Managing our
resources wisely

I appreciate the GCM staff allowing me this space to discuss a topic that has been the subject of frequent conversation since I came on board last July.

Wherever I go and with everyone I talk to, the economy is front and center. I hear countless stories of challenges to reduce expenses yet keep high-quality conditions. With that, GCSAA members, industry partners, allied associations and the media want to know what the association is doing to tighten its belt and wisely manage its resources. Those resources come to us as membership dues, advertising, user fees and sponsorships. All are critical to us serving GCSAA members.

As an association, our responsibility is to provide information, representation and education to benefit our members. Rather than cut programs and services in these difficult times, it’s vital to be there for the membership; and therein lies the challenge. In times like this we offer even greater career support; we focus additional communications to members concerning coping with the economic downturn; and we market even more aggressively your value to employers. We remain diligent in investing your resources wisely.

While dollars are tight, we haven’t shied away from aggressively seeking additional investment from inside and outside the golf course management industry. If we deliver value with new programs and services we can avoid cuts that impact members directly. GCSAA TV, introduced last month in New Orleans, is just one example of this effort.

We are fortunate to have a focused plan and budget process. By having our performance targets — known as indicators — we can assign dollars and staff time to the programs and services that matter most. We measure these indicators constantly to make sure our efforts result in progress toward the goals. If we’re not making progress, we re-evaluate to keep from throwing good money after bad results.

The board of directors also has direct input on the budget. After creating a plan and budget, the board goes over it line by line to evaluate how resources are being allocated and to what end. It serves as another set of checks and balances to ensure that dollars are used wisely. The board asks questions, makes suggestions and represents the member perspective to help us generate a completed business plan.

A significant amount of our budget is for staffing. I continue to be amazed at what our staff does on your behalf. But we realize cuts must sometimes be made. In the last two years, we’ve gone from 122 to 108 team members. We’ve made cuts in benefits, professional development and other areas of staff support. I mention this not to gain sympathy for staff or to suggest their plight is worse than anyone else’s. Rather, I communicate this to you to demonstrate that we are all in this together.

It’s often said that from struggle comes opportunity. I have no crystal ball that tells me when good times will return. However, I can tell you that we at GCSAA headquarters are committed to helping you succeed.