Transcript

Doug Reid

Director of Development

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.  It’s great to be back at the turfgrass conference and show again this year.  Last year was my first opportunity to meet many of you at our first breakfast for friends and alumni of the UMass Amherst, Stockbridge, and Winter School turf program, and this is an annual tradition that we’re pleased to continue.  Especially with the remarkable progress that we’ve had this last year reaching out to folks in the industry.  We couldn’t have imagined just this last March how far we would come, and we’re truly grateful – and you’ll hear more about that this morning. 

As I see one gentleman here today I’m reminded of the legacy we gather to celebrate, a legacy that was launched in 1927 by Professor Lawrence Dickinson, and one that each of you is part of.  I was fortunate to sit on in a class by Geoffrey Cornish during the recent Winter School session.  There are so many parts of the legacy of the turf program at UMass Amherst and Geoffrey Cornish is certainly part of that great tradition.  In advance of his class he’d told me, and as you know he’s an extraordinarily modest man, that he has met with each and every Winter School for Turf Manager class since 1937.  “But I missed three years,” he said, “during WWII.”  He was stationed abroad – and he couldn’t make it.  But by God he would have, and what he said was remarkable. 

Mr. Cornish’s class was a two-hour program, and the students were on the edge of their chairs, students from all over the world, men and women of all ages, listening to this man who has had such a legendary career, and he said something remarkable toward the end of his program.  “Among you I see several Sherwood Moores.”  And today we have Sherwood Moore right here with us, part of that tradition that we all celebrate, part of that legacy, and it’s a remarkable thing.  Half of the students came up after the class and had Geoff sign their textbooks, and he did it with unabashed modesty.  As I walked away from the classroom, I heard one young man say: “Oh man, that was the best class by far,” and I realized that he’d touched each and every one of them, and he’s been doing that for years. 

So much teaching is part of the great tradition of our turf program, and each of you has had a part in that, too, in terms of carrying that passion and expertise out into the industry, making the world a better place, and certainly celebrating golf.  So that’s a brief recollection that I have, part of my introduction to this remarkable industry over this last year.  I’ve enjoyed meeting many of you, and those who I haven’t met, I feel like I know you, because so many of your names are on the list of donors that we’re celebrating, one of the reasons we’re here today. 

I’d like to recognize some of the UMass delegation, starting with Steve Goodwin, Associate Dean of the College.  If you haven’t met Steve, I know he’s anxious to meet as many folks as he can.  Dr. Peter Veneman is here, Plant & Soil Sciences department head.  Because of Steve and Peter’s commitment and their unflagging energy and enthusiasm over these last months, this has been a lot of fun.  There’s no question about the university’s commitment to this program and its strong and vibrant future, and we’re trying to make it clear at every turn.  The UMass turf team:  Dr. Prasanta Bhowmik, Dr. Scott Ebdon, and Dr. Robert Wick.  Good morning, gentlemen, it’s great to have you here. 

A great part of the UMass turf team is Mary Owen, Jason Lanier, and Thom Griffin.  I want to say a brief word about Thom Griffin. I haven’t embarrassed him publicly and this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.  Thom Griffin has been the standard bearer of this campaign.  He started it when there wasn’t very much to celebrate.  He started it because he an opportunity.  He’s a guy who brings hard work to the task, but also a lot of heart.  He saw that there was an opportunity to create a booth because there is so much here in terms of tradition and legacy to celebrate.  He started the booth and he’s been carting that around the world with real pride.  He realized there was a desperate need to have a proper facility, a proper infrastructure for the program and for the Turf Research Center, and because of that vision and energy and determination, we’re where we are today, so a special thanks to Thom.  Without further ado, we’ve got some things to tell you about the tremendous progress and tremendous teamwork that has brought us to where we are.  With that, I’m going to ask Steve Goodwin to say a few words.

Steve Goodwin

Associate Dean

Thanks.  As an old college professor I feel right at home today because I’m very used to having no students sitting in the front row, so you’re making me feel very comfortable.  It really is a pleasure to be back at the New England Regional Turf Conference and Show.  It’s a conference that’s getting a lot of attention nationally, becoming recognized as one of the best shows in the country, so I think the organizers have reason to be proud of what they’ve accomplished with it.  I also should say that the dean wanted to be here with us this morning, but he’s unable to join us so I get a chance to step in to say a few words to you about the college and its commitment to the turf program and the kind of directions it would like to go with the program, so it really is an exciting day for us today. 

This is a great example of what the university and New England’s turf industry can do when they work together in partnership, and in particular the building campaign that we’ve been talking about for the past year.  I really have to begin by acknowledging Doug Reid’s efforts, because the truth of the matter is if it wasn’t for Doug, we really wouldn’t have very much to celebrate here this morning.  He’s been an instrumental force in the college, not just as a development officer, but really helping to change the culture within the college.  The fruits of his efforts of course we can see right on these blades of grass on the campaign chart.  Last year at this time we were right at the bottom there.  In spite of many well-intentioned fits and starts to build a building out at this site, we really hadn’t made any progress. 

Like the building campaign itself, the relationship between the New England turf industry and the UMass turf program has had its ups and downs as well, and I think the thing that’s important to emphasize today is what we’re doing to build a strong program that’s able to sustain itself.  We can all agree that what we really need is a program that can survive the vagaries of the university budget process and respond to the pressures that the turf industry in New England is under.   What we’re really looking do to is to build a strong program that can survive and thrive through good times and bad, and that has a strong future.  We certainly have taken some good steps.  The building is one of those good steps and I’m going to talk a little bit about where we stand with that in a few minutes, but there are some other steps we’ve taken too.  

We’re currently searching for a turf physiologist.  Bob Ruszala has agreed to serve on the search committee, and we are also reaching out to other leaders in the turf industry to meet with the candidates early in the process, so that we’ll get a range of feedback on the candidates for this position, so we’re excited about that as well. 

I should say a little bit about the building.  It always feels like arm waving until you actually see the spade in the ground, but the truth of the matter is we’re making tremendous progress.  The site plans are being completed, and we’re ready to develop a set of construction documents.  All the impediments to building this building have been removed, so as soon as we complete this campaign, we’re ready to break ground.  With the momentum that’s been developed in this campaign, we should be occupying that building this time next year. 

There have been several people who have really stepped forward and provided their time and effort to the leadership of the campaign.  Among those people are Scott Mackintosh from TurfLinks, a really nice person to be able to work with who really brings an energy and a real commitment to the process, he’s really been instrumental in helping us move this campaign forward.  In addition, there’s Jimmy Connelly, a tireless worker who is also just good-humored.  He’s a guy you just can’t help but be drawn to, and I know that a lot of you feel the same way about him.  His efforts on behalf of the campaign have been phenomenal.  Finally there’s Paul Miller who’s going to come up and speak to you in a few minutes.  I’ll say a few more things about his efforts just before I introduce him. 

I also want to acknowledge some of the people who have stepped forward with leadership commitments that have been tremendously important to the success of the campaign.  Ed and Carol Maguire provided early leadership support that is immensely appreciated.  In addition, Jimmy and Karen Connelly really stepped to the plate along with Paul and Joanne Harder.  Theirs is the kind of leadership that makes all the difference in a campaign, so we want to express our appreciation to them.  More recently, Geoffrey Cornish provided a leadership level of support not only for the building but also for the long-term operation and maintenance of the research center, and we are enormously grateful to him as well. 

In addition, I want to express my appreciation to the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation.  They really stepped forward for the campaign, but they’ve also shown a commitment to the things that need to be done to insure that we’re building the kind of strong program that we all desire, and we appreciate their efforts.  TurfLinks, as the first commercial donor to step forward and make a leadership commitment, has played a huge role in our success to date.  They’re a terrific group of people.  Their level of support is probably not a surprise to you because you all know what a bold person Kevin Lyons is, but I’m very impressed with his organization and their willingness to work with us. 

Finally, I want to introduce Paul Miller.  Paul’s been tireless in his efforts.  He’s brought together a group of golf course superintendents, a team of captains who have been the lynchpin that has moved the campaign forward to this point.  When Paul first signed onto the campaign he said, “I just want to do one big thing for the program and then I want to step into the background and let the next generation take over.”  While we really look forward to the next generation stepping to the plate, we certainly will miss Paul’s enthusiasm and energy.  He feels like a part of the family right now to us, and so, although we’re not going to ask you to work this hard in the future, we’re certainly not going to be willing to just let you slip gently into that good night.  We really appreciate your efforts, Paul.  Come on up.

Paul Miller

CGCS

Thank you Steve, those were very, very kind words.  It’s really a special time when you can step up and give something back to something that’s given you so much.  Growing up on the Cape, I remember going to a golf course, watching the superintendent and the staff, and thinking gee whiz, if I could ever get myself into a position where I could be out there in nature and enjoying that life.  Along the way, there was one person who really made a tremendous difference in my life as well as my son’s life, and that’s the person we’re here to dedicate the turf research center to, Joe Troll.  Joe was “The Man,” everything worked around Joe at the university.  There could not have been in the turf program more of a legacy than Joe Troll. 

When we started to put this fund together, I wanted to do it on a low-key basis.  This isn’t about any individual, this is a team effort, and I assured Doug when we started that this team is ready for this, this team is willing to do this, and all we need is a short-term point man, so I volunteered to step up.  And I think that, given the business we’re in and the pressures that we’re all under, this kind of response is incredible.  When you take ten industry leaders as captains, have them approach 20 people, and they can, on a very low key basis with no arm twisting, come up with almost 200 names, it is absolutely incredible, and I’d like to thank you people and give you all a round of applause for stepping to the plate. 

This is only the beginning.  I’m sure that you can get that sense with everything going on.  When we started talking in the beginning, our goal was $1.5 million and I begged everybody not to throw that number around, it would choke everyone.  So, the building being the start of it, the resurgence of the program and the commitment not only from industry and alumni but from the university as far as mentoring the program and getting more people involved and the faculty in, and then we get into the matching funds from the mother ship.  We are the people that will drive this.  The torch is in our hands now.  We have an incredible mechanism in place with Steve and Doug.  We will dictate some ideas for research, we will encourage them with things that are the hot buttons in the industry, things we want to know more about.  We’ll have advising groups who will help put this together.  The alumni will at last, long overdue, play a role in the turf program at the university.  It’s a very, very exciting time. 

Second of all – the upbeat nature that everybody has shown in this campaign.  I’m going to read the list of captains in a minute just so everybody can give them a round of applause, but it’s just been incredible.  This is a program that has just blended and everybody has played a role.  As you can see from the “No average Joe” buttons that are on the table, they’re two-fold.  This individual that we’re dedicating this to today, he is no average Joe, there is no question about it.  But neither is every one of you sitting in those seats that reached into your pockets.  When there are so many places that we can spend money today, and in a difficult time like this, and you all stepped up to the plate, I again want to give you all a round of applause today and thank you. 

The captains: these are people who had a mission.  These are people who called their friends to suggest that things are changing, and we want to send Joe off with an idea of the incredible legacy that he’s left us.  Here are the people who put their undying efforts into the hard calls of calling you and asking for money.  John Clark, Tommy Colombo, Jim Conant, and Charlie Cross from Long Island.  Charlie called me and he begged me to be a captain.  I said, “Well we’ve got ten, but we won’t say no to any help.”  Charlie said that he was so pleased to do something for this man who did so much for him, and that the guys down in Long Island would be happy to come to the plate.  So for those people who have stepped up with Charlie’s efforts, thank you very much.  Steve Curry, Gregg Grenert, Peter Hasak, and Don Hearn, someone who always steps up to the plate.  Wayne LaCroix, Ken Lallier, and, I have to tongue and cheek on this one, my old roommate, Jim Medieros.  And John O’Keefe in New Jersey, another part of a great team. 

The next phase of our fund raising will be working with the commercial people.  I personally didn’t think it was fair for us to go to the commercial end of the business until we got alumni involved and on board.  I mean, if we can’t help ourselves, we shouldn’t be asking these people to carry the torch for us.  In the interim, we tried to hand pick some people to get the word out to some of this industry, to see what we could be looking at as far as contributions.  It’s so difficult, because when you try to set these levels of fund raising, you don’t want to cut your nose off to spite your face and scare people away.  So you have to kind of plug a number in and try to get the flavor of how everybody feels about it. 

Well, needless to say, there are leaders and there are followers, and the first call I made was to some people that have established themselves as leaders in this industry.  In a short two or three years they have carried a torch for us in the industry as far as supporting everything that we do, and they see the bigger picture.  They look down the road and they get innovative and they have applied themselves in a way that we in the golf business can be very proud.  They set a very, very high standard with a very, very generous contribution and at this time I would like to really thank TurfLinks and Kevin Lyons and Scotty Mack for all their efforts. 

This will be something that, knowing the individuals involved, I know we can count on them to drive some of this research.  They knock on everybody’s door, they see the problems in the field, even problems that we might not identify on our particular sites.  Right now we’re looking at the possibility of starting a winter-tolerance study as the building goes up, that’s how excited everybody is with this.  And I know that these guys in particular will be right there to step up to the plate if we need.  That’s the support we need, from the rank and file down to the commercial end.  These people have come to the table and others will follow, but we had to get the alumni on board first.  TurfLinks kind of beat us to the punch and they came up with a very handsome contribution. 

Sawtelle Brothers has come in with a very nice contribution, adding to support from Geoff Cornish, Ed McGuire, Paul Harder, and Jim Connelly. The message here is that we’d like to keep the pressure on the commercial end.  That’s where our growth is going to be, and again, I would suggest doing it exactly like we’ve done it – low key.  We came to the table with our support, you people are deriving an income from this, you could come up and help us with some of the resources that will take us right over the top.  And with that, I’m going to call up the man of the hour, Joe Troll.  Having known Joe for years, I know he has a few things to say, but I just want to say one more thing here, that this man has stuck through thick and thin and he’s been with us every inch of the way.  To look at all the research that’s going to come out of this university now, it will come out of the Joe Troll Turf Research Center at the University of Massachusetts, and his name and legacy will live on, and you people all had a part in that.  This will be the sign that will be mounted at the turf facility and the research will be done all around this, Joe.

Joe Troll

Professor Emeritus

I’m extremely pleased and proud that the turf research center is going to be named after me.  It’s a great honor, really.  I think it was about 30 years ago when Dr. Bob Carrow and I wrote a letter to the Dean stating that the students wanted a piece of land specifically for turf research.  We were given use of the land in Sunderland on which we established the plots, and then bought two trailers for lab use, teaching, and also for maintenance.  Well finally, after all these years, these two shambled trailers are going to be replaced by a workable building. 

Another thing is the UMass program now has now entered a new era.  The present faculty is made up of research scientists and teachers who are well published in all aspects of turf management and construction.  They include Prasanta Bhowmik, weed specialist; Scott Ebdon, turf scientist; Dr. Pat Vittum, entomologist; Dr. John Clark, entomologist; Dr. Rob Wick, nematologist and plant pathologist; Thom Griffin, manager of the center who teaches irrigation; Mary Owens, turf specialist, Extension; and you’re going to get a new scientist who is shortly going to be hired by the university.  You have a great staff. 

The administration – Dean Cleve Willis, College of Natural Resources and the Environment, Dr. Peter Veneman, head of the department of Plant and Soil Science, and even the new Chancellor, Dr. John Lombardi – are all strong supporters and I think it is just wonderful that they’re all behind this program.  I want to sincerely thank all the contributors for their kindness and generosity, and for the committee of superintendents who gave of their time and their effort to bring this building campaign to realization. 

And finally, I retired close to 19 years ago, and when I think back at my tenure at the university, I was blessed with good students, all of whom are good people, then and presently.  And in my retirement, I really miss them.  And one other point, I have to thank my wife and my two children for putting up with me and standing by me.  Thank you very much.

Closing: Doug Reid

Thank you, Joe.  As you can see, it is great to be back here this year and to have had the success that we’ve seen over the last year.  There are so many more names to recognize – the danger of thanking people individually is that you forget key people.  But there is good news in that too.  We’ve still got some work to do ahead of us.  We have a donor list that’s been growing every week.  The easiest way to get your name on there is with a pledge form, and as luck would have it, we brought extras!  There are brochures down at the booth, and if you haven’t seen the booth, by all means, please do.  We’re going to bring both of these campaign pieces down after the breakfast so that people can see the progress that we’ve had to date, but also because of what we’re going to do, moving forward.  A couple more names that I wanted to recognize: Bill Spence was a speaker at our program last year and he’s been one of our key solicitors on the commercial side as we continue to uncover leadership support in that area.  I also want to mention Tom Flaherty and Erick Koskinen who have both been helping very quietly, championing this cause to pursue what we need to do on the commercial side given the extraordinary commitment that Kevin Lyons and his outstanding team has provided. 

I can’t help but recognize Dave Pease.  A year ago, he came up to us after our breakfast program and said, “You know, this has got me charged up.  We’ve got a lot of alumni in New Jersey who would like to get behind this project.”  It’s also been wonderful hearing from regional superintendents’ associations from throughout the New England area.  New Jersey was the first one in, because of Dave and John O’Keefe’s efforts – so thank you, gentlemen.  We’re also grateful for generous support from throughout the turf industry, including from MALCP, the Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals, and from NESTMA, the New England Sports Turf Managers Association.  They’ve been strong supporters behind this project. 

This is a broad-based campaign, and we’re not done yet.  The best news in the world is that we go right off that chart and raise more than our $700,000 goal.  But this is a remarkable start, and we are setting the stage for even more significant efforts in the future.  So my hat’s off to all of you for stepping up to make this happen.  Please keep in mind a couple of upcoming dates: our Field Day on June 23rd when we will have a more formal dedication for Dr. Troll at the facility; the Stockbridge School Alumni Association is hosting a golf event on June 15th at Red Tail, and part of the proceeds of that benefit are going to go to the turf building; and Bob Ruszala and Hickory Ridge will host a fund-raising tournament on October 5 to raise money for the building fund.  We’re going to raise the $700,000 that we need for this project, and we’re going to shoot above it.  Along the way we’re going to have a lot of fun and a lot of success, and it’s thanks to all of you.