The Treasure Coast Chapter holds a special place in my heart as it was my home chapter during my time as a superintendent. It brought me great joy when Chapter President Scott Macphee requested a GCSAA strategic planning session and board orientation exercise to help them pull together after the challenges of 2020. Steve Randall and I worked with the board of directors and Jennifer Bryan, executive director of the Florida GCSA. This board is committed to enhancing the offerings of the chapter and are working diligently behind the scenes to make sure established goals are met.

Communications to the membership were identified as an area that needed to be addressed. The group, which also included an advisory committee, developed goals that will help remedy any shortcomings in this area. The board has committed to site visits among the membership to have personal outreach and create an awareness of what direction the chapter is heading. These visits will serve as a means to bolster current membership numbers as well as create a stronger connection with the chapter for those members or non-members who are not participating in events.

Early publication of the event calendar was deemed essential to also drive greater participation at chapter functions with two additional educational events conducted prior to the end of the year which will provide value for the gatherings. In addition to communicating the calendar in a timely fashion, the board will utilize communication vehicles such as The Florida Green and the FGCSA website to get information to the membership. The use of the texting service provided by the FGCSA is being considered as an additional tool.

If the recent event at Pop Stroke for the Masters Watch Party and 2-person putting competition is any indication of the direction the chapter is taking, then things are looking up for the Treasure Coast Chapter. The event was well attended with ample prior communication promoting the day. There were nearly 70 individuals on hand for the event, and as I recall, a good time was enjoyed by all that attended.

There is still some heavy lifting the board needs to undertake but based on the early energy and commitment to the goals that were established the Treasure Coast Chapter is well suited to embrace the essence of their newly developed Mission Statement that reads, “The Treasure Coast Chapter exists to encourage camaraderie among members, provide educational opportunities while demonstrating environmental stewardship to promote the profession.”

I am truly looking forward to the future successes of the Treasure Coast Chapter. With that being said, I would strongly encourage any chapter leaders that find themselves in need of a little assistance to enrich the services and programs offered to their members to reach out to your local GCSAA field staff representative. We are happy to provide this service with the desire of serving our members through strong local chapters.