The Sports Turf Managers Association’s President-Elect Martin Kaufman, CSFM, has resigned from its Board of Directors effective today, due to a change in his membership category. Kaufman recently became employed by Turf Managers LLC, which moved him from a sports turf manager into the commercial category. Commercial members are unable to ascend to the Presidency, and STMA’s Bylaws require any officer on the presidential track who becomes employed in the commercial sector to resign within three months. Today is the three month mark. Kaufman was to ascend to the Presidency in January 2013 during STMA’s Annual Meeting.
“It has been a privilege to serve on the STMA Board for the past four years. I cherish my involvement with STMA, and certainly prize this period of time serving as a K-12 Director, Treasurer and President-Elect”, says Kaufman. STMA President James Michael Goatley, Jr., Ph.D. expresses his regret on Kaufman’s departure. “Martin has been a very valuable Board member and an outstanding representative of this industry, he says. We will miss his enthusiasm for serving STMA, but we realize that this new position is a great opportunity for Martin and his family.”When a President-Elect resigns, STMA’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) dictates that the President assumes the duties of the President-Elect and that the President and Immediate Past President each serve a second term. This means that for 2013, Goatley will remain President, and Troy Smith, CSFM, will continue as Immediate Past President. Secretary/Treasurer David Pinsonneault, CSFM will ascend to President-Elect during the annual meeting as scheduled. Also according to the SOP, Goatley has the authority to appoint a President-Elect for the remainder of Kaufman’s term, or to appoint a qualified member to fulfill the role of conference oversight, which is the primary responsibility of the President-Elect. Any appointee would not ascend to the presidency. “With just a few months left in this year, I am not appointing a President-Elect. However, I would like for Martin to continue to work on the conference. His in-depth knowledge of the conference planning thus far will help ensure that STMA will provide an excellent conference experience for our members,” says Goatley. Kaufman has agreed to continue to lead the conference oversight team. “I would be honored to continue to work on the STMA Conference,” said Kaufman.
STMA is the not-for-profit, professional association for the men and women who manage sports fields. Its 2,500 members oversee sports fields and facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums. The CSFM designation stands for Certified Sports Field Manager and is achieved and maintained through a combination of education, work experience, continuing education, and service to the industry. STMA has certified 144 members since the program began in 2000.