Virginia Tech Turf Team
Director’s Corner
Meaningful Partnerships through VTC-EI
Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-5807 askew@vt.edu
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
The
VTC Environmental Institute meets critical needs during these challenging and changing times. Anti-industry pressures come from many sources including legislative and regulatory decrees, newspaper and magazine articles, and many more. Realizing that most of the rhetoric was coming from persons not fully informed but who share our deep concerns about the environment, we formed the Institute to work together towards solutions. We are serving as a bridge with the goal of promoting dialogue and collaboration instead of stereotyping and compartmentalizing. In just under four years, the Environmental Institute achieved tremendous success – meaningful partnerships have been established. Such partnerships were considered impossible a few years ago and they reveal the willingness of individuals and associations to join hands and work together on issues that affect the green industry and the environment. We are connecting our industry with environmental groups, regulatory agencies, elected officials, and schools training young persons for leadership positions. As you know, negative stereotypes about the turf and landscape industry abound. Repeatedly, those stereotypes are shattered and industry adverse laws and regulations are prevented when persons realize our value. Please give generously so we can continue our great work for you, the industry professional. Your contributions are tax-deductible because the VTC Environmental Institute is a 501(c)3 corporation.
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
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Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757-363-3900 adelpozo@vt.edu Jeffrey F. Derr, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757-363-3912 jderr@vt.edu Mike Goatley Jr., Ph.D. Virginia Tech 420 Smyth Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-2951 goatley@vt.edu David McCall, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9598 dsmccall@vt.edu Dan Sandor, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 170 Drillfield Dr. 411 Price Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9775 dsandor@vt.edu WITH SUPPORT FROM:
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8 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL January/February 2024 www.vaturf.org
Thomas P. Kuhar, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Dept. of Entomology 216 Price Hall 170 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-6129 tkuhar@vt.edu
