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Alabama Turf Times – Melanie Bonds

The Deep South Turf Expo Committee is pleased to announce their keynote speaker line-up for the 2022 Expo October 24th through the 27th at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.

First up, on October 26th in the morning session is Jeff McManus! When Jeff was 37, the University of Mississippi hired him as the Director of the newly formed Landscape Services Department. As one of the most junior directors on campus the immediate challenges that faced him were staggering – exceptionally low morale with an unacceptable lack of productivity. In many ways, the Ole Miss landscape services was actually an extreme example of the same problems facing many organizations then and today.

Jeff believed the challenges could be overcome with focused team effort. So, he established a four-step process he calls “The GROW System.” Jeff works from the position that everybody wants to be successful, and they can by recognizing their personal potential. Great Teams, Raising Results, Offense Scores and Winning Attitudes formed Jeff’s GROW System.

Jeff has been praised by Forbes and the Huffington Post for his book, Growing Weeders into Leaders, where he shares how his team went from last place to being on the national stage. It wasn’t long before Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS), Newsweek, Princeton Review and USA Today all recognized Jeff’s teamwork and awarded their efforts with the nation’s most beautiful campus designation.

Jeff’s presentation is a must for those in the industry wanting to cultivate leaders. Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in Landscape and Ornamental Horticulture from Auburn University and is a Certified Arborist.

The Committee is delighted to announce that Dr. Pat Cobb, retired entomologist with Auburn University, will present as a keynote speaker on Wednesday. Pat Cobb is a veteran Extension specialist who served the state of Alabama for 20 years. She is a native of Prattville, Alabama, with a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in entomology and a Ph.D. in entomology. During her tenure with Extension, she served as an extension specialist on the state staff and an Extension entomologist and professor in the Auburn University Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. Pat’s former students will be delighted to re-connect with her, and if you haven’t met Pat, you should take the opportunity to meet her at the Deep South Turf Expo! Those that know her will agree, her nuggets of information “are as rare as hen’s teeth”!

Drs. Jay McCurdy (Mississippi State), Scott McElroy (Auburn University) and Pawel Petelewicz (University of Florida) will present in the afternoon session. Their presentation, “A New Look at News of the (Herbicide) World” describes exciting new herbicides on the market, and a few old ones that have been revamped. Join them for a discussion about where these herbicides fit in a weed management program and how they may help overcome some of the challenges faced by practitioners. The panel will also be discussing pending regulation of herbicides and just how it affects end users.

In addition to the speakers, this year’s tradeshow will be held on Wednesday afternoon in conjunction with some of the speakers and book signings by Jeff McManus and Dr. Cobb. Wednesday is also when we hold the host organization’s annual business meetings, so please come prepared to “Stay the course” on Wednesday!

For a complete description of this year’s Deep South Program please visit DeepSouthTurfExpo.org