Sports Field Management Association Conference and Exhibition 2027 Exhibitor List

John Mascaro is the President of Turf-Tec International. He is known for his Photo Quiz article that has appeared in Golf Course Management Magazine and SportsTurf Magazine.

Brad Park is a Research and Outreach Agronomist at Rutgers University, working with the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science.

CSFM, VP of Projects/Corporate Development for United Turf and Track.

CSFM

Dr. Andrew McNitt is a Professor of Soil Science at Penn State University.

CSFM

CSFM, Agriculture Teacher at Atlee High School in Virginia.

DAVID M. ANDERSON is a Director in the Score Group and is responsible for the global deployment and development of the company’s valve condition and performance monitoring products and services, which are focused on delivering emissions reductions, operating cost reductions, risk minimization and efficiency maximization for the benefit of all stakeholders. With 38 years of experience of working directly in the valve industry, David has worked in many roles. He is in his 28 th year of employment in the Score Group and has been involved in valve diagnostics and condition monitoring for over 20 years. David is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, a Chartered Quality Professional, a Member of the Chartered Quality Institute and a Member of the Institute of Asset Management. He is a time served Mechanical Engineering Technician by trade and has a wide array of Engineering and Business qualifications and is passionate about sharing his knowledge and coaching / mentoring others.

Dr. Nick Christians is a University Professor at Iowa State University.

John is the Emerging Mobility Technology Program Manager with the US Department of Transportation; and is also adjunct faculty in colleges of engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He previously served as the Director of Traffic Operations in Wisconsin and Iowa Departments of Transportation. While with Wisconsin, he also served as the State Traffic Engineer, and as the Freeway Operations Engineer and Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Manager for Metropolitan Milwaukee. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Traffic Control Engineer for the City of Milwaukee, and as a Construction Engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. John completed his undergraduate degree in Transportation Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1986, obtained a Master of Civil and Environmental Engineering degree through the University of Illinois-Chicago and UW-Madison, and earned a UW Certificate in Public Administration. He is active as a Fellow of both the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

In today’s world our fields continue to see more usage with little to no input from the turfgrass manager. This session will help attendees understand how to have difficult conversations about field usage, be better prepared for event/extra usage planning and generate ideas for low impact events that can help them and their organization.

Soil properties are not always well understood by many athletic field managers. Soil properties directly determine grass properties and playing surface properties that affect player performance and player safety. This presentation will present a review of basic aspects of soils. Soil physical, chemical and health properties will be highlighted.

Topdressing Sports Fields: What’s Right for Your Facility? Topdressing is often discussed as a desirable cultural management practice for sports turf; however, many do not fully understand the pros and cons of various options involved in deciding on whether and how to implement this practice at their facility. This presentation will summarize the knowledge needed to determine whether this practice is economically feasible and, if so, how to approach the logistical and agronomic issues needed to design a sound program. The logistics of delivering, storing and applying large volumes of topdressing material will be discussed. Additionally, understanding the agronomic reasoning behind material selection (sand, compost, etc.) and the timing, frequency and material-quantities applied in a topdressing program will be discussed. By attending this session, participants will: – Gain a comprehensive perspective on the logistical issues involved with either implementing a topdressing program or enhancing an existing program. – Learn how to assess existing soil conditions and determine which materials are best suited to the soil and function of the sports field(s) being considered for a topdressing program. – Have a better understanding how to determine whether a topdressing program is right for their facility as well as how to enhance existing topdressing programs.