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For Secretary/Treasurer
Mark D. Kuhns, CGCS

Mark D. Kuhns, CGCS, has been the director of grounds at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., since 1999. Previously, he served as superintendent at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pa., and Ligonier (Pa.) Country Club. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Penn State University in University Park. A 26-year member of GCSAA and a member of the board since 2003, Kuhns currently serves as chairman of the Education and Tournament committees. Kuhns is a member of the GCSA of New Jersey. He also is a member and past president of the Mountain & Valley GCSA and holds membership in the Greater Pittsburgh GCSA. He is a director of the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research Foundation, and a member of the New Jersey Turfgrass Association, the Tri-State Turfgrass Research Foundation and the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation.

Statement
It is a great honor to be a candidate for GCSAA secretary/treasurer. It’s hard to believe that almost four years have passed since being elected to the board. It has truly been a fulfillment of a lifelong commitment to our profession and our industry.

Being a director has been a very challenging task at times. We face many important issues and challenges that have a direct bearing on the future goals and needs of our membership. Building a strong organization and fulfilling the educations and career needs of our members will always be a top priority on our agenda.
A very important challenge over the past several years has been membership growth and retention. Our current membership initiative includes personal contacts by committee members, chapter liaisons and staff. We must reach out to all nonaffiliated superintendents and demonstrate to them the importance of being a member of GCSAA. We must build and strengthen our relationships with all golf-related organizations and associations. We must demonstrate the positive financial impact and the numerous advantages that GCSAA superintendents will bring to their facilities.

We have clearly demonstrated our commitment to the industry by our leadership in developing the Golf Industry Show. We now have a comprehensive show that will truly benefit many associations and other entities involved in the successful operation of our facilities. We will continue to develop strong relationships with allied organizations. I firmly believe that this interaction will further highlight the professionalism of today’s superintendents and advance the overall career success of our members.

We must continually challenge our members to seek the highest level of professionalism. We will continue to demonstrate that GCSAA Class A and certified golf course superintendents have met the requirements to attain their distinguished designations. We will continually develop and promote the very best educational seminars and programs. We will encourage all of our members to take full advantage of these opportunities to maintain and elevate their expertise in golf course management.

Our commitment to our members has never been stronger. This commitment was clearly demonstrated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Many of our members were adversely affected by this disaster.

GCSAA was there to help these individuals with financial support to ease the burden of rebuilding their lives. We will constantly monitor and evaluate the needs of our members and respond to these concerns and situations in a timely manner.

Our board meetings now involve many of our chapter and other key leaders of our industry. We have benefited greatly from the input we have received from these individuals during our strategic planning sessions. We will continue to engage our membership through our utilization of committees, resource groups and chapter delegates.

These individuals have a key responsibility to help develop and maintain the many programs that GCSAA has to offer. Delegates have a key role to provide input, gather information, study new initiatives and disseminate this information to their chapters. The work of all of these individuals is essential to the success and development of GCSAA and the future role we will play in the industry as a whole.

I continue to have strong support from the members at Baltusrol Golf Club. I also have a strong home support team with my wife, Janet, and daughters, Elizabeth and Kristen. My son Stephen, and his wife, Janelle, now reside in Pittsburgh and will always be a part of my ventures. I want to thank the many members, friends and chapters that have supported me during my term on the board. I want to thank my home chapter, the GCSA of New Jersey, for being a pillar of support over the years. I am forever grateful for the wonderful opportunity and responsibility you have bestowed upon me over the past four years. I have a strong desire to continue my service on the board of GCSAA as secretary/ treasurer. We have many goals and challenges ahead of us.

Working together, we will create a stronger organization and a brighter future for all.

RECENT issues

December 2006	November 2006