The President’s Corner

By Scott Hollister, TOCA Board President

For those of us who have been a part of TOCA for more than a few years, the fact that the upcoming annual meeting in Charlotte, N.C., April 30-May 2, will be the organization’s 30th such gathering is pretty hard to fathom.

The organization’s first annual meeting in 1989 drew just 17 attendees to Atlanta. There were no guarantees that TOCA would even make it to annual meeting No. 2, but here we sit three decades later.

We have the gold standard for communications-focused professional development events in the green industry. We have an overall membership that has grown well north of 200. We have a communications contest that routinely attracts more than 400 entries. We’re sound financially, have a dedicated executive management company in Gardner & Gardner Communications, and have an involved and invested board of directors.

So, yeah, there is plenty to celebrate as we head to the Queen City for our 30th annual meeting. But as healthy as I believe it is to reflect on past successes, doing that at the expense of examining where you are currently and where you’re headed is a recipe for trouble.

That’s why I was so encouraged by the results of a strategic planning meeting that took place in late February in Fort Myers, Fla. Led by consultant Steve Drake, the meeting brought together many members of TOCA’s board of directors and management staff to look ahead, set organizational goals and determine the best path to reach those goals.

I won’t go into too many details about the outcomes of that meeting. Those who attend the annual business meeting in Charlotte will get a full debrief. But I will tell you that the same ethos that has guided TOCA for the past 30 years – a desire to come together to network, refine our professional skills and celebrate the work that we all do – was front and center during these meetings and will remain key in ensuring that we all achieve what we set out to do during the strategic planning meeting.

We talked about increased educational opportunities for our members. We talked about using technology more efficiently and more consistently. And we talked about making sure our flagship event, the annual meeting, doesn’t rest on its laurels and continues to innovate and improve. We also are cognizant of meeting the needs of our new members, many young professionals whose needs may not match those who met in Atlanta 30 years ago.

For those heading to Charlotte, you’ll find we didn’t wait for the strategic plan to put that last one into place, with plenty of new offerings and special opportunities. Those tweaks will be most notable on Wednesday afternoon, as we combine two traditional offerings – our golf outing and our informational tour – into one great new event.

Our visit to Charlotte happens to correspond with the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club. We decided we couldn’t pass up this unique opportunity and will be combining golf (no, we’re not playing in the tournament) and the tour for a special behind-the-scenes visit to Quail Hollow. We’ll visit with Superintendent Keith Wood and PGA Tour agronomy team members, get an idea of what goes into preparations for a professional golf event, tour both the maintenance facility and the media center, and have a little time to walk the grounds and watch a little golf (for those inclined to stay past the official activities).

Consider it a sneak preview into what will come out of our strategic planning efforts and just another example of TOCA working to meet your expectations and make your membership experience that much better.

The years ahead hold much promise for you personally and professionally as a TOCA member. Use this year’s meeting to make your commitment to get involved in a committee, enter the contest (deadline coming soon) and get the most out of the professional development offered to you.

Our first TOCA President Jerry Roche said 30 years ago, when TOCA was organized, “How on earth are we going to get people who compete with each other every day to work together as an effective professional organization?”

Five years ago, when he was inducted into the TOCA Hall of Fame, he saw first-hand what did happen when those people got together. We are all eager to continue for the next 30 years what Roche and others started in the late 1980s. We want you to be part of that effort as we work to be relevant in your professional lives. See you in Charlotte!