Happy New Year from the IGCEMA!

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As we say goodbye to 2008, we are excited about the accomplishments and experiences of the past year, and we look forward to new opportunities for growth in 2009.

This year we saw our membership almost double, and we are closing in on the 600 member milestone. I have made it a personal goal to double our membership again in 2009 – please help me achieve this goal by continuing to spread the word!

Our 2008 annual elections saw three new Board Members added to replace the three original Board Members who retired this year. Blas Huezo, Dwayne Johnson, and Luke Spartalis are the new Members who are replacing Howard Horne, Jody Farber, and Scott Sanderson. For 2009 our Board of directors will consist of: President John Patterson, Vice President Bill Hughes, Secretary/Treasurer Mike Kriz, Karl Baumann, Skip Heinz, Blas Huezo, Dwayne Johnson, Ray Joyce, Frank McQuiggan, Luke Spartalis, and Hector Velazquez. Past President Stephen Tucker’s one-year tenure as a voting Member of the Board is completed, but Stephen will remain active in the Media Committee and other projects.

We will be attending the BIGGA Turf Management Expo (BTME) in Harrogate January 19 – 23, but we will not be hosting a booth at the show as planned, due to unforeseen costs. The Officers of the IGCEMA are constantly evaluating the budget, and we did not feel the value to our Membership warranted the costs associated with hosting a booth at the BTME. We feel it is important to attend the BTME, but we will attend the Golf Industry Show (GIS) two years in a row starting in 2010 in order to get on schedule for attendance with the major manufacturers at the BTME every other year, starting in 2012. Representing the IGCEMA at the BTME will be Past President Stephen Tucker, Secretary/Treasurer Mike Kriz, Board Member Frank McQuiggan, and me. I plan on presenting Webcasts from the hotel room after each day on the show floor to share our experiences. While at the show we will be spreading the word about the IGCEMA, and we will also be presenting the Edwin Budding Award to our 2008 winner, Eric Kulaas, while at Harrogate.

Past President Stephen Tucker will also be attending the GIS in 2009 in order to have the opportunity to meet with industry leaders and discuss the proposed plan for attracting more Technicians to the industry, in addition to reporting on new equipment developments displayed at the show.

The Technician Certification development process will continue to move forward in 2009. We have retained Mickie Rops Consulting to guide us through the process of researching program types and surveying all the stakeholders in the industry to determine what the best solution is to benefit the golf and turf industry as a whole. Our first survey of the Membership indicated tremendous support for a standardized certification program, but we need to get input from the whole industry to make sure we do it right.

Even though the economic forecast for 2009 is not encouraging, we will also continue to negotiate with potential supporters for sponsorship of environmental and educational programs to be supplied to our active members free of charge. We are also constantly seeking new advertisers for the website to help support our educational and certification programs.

The IGCEMA has committed to presenting the first Virtual Trade Show (VTS) for our industry in order to assist our many manufacturers, suppliers, and educators reach their target audience with the most cost-effective medium; the internet. We will be assembling the VTS committee soon to begin putting this ambitious project together. If you, or someone you know, has some time to spare volunteering on a committee, now is the time to step up.

Of course, we will continue to expand our educational webcast program in 2009, and look forward to providing more webcasts and video presentations each month.

On behalf of the IGCEMA Board of Directors, thank you for your active participation in association activities, and supporting our many advertisers who make this all possible without charging dues or fees for membership.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year!

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