While all of the Green Industry publications are deserving of your review, PGMS has given an endorsement to Landscape Superintendent and Maintenance Professional based upon its content, readership and reach. It is more focused to those we represent than any other publication out there.

A word about PGMS, a non-profit individual membership society of grounds professionals, which enters its 95th year in 2006. Members include the complete breadth of grounds professionals in the service arm of the Green Industry. This includes grounds generalists, turf specialists, horticulturists, sports turf specialists, irrigation specialists and chemical applicators. The majority of PGMS members are institutional grounds managers working for colleges and universities, municipalities, park and recreation facilities, office parks, apartment complexes, hotels/motels, cemeteries, theme parks, etc. Membership also includes independent landscape contractors.

The Society defines a grounds manager as a member of a management team responsible for the operation and maintenance of a site or sites. The grounds manager is responsible for the management of staff, money, materials and equipment utilized in maintaining and enhancing a landscaped site including turf, trees, woody ornamentals and flowers, outdoor structures and related facilities. This can include roads, sidewalks, parking lot maintenance and repair (including snow removal).

All have joined together for the purpose of education and economic advancement. However, as it is not a trade association, PGMS is not concerned with organizations, but individuals. The ultimate goals are to assist the individual manager in developing techniques and management skills to assure an outstanding grounds management program for his or her organization, agency, department, firm or employers, and to upgrade the level of the profession. Simply stated, ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Key membership benefits include: Annual School of Grounds Management and Green Industry Expo, bi-monthly newsletter, the PGMS listserv, certification programs (Certified Grounds Manager and Grounds Technician Certification), free educational manuals, other manuals and videos, local branch meetings, Who?EUR??,,????'?????<

You might want to mark your calendars now for this year?EUR??,,????'?????<

In March (9-10) this year, PGMS will also launch its first regional visitation and mini-management school on the beautiful campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. For details on this or any other PGMS program, simply visit www.PGMS.org

The Society believes that there are four necessities to remaining a professional in the industry: 1) Being a member of the organization or organizations promoting professionalism in your field; 2) Attending educational conferences to advance your professional growth and refresh your skills; 3) Reading industry publications such as Landscape Superintendent and Maintenance Professional to stay abreast of the latest developments in the Green Industry; and 4) Achieving certification to reflect your commitment to your career.