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October 29 - 31
Green Industry & Equipment EXPO (GIE+EXPO)
Kentucky Exposition Center
Louisville, KY
October 30
TOCA Breakfast
Kentucky Exposition Center, Room TBD
Louisville, KY
February 10
GCSAA Breakfast reception at the Golf Industry Show (GIS)
San Diego, CA
May 5 - 7
21st annual meeting
Tucson, AZ
TOCA welcomes the following new members:
Soren Erickson, Padilla Speer Beardsley
Christopher S. Gray, Sr., Marvel Golf Club
Amy K. Hill, Moose River Media
Noreen Rich, Irrigation Association
Brooke Myrick, Leading Edge Communications
Welcome everyone!
Golfers braved the rain at the Rio Mar Country Club in the rain-shortened (for some) annual golf outing. Thanks to the diligence of the team of Lyle Orwig, Matthew Swaim and Den Gardner, their -4 under par score was a winner. It also should be noted they were the only group to finish the tournament. Kudos to the team for garnering first place in the event. For the other three groups – refreshments and food helped ease the sting of defeat.
Meanwhile, back in Old San Juan…TOCA members enjoyed taking a step back in history to the island of Puerto Rico, founded by Christopher Columbus in 1493 with his ship the Santa Maria. The tour climaxed with lunch at the Parrot Café and, despite a little rain, it did not dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm for what San Juan was like hundreds of years ago.
Highlights of the professional development workshops on Wednesday and Thursday, included:
- John Wuebben, CEO of Telegent Media, who spoke of optimizing your website writing with numerous examples on how to use all the social media to your advantage from a business standpoint.
- Kenneth Edward Piner, producer, broadcast and digital media, for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, who spoke about the nuts and bolts of podcasting and methods to bring the right information to your particular audience in an educational, yet entertaining way.
- Jim Paluch, JP Horizons, who presented his workshop on “Working Smarter with Leaner Staffs/Tools in Today’s Environment.” His inspirational words and exercises throughout Thursday afternoon brought TOCA members laughter, poignancy, plus key insights and knowledge to take back to their everyday work lives.
- The El Yunque Rainforest Tour on Thursday morning took members to Yokau Tower to get a breathtaking view of the rainforest, ocean and harbor; visits to Camitillo trail, and transfers to El Portal. Members saw such things as the world’s smallest orchid, all forms of animal life, from miniature frogs to iguanas, a look at the earthen digs where nutrient-enriched mud is used for mud packs at spas and much more. Oh, and by the way, it rained (surprise)!
- The afternoon program on Thursday concluded with the business meeting and a stirring closing speech from current president Ed Hiscock, who ended his two-year rein as TOCA board president. Ed noted the many strides being taken by TOCA, including the professional communications standards which will soon be approved by the TOCA board and then put to a vote by TOCA members.
Jim Paluch (pictured above) presenting "Working Smarter With Leaner Staffs/Tools In Today's Environment"
The business meeting followed, where the election of officers was the first piece of business. The group elected to lead TOCA for 2009-2010 included: Jared Bodnar, president; Margaret Bell, vice president; Bob West, secretary/treasurer; and the following directors: Debbie Clayton, McGavock Edwards, Felicia Gillham, Jason Schmaderer, Jared Bodnar, Troy Blewett, Ron Hall, Cindy Code, David Cassidy, Eric Schroder, Lacy Ravencraft, John Reitman and Helen Stone. Ed Hiscock moves to the position of past president and Bill Klutho leaves the board, having served the organization as a board member, board president and past board chair. Thanks Bill for all your contributions.
Other actions announced at the business meeting and passed earlier in the week by the TOCA Board of Directors included:
- Because of the recession, TOCA will likely finish in the red for the first time in its 20-year history. Fortunately, TOCA has a rainy day fund of mutual funds and certificates of deposit of approximately $75,000, which will be tapped to make up what will be a shortfall of about $10,000.
- The board chose Tucson, Ariz., for the 21st annual meeting. Dates are May 5-7, 2010.
- Despite the recession, TOCA had 90 percent of its corporate sponsors renew, some even increasing their sponsorship. Only three companies declined to renew their annual commitment to the organization. TOCA board and staff thank our long-time supporters. The board has been charged with finding one new corporate sponsor for 2010 at a fee of $1,000 or higher.
- The TOCA writing, photography and design contests had 401 entries this year, a slight decrease from last year and still the fourth most entries in its history. The TOCA board commented that this was an excellent response from members, especially in light of the recession. The board will continue to review the contest each year to provide the best opportunities for its members to be rewarded for their writing, photographic and design skills.
- The Green Industry and Equipment Expo breakfast reception is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 a.m. in Louisville. Bayer is the sponsor of this breakfast.
- The GCSAA Breakfast reception at the Golf Industry Show (GIS) is changing days because of the new format for the show, which includes a two-day trade show instead of three. The TOCA breakfast will be Wednesday, Feb. 10, in San Diego. Details to come.
- Syngenta introduced Matt Swaim of North Carolina State University as its Grower of Tomorrow award winner. As part of this award, Swaim will intern with Syngenta and his first order of business was attending the annual TOCA meeting. This is an annual program by Syngenta.
- The board agreed to continue its contribution to Project EverGreen, although it cut its cash contribution from $5,000 to $2,500. This national alliance of end-user associations, companies and green industry suppliers educates and informs consumers about the benefits of well-maintained green spaces. TOCA publications and agencies donated $250,000 of space and pro bono services to Project EverGreen in 2008-2009.
- For the fifth time, TOCA will have a printed directory, courtesy of New Holland. The directory will be mailed in the late fall, after new and renewal memberships are received for 2010. It will be sent to all members. Members will be asked to remove the contents from the 2009 directory and replace it in their three-ring binder with the new contents. It contains the association’s membership, bylaws and constitution and other important information about the association.
- The special committee formed to create TOCA Professional Communications Standards will provide its final document to the board of directors this summer. Then, the document will be sent to all members for approval. McGavock Edwards, as chair, and Ed Hiscock, who took the lead from the editorial side of the ledger, were the major drivers of this effort to put some form and substance regarding the relationship between editors and marketers.
The 2009 TOCA Scholarship Winner attended this year’s meeting. Jennie Love, a student at Longwood Gardens School of Horticulture in Pennsylvania, will graduate in the spring of 2010. She has won a number of awards and her communications experience is extensive. She has her own blog – www.pgjennielove.wordpress.com. She also has an extensive photography portfolio and an eight-year track record in publications management, marketing and outreach for various organizations.
Jennie was one of eight applicants vying for this year’s award.
The scholarship program is sponsored by GIE Media, Golf Course Management magazine, Moose River Media, M2 Media 360, TurfNet.com and Randall-Reilly.
The 2009 TOCA Environmental Communicator of the Year award, sponsored by Project EverGreen, was presented to Drs. Larry Stowell and Wendy Gelernter of PACE Turf.
The TOCA Environmental Communicator of the Year award is given annually to an active green industry member for outstanding efforts in communicating the benefits of environmental stewardship to a particular audience within the turf and ornamental industry. The winner must be a TOCA member or nominated by a TOCA member.
Drs. Stowell and Gelernter, founders of PACE Turf in San Diego, have been recognized for their “pioneering efforts” in turf research. PACE is a membership information service that provides extensive free public services including the PACE Turf Super Journal (an online turf research publication) and turf management guidelines.
According to Felicia Gillham, TOCA member who nominated them for the award, the couple increases environmental stewardship on turf in three ways: 1) via research, then identify effective strategies for turf management that reduce pesticide inputs while maintaining turf quality; 2) by translating science into practical turf recommendations, and 3) by distributing this information through teaching, contributions to trade journals and electronically through their website and email service.
“They apply common sense to all the complicated research data and snake oil remedies flying around in the turf business, so I can make decisions based on real science explained to me simply by PACE Turf,” says Steve Bruton, director of construction and agronomy, Sheshan Golf Group, Shanghai, China.
Adds Mike Hathaway, golf course superintendent, The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Santa Fe, CA: “It’s a complicated business from time to time. Often there are so many things going on. It’s not that we don’t know where to look for information. But I rely on Wendy and Larry to cut to the chase.”
Stowell and Gelernter are the 11th recipients of the award. Previous winners of the award include Mark Welterlen, Grounds Maintenance magazine; Bill Love, W.R. Love Golf Architecture; Tim Doppel, Atwood Lawncare, Inc.; Doug Fender, Turf Producers International; Allen James, RISE; Ron Dodson, Audubon International; Jeff Gullickson, Spokane Country Club, Spokane, Wash.; Kevin Trotta, Grounds Manager & Turfgrass IPM Specialist, North Rockland Central School District, Cornwall, N., Helen Stone, publisher of Southwest Trees & Turf and President of Stone Peak Services, and a consortium of the allied golf associations of Colorado, which created a study on the economic and environmental impact of golf in Colorado.
The Syngenta Awards Banquet was another raucous affair, with excellent food and drink, surrounded by a slide show commemorating the 20th anniversary of TOCA in words and pictures. Thanks to the leadership of McGavock Edwards, Tracy Lathan and Evie Hornak of The Catevo Group, a masterful job was accomplished on the awards program. Special thanks to Evie, who coordinated much of the work for the presentation behind the scenes. McGavock and Tracy led the way as emcees of the event. Thanks to The Catevo Group for also publishing the annual meeting program.
During the evening, Ed Hiscock and Cindy Code were recognized as past presidents attending the San Juan meeting with a special ex-presidents gift. And, Shirley Bachmeier, who helped plan nearly a dozen of TOCA’s 20 meetings, was recognized for her years of work for the organization.
So, the 2009 TOCA annual meeting is history. Den Gardner wants to especially thank Barb Ulschmid for her tireless preparation work prior to and during the meeting. TOCA thanks all of its sponsors for making the meeting possible. And, a big thanks to all those members who, despite the severity of the recession and downturn in the Green Industry, showed their loyalty to the organization and attended the meeting.
And remember, TOCA meetings always look to the future. While we enjoy the camaraderie, appreciate the personal networking time you can’t get done at other trade shows, and enhance your professional skills through our workshops and be recognized for your communications skills through our contests, TOCA will always be about our family of editorial and marketing professionals. A little dysfunctional, but isn’t every family?
At the TOCA, Tocacabana (Tocacabana)
The hottest group north of Havana (here)
At the TOCA, Tocacabana
Music and laughter is all that we’re after
With TOCA – we have it all
See you next year in Tucson!
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