Although in existence for less than a year, the North Carolina branch of the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) is quickly becoming an invaluable resource for institutional grounds managers and facilities superintendents working in the Tarheel state.
After receiving its charter at PGMS’s 2004 Spring Board Meeting on March 5, the branch has hit the ground running, attracting nearly 20 members and holding several seminars on topics ranging from employee safety programs to water conservation initiatives. The branch’s last meeting on Oct, 13 featured renown urban forester, Dr. Tom Perry.
Realizing the networking opportunities and programs provided by it local branches makes it unique among national green industry professional organizations, PGMS has made a push in recent years to expand its offering of branches.
PGMS isn’t the only beneficiary of this expansion. Branch President Joe Jackson said the branch has provided an outlet for grounds managers in the state to improve their maintenance programs and foster professional camaraderie.
“It serves as a valuable network of knowledge saving members a lot of time they would have otherwise spent researching the latest in irrigation products or finding out through trial and error which anti-icing materials work best for their facilities,” explained Jackson, assistant director of facilities management at Duke University.
Although he has been involved in North Carolina’s green industry for three decades, Jackson says the formation of the branch has really opened his eyes as to the quality of grounds maintenance programs in the state.
“From my experience at Duke, I was familiar with the programs at similar universities such as University of North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest,” he said. “But I was pleasantly surprised to discover the level of interest and quality at smaller schools such as Fayetteville State and North Carolina A&T and the area’s corporate facilities.”
This has presented new opportunities for Branch members to form new friendships and share war stories others they wouldn’t have normally had access to. Alvin Marshall of Fayetteville State University said, “If you want to keep yourself motivated as a professional in the field and stay abreast of the latest trends, then branch membership is for you.”
While the branch’s focus is on serving grounds professionals, there is much to be gained by independent landscape contractors and other green industry professionals.
“The educational programs we offer are very relevant to such individuals,” said Marshall, “But of even more importance to them is the chance to network with members - many of whom outsource work – to find out what they are looking for.”
So far the branch has focused it membership drive on the Piedmont and Research Triangle areas, but would like to expand its reach to the state’s mountain and coastal areas in the near future. It is working to do this by establishing a presence at regional trade shows such as the North Carolina Nurseryman Tradeshow and member referrals.
To learn more about the branch, please contact Joe Jackson at 919/660-4280 or joe.jackson@duke.edu.