Club in Montgomery. I have been on the ATA board for five years now. I also serve on the Deep South Turf Expo board and I am a Grassroots Ambassador for the GCSAA. During my time so far on the ATA board, I have really enjoyed getting involved and communicating with others in the turfgrass industry. Being an ATA member, you get a completely different perspective when you learn what others in your industry are doing and, of course, I have picked up some great pointers along the way. There is a huge value in being an ATA member. The educational opportunities with the Annual ATA Road Shows offer pesticide points, vendor booths, and great guest speakers. We host other great events such as golf tournaments, a skeet shoot, and ATA is heavily involved with the Annual Deep South Turf Expo in Biloxi. The ATA Alabama Turf Times publication always has amazing educational articles and helps keep us all connected. The excellent membership directory and resource guide not only makes it easy to connect and communicate with each other, but the guide in the back for sod resources is a huge help and time saver. When I first became an ATA Board member, there were so many great people already serving. I immediately felt welcomed and was amazed at how much passion they all had for our industry. I have made some lasting friendships that I would have never made if I hadn’t taken the opportunity to get involved. Past President, Deven Peek and I had an instant friendship, and his passion for involvement is motivating and contagious. Kim Byram, Glen Junkin, Tres’ Wilkinson, Dr. David Han, and many other members and educational advisors have served and steered our association with great care while serving the Board during my tenure. Because of those and the many others that came before that put in all the hard work to build this Association, I am proud to be the next ATA President. I can’t talk about hard work without mentioning Melanie Bonds and Tricia Roberts Clem. Melanie does more than most will ever know to manage the ATA in a manner that makes it easier to serve as a Board member and be involved with the Association. Both Melanie and Tricia strive to make the DSTE a success every year since it began in 2016. James Horton served on the board and is a Past President, and he still volunteers his time to the association, especially with publications. Joe Collins, CSFM, was the 2021 ATA President during the strangest, most unpredictable year ever due to COVID. Thank you Joe for your leadership and your ability to stay calm and collected. I look forward to continuing our friendship and working together on the board. Industry vendors play a huge supporting role as “Sponsors” of ATA. Without them, we would have much less to offer. Not only do Sponsors offset the cost of events and set up booths; they also stay involved and care about the people in the industry. I for one have leaned on some of these same sponsors at work this year to help me get parts and equipment during all the back orders and delays due to COVID. Thank you, to all our sponsors for everything you do. I look forward to the upcoming year. The 2022 Road Shows are right around the corner! If you have ever wondered about getting more involved with ATA or just have questions about the association, please contact Melanie or any of us on the board. We want to help you any way we can. Thanks to all our members for supporting ATA and for coming out to our events and taking the time to network. We want you to feel like you are a part of something that can help you grow! Let’s make 2022 a great year for the Turfgrass Industry.
Ben Anderson ATA President 6
Ben Anderson
2022 ATA ANNUAL SPONSORS GOL D • Bayer Environmental Science • Beard Equipment Company • Greenville Turf & Tractor • Harrell’s, Inc. • Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation • Simplot, Inc.
SI L VE R • BWI Companies • Corteva Agriscience • Ewing • Nufarm, Inc. • SiteOne Landscape Supply • Syngenta
BRON ZE • Agromax • BASF • GreenPoint Pro • PBI-Gordon • Southern States Turf • Sur-Line Turf • Walker/Wright Mowers
