The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) elected and installed Michael Gildea, CGM, of the Chevy Chase Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland, as its new president. As the 103rd grounds management professional to hold the office, Gildea succeeds Roger Conner, CGM, CGT of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, as the chief elected officer of the more than 100-year-old green industry organization.
In addition to Gildea, PGMS members elected Donald Bottger, CGM, of the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, as president-elect. Vincent Jagodzinski, CGM, of SBD Outdoor in Valley City, Ohio, as vice-president, and Phil Richey of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, as treasurer.
The PGMS regional directors are as follows:
- Northeast Regional Director Dallas Cott, CGM, of Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
- North Central Regional Director Mark Baldwin, CGM of Oakland County – Facilities Maintenance & Operations in Waterford, Michigan
- Northwest Regional Director Christopher Hall, CGT of Richland School District in Richland, Washington
- Southeast Regional Director Jimmy Viars, CGM of Gloucester County Public Schools in Gloucester, Virginia
- South Central Regional Director Barbara Hatchel, CGM, CGT of Texas A&M University – SSC Services for Education in College Station, Texas
- Southwest Regional Director Sandra Obenour-Dowd of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona
The directors at large include:
- Brandon Haley, CGM of SSC Services for Education in Moody, Alabama
- Bill Quade of The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
- Bedia Collins, CGM, CGT of Fayette County Board of Education in Lexington, Kentucky
Roger Phelps of Stihl in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Joel Spies of Rainbow Ecoscience in Minnetonka, Minnesota, will serve as supplier member representatives. Kelly Kopp of Utah State University in Logan, Utah is the educator representative.
