PGMS Presents 2014 Awards at GIE+EXPO

Source: www.TurfMagazine.com

PGMS honored several grounds professionals with numerous awards as part of their annual Awards Dinner that took place Friday, Oct. 24 during the 2014 School of Grounds Management & GIE+EXPO held in Louisville, Kentucky.

David Davis, CGM of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, received the PGMS Special Award of Distinguished Service, which recognizes outstanding service from a board or committee member. He was honored for organizing a community service event at the Odd Fellows Cemetery, a landmark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that had fallen into disrepair and needed help. The event had over 200 volunteers that came out to give their service to help cleanup much of the 13-acre site. 

PGMS recognized The Toro Company with the PGMS Gold Medal Award, given to an individual or entity to recognize them for outstanding and long-term achievements and/or contributions to the green industry. Toro was recognized for their long term support of the overall
green industry and PGMS as they have been a Platinum Partner in Professionalism for the past few years. In August of this year, they hosted PGMS for their Summer Regional Seminar and Site Visit event, providing attendees with a dynamic, behind the scenes tour of their headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota facility tour as well as highly informative education sessions. Lastly, they were honored for their innovative products and services they have given to the industry for the past 100 years.

Each year the PGMS president is asked to give a President’s Award to a member or members they feel have shown outstanding service and contributions to the Society. This year, Past President Walt Bonvell, CGM honored two professionals with this award. Mark Feist of American University in Washington, D.C., was honored for his dedication and countless hours in developing and working with the School of Grounds Management, as well as for his many years of presenting the Green Star Awards at the annual PGMS banquet that takes place as part of the annual School of Grounds Management & GIE+EXPO. John Doiron of Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, was also honored for his hard work in planning the PGMS Spring Regional Seminar and Site visit that took place this past March in Orlando, Florida, and was also commended for his efforts in traveling to NYC for the first branch development meeting for the Northeast New Jersey and New York City PGMS Branch. Lastly, he was honored for his dedication to the growth of PGMS and his efforts in bringing in PGMS Partners in Professionalism.