The 2015 season is now officially in the books. Many of you are probably in the middle of budgeting for 2016, I find that this is also prime time to reflect on your personal growth and the goals that you may have set for the year. Whether setting goals with my crew or setting goals with my supervisor, I have always utilized goals to help fulfill my responsibilities – and even guide my career. I would like to take this opportunity to perhaps suggest a goal or two that might push you out of your comfort zone but will allow you to grow professionally.
Undoubtedly, you have probably heard of the GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador program. You may have even toyed with the notion of becoming a Grassroots Ambassador but felt that it would be too much of an undertaking. I want to encourage you to take a second look. So far, the Northwest region has filled 22 of 47 possible positions including the completed states of Alaska and Idaho and with just one each remaining in Montana and Wyoming.
"...you are simply developing a relationship with that person or their staff member and you do that by just telling your story."
The goal of the Grassroots Ambassador program is simple. By the end of the day, GCSAA would like to make sure that each member of congress knows our industry's position on a particular issue across all 50 states. This will be accomplished by matching a GCSAA member with each member of congress, as well as each state senator. GCSAA will support the Grassroots Ambassadors through training and regular communication and offers the opportunity to attend the Grassroots Ambassadors boot camp at the Golf Industry Show. As an ambassador, you will not only be that person that conveys our position, but you will also serve as the go-to person for that congressman or congresswoman when they have a particular question regarding our industry. In a nutshell, you are simply developing a relationship with that person or their staff member and you do that by just telling your story.
The Northwest has been a hotbed for activists that are trying to take pesticides off the market. Cities such as Durango, Boulder, Portland, Seattle, Spokane and Eugene are just some that are constantly under pressure to outlaw the use of pesticides. If you are a pesticide user in these areas, you are commonly viewed as the enemy.
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but we need to tell our story as to why golf courses are safe for the environment; explain how when used properly, and by the label, pesticides are safe to use. Ken Gorzycki, CGCS of Horseshoe Bay Resort in Texas, said it best, “if we are not at the table then we are going to be on the menu.”
I am including an up-to-date list of the Northwest Grassroots Ambassadors. If you know any of them, please feel free to reach out and thank them for serving your association. If you feel that you are up to taking on a position, please contact me at dphipps@gcsaa.org or contact Kaelyn Seymour directly at kseymour@gcsaa.org . Also, ambassadors receive .25 service points per year for completing their 2 member touches per year, and .50 education point per year for completing 50% of the events on the engagement calendar.
Let’s take this bull by the horns and speak up for our industry!
Congressional District
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Member of Congress
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Ambassador
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ALASKA
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AK-AL
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Don Edwin Young
|
John Krull
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Senator Murkowski
|
Amos Stephens
|
|
Senator Sullivan
|
Marty Bauman
|
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COLORADO
|
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CO-01
|
Diana DeGette
|
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CO-02
|
Jared Polis
|
|
CO-03
|
Scott Tipton
|
|
CO-04
|
Kenneth Buck
|
|
CO-05
|
Doug Lamborn
|
|
CO-06
|
Mike Coffman
|
|
CO-07
|
Ed Perlmutter
|
|
Senator Bennett
|
||
Senator Gardney
|
Zach Bauer
|
|
IDAHO
|
||
ID-01
|
Raul Labrado
|
Eric McCormick
|
ID-02
|
Mike Simpson
|
Adam Bagwell, CGCS
|
Senator Crapo
|
Kevin Hicks
|
|
Senator Risch
|
Gerald Flaherty, CGCS
|
|
MONTANA
|
||
MT-AL
|
Ryan Zinke
|
Dan Rootes
|
Senator Tester
|
||
Senator Daines
|
Dane Gamble
|
|
OREGON
|
||
OR-01
|
Suzanne Bonamici
|
Mike Turner, CGCS
|
OR-02
|
Greg Walden
|
Richard Jensen
|
OR-03
|
Earl Blumenauer
|
|
OR-04
|
Peter DeFazio
|
Chris Gaughan, CGCS
|
OR-05
|
Kurt Schrader
|
Brian Koffler
|
Senator Wyden
|
Chuck Wolsborn
|
|
Senator Merkley
|
||
UTAH
|
||
UT-01
|
Rob Bishop
|
Thomas Rhoades
|
UT-02
|
Chris Steward
|
|
UT-03
|
Jason Chaffetz
|
|
UT-04
|
Mia Love
|
T.A. Barker, Jr
|
Senator Hatch
|
||
Senator Lee
|
||
WASHINGTON
|
||
WA-01
|
Suzan DelBene
|
|
WA-02
|
Rick Larsen
|
Jacob Close
|
WA-03
|
Jaime Herrera Beutler
|
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WA-04
|
Daniel Newhouse
|
Bo Lacy, CGCS
|
WA-05
|
Cathy McMorris Ridger
|
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WA-06
|
Derek Kilmer
|
|
WA-07
|
Jim McDermott
|
|
WA-08
|
Dave Reichert
|
Marcus Harness
|
WA-09
|
Adam Smith
|
|
WA-10
|
Denny Heck
|
Tony Bubenas, CGCS
|
Senator Murray
|
Scott Phelps, CGCS
|
|
Senator Cantwell
|
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Wyoming
|
||
WY-AL
|
Cynthia Lummis
|
Jeffrey Jensen
|
Senator Enzi
|
Dwayne Dillinger, CGCS
|
|
Senator Barrasso
|
Jason Busch
|
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