CFSTMA maintains a Board of volunteer Directors. Terms are a period of 2 years with elections every other December. We are always looking for dedicated volunteers to help on sub committees i.e. Memberships, Field Days etc. Please contact centralfloridastma@gmail.com if you are interested in helping our member driven association.
President – Robert Julian
Rob is the Advent Health Training Center’s Director of Athletic Fields and Grounds at One Buccaneer Place for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 1993. Rob has been a Member of National STMA since 1999 and CFSTMA since its inception in 1990. He has served as CFSTMA Treasurer since 2015, President Elect and now President of the association.
President Elect – Christopher Lessig
Chris has worked in the Parks and Recreation industry as a County and Municipal Parks Superintendent and County Parks Director for the past 25 years. He is currently a Volusia County Parks & Recreation manager. He is a graduate of Penn State University, Slippery Rock University and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom College Program; Chris has served as secretery on the CFSTMA Board since 2016. He is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional and graduate of NRPA’s Maintenance Management School.
Treasurer – Dale Croft, CSFM Orange County Public Schools
Dale has been involved with various stages of the Green Industries since 1984 and hold several certifications within the industry. He became involved with STMA in 2010. Then he became an active member in CFSTMA to include the honor of severing its members for two terms as the association President, Past President. and now Treasurer.
Secretary – Mathew Carroll – Marketing Specialist for Western Florida with FMC
Matt currently works for FMC as the Western Florida T&O Market Specialist. He has been in the green industry well before attaining his BS from The Ohio State University. He started mowing his neighbors’ lawns even before he could load the mower in the back of his dad’s trunk by himself. Matt’s first official job had him working on the greens staff at the local Wooster CC. The superintendent, Scott MClain, informed Matt of the potential career he could have maintaining professional turf. This encouragement and direction led him to seek out the Turfgrass Science program at Ohio State’s main campus in Columbus. Matt enjoyed several internships and on the job training while in school. After completing his degree in 2006, Matt enjoyed his first two positions in and around Washington DC. He worked at George Mason University and the Maryland SoccerPlex. After these two positions, he decided to swap the side of the counter he was on and moved into Distribution with SiteOne Landscape Supply, formerly John Deere Landscapes. He held four positions with SiteOne starting on the counter as a Customer Service Representative and ending his tenure as Store Manager over a 10-acre wholesale nursery. This position had him selling anything from fungicides and fertilizer to flats of groundcover and four-inch caliber trees. After SiteOne and through the professional connections made there, Matt know enjoys his current position with FMC where he assists golf course superintendents, lawn care operators, sports turf managers, and homeowners take their facility or lawn to the next level with the ever growing FMC portfolio.
Vice President Commercial – Michael Williams, Beard Equipment Company
Mike is the Central and North Florida Sports Turf and Grounds Territory Manager for Beard Equipment Company, a John Deere dealership specializing in Core Golf and Sports Turf and Grounds Products. Mike joined Beard Equipment in October 2018 after working 26 Seasons in Professional Baseball as a Head Groundskeeper. Mike also spent parts of 3 seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns on the grounds staff. Mike is a Graduate of Ohio University where he was a member of the Baseball team and received his master’s degree in athletic administration in 1991.
Vice President of Education – David Nowakowski, CSFM
Dave is STMA Certified Sports Field Manager graduated from Pennsylvania State University 1999 with a BS in Turfgrass Science. He has worked in the Green Industry for 22 years. He has been responsible for creating and executing Agronomic Plans, calibrating spray and fertilizer equipment. As a Sales Rep for Harrell’s, Dave is responsible for creating Agronomic Plans, creating customized fertilizer blends, diagnosis and solutions of turf and ornamental issues, assisting in calibration or training. Dave has been a Board Member since 2015 serving as Vice President of Education assisting CEU coordination securing speakers for education topics at Chapter Meetings.
Past President – Joe Gasparini, CSFM
Joe has worked in the sports field industry as a Site Supervisor, Program Coordinator and now a Program Manger with Orange County Parks and Recreation. He’s been a member of CFSTMA since 2014 serving as a board member since 2015. He acquired his CSFM designation in 2018. Joe lives in Winter Springs, Seminole County with his wife, two daughters, two rescue dogs and a rescue cat.