OLCA Elects New Officers and Trustees

The Ohio Lawn Care Association (OLCA) recently announced the election of Officers and Trustees to its 2006 Board of Directors.  Officers serve a one-year term and Trustees serve three-year terms. OLCA proudly announced the following officers who will lead the association and Ohio's lawn care industry into the future:

• Bill Hoopes, former Director of Training with Scotts LawnService and Barefoot Grass and 2005 founder of Grass Roots Training, was elected President.  Hoopes, has been active in OLCA since 1990 and the 2002 President of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America. With a degree in Economics from the Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, Hoopes has focused his business career on management training and people development. His industry awards include Lawn and Landscape magazine's "Leadership Award" and the prestigious "Person of the Year Award" from Landscape Management magazine in 2002.
• Dave Winter, Advanced Turf Solutions, Hilliard, OH, was elected Vice President. Winter graduated from The Ohio State University in Turfgrass Management and has spent his last 14 years as a supplier for turf and horticultural products.
• Joyce Pelz, NaturaLawn of America, Akron, OH, was elected to the position of Secretary/Treasurer. Pelz has served on OLCA's Board for two years and is currently serving on the Finance and Membership Services Committees. She lives in the Akron area and is active in state and local chapters of the Audubon Society. She is a graduate of Youngstown State University.
• Jeff Bisker, Your Lawn, Inc., Ashville, OH, will serve the Executive Committee as Immediate Past President. Bisker has served on OLCA's Education, Membership and Legislative committees, and is also a member of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation and Professional LandCare Network.

Four new trustees began serving 3-year terms March 1, 2006 - February 28, 2009:

• Michael Maravich, LESCO, Inc., Cleveland, OH was elected to his first term as a Board Trustee.  Maravich graduated from OSU/ATI in 1997 with an Associates Degree in Landscape Contracting. He is currently employed with LESCO, Inc. as the product manager, for the Turf and Ornamental Fungicide division. Previous employment was with the Bruce Company of Wisconsin as the assistant superintendent of new golf construction.
• Carl Petelle, Turf & Earth Lawn Care., Dayton, OH has returned to the Board of Trustees. Carl has been involved with the association since 1991 and is a past President.  He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and former Vice President of Technical Service for Leisure Lawn.  Carl has spent 35 years in the green industry.
• Mike Sloma, UAP Professional Products, Columbus, OH was elected to his first term as a Board Trustee. Sloma attended the Ohio State University graduating in 1992 with a degree in Turf Management. He worked as a Golf Course Superintendent at Whetstone Golf Course near Marion for 4 years. He then went into sales selling Hunter golf Irrigation for 7 years. He joined UAP in November of 2003 selling chemicals and fertilizer to golf courses, lawn care companies and nurseries. 
• Chris Spellacy, Spellacy's Turf-Lawn, Inc., Galena, OH was elected to his first term as a Board Trustee.
   
  "OLCA offers many member benefits, including professional field days in Wooster and Columbus, safety training, education, plant and tissue testing, and a Worker's Comp group rating program," Hoopes says. "With a strong presence at the Ohio Statehouse, we actively protect the industry against harmful legislation, and along with the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, help co-sponsor the largest turf conference in the U.S. in early December.  To do this successfully takes the cooperation and vision of OLCA members, the Board, and its officers.  With the leadership recently elected by the nominating committee, OLCA can look forward to a healthy future!"

For more information, contact OLCA at 1100-H Brandywine Blvd.,  Zanesville, OH USA 43701-7303; Phone 800/510-5296; Fax 740/452-2552; E-mail info@OhioLawnCare.org, Web www.OhioLawncare.org.