Chattanooga Director Of Park Maintenance Elected To National Board Of Directors

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Sports Turf Managers Association, the professional organization for 2,700 men and women who manage sports fields worldwide who are critical to the safety of athletes and coaches has named its 2019 board of directors, which includes Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Director James Bergdoll.

Jody Gill, Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) and Grounds Coordinator at Blue Valley School District in Overland Park (Kansas) has been elected President.

Gill will serve a one-year term.

“Throughout my professional career, STMA has always supported my pursuit of knowledge and growth in the sports turf industry,” said Jody Gill, newly-elected president. “It is a privilege to contribute to our organization’s continual growth and collaborate with colleagues to elevate the importance of maintaining safe playing fields globally.”

Other officers elected to the board include:

Immediate Past President – Sarah Martin, Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) and Foreman I and Turf Manager, Reach 11 Sports Complex for the City of Phoenix, Arizona
President-Elect – Jimmy Simpson, CSFM, Facilities Management Coordinator, Town of Cary (Cary, N.C.)
Commercial Vice President – Boyd Montgomery, CSFM, Certified Sales Executive (CSE), Regional Business Manager, The Toro Company (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Secretary / Treasurer – Nick McKenna, CSFM, Assistant Athletic Field Maintenance Manager, Texas A&M (College Station, Texas)

The director fulfilling a second-year term is:

Academic Director – Jason Kruse, Ph.D., University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
Parks and Recreation Director – James Bergdoll, CSFM, Director of Park Maintenance, City of Chattanooga Public Works (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Members elected to director positions include:

Professional Facilities Director – Stephen Lord, CSFM, Head Groundskeeper, Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Commercial Director – Jeremy Bohonko, National Sports Field Specialist, Ewing Irrigation and Landscape Supply (North Charlotte, N.C.)
At-Large Elected Director – Clark Cox, CSFM, Assistant Athletics Director of Sports Turf and Landscaping, University of South Carolina (Columbia, S.C.)

Members appointed to director positions include:

K-12 Director – Jeremy Driscoll, Grounds Supervisor, St. Marks High School (Wilmington, Del.)
Higher Education Director – Joshua Koss, CSFM, Landscape Services Manager, San Diego State University (San Diego, Calif.)
At-Large Appointed Director – Sun Roesslein, CSFM, NAAC Stadium Manager, Jeffco Schools (Golden, Colo.)

The Sports Turf Managers Association conducts its annual elections electronically in late November and the Board officially takes office during the Conference & Exhibition each January.

Next year’s event will be held in West Palm Beach, Fla. Jan. 14-17, 2020. The following year’s conference will be held in Savannah, Ga. Jan. 19-22, 2021.