Property Managers Conference

Shaffeek Ali

Shaffeek Ali graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc.in Agriculture in 1975 and a Master’s Degree in 1982. Shaffeek retired from Alberta Agriculture after 30 years of service. During that time, he worked in various areas of pest management, pest and pesticide regulations and program planning. His clients included farmers, turf managers, industrial operators and urban and rural municipalities. He has served on the Boards of several Scientific Societies at the Provincial, National and International levels. Shaffeek is a Certified Pesticide Applicator Trainer and holds a Pesticide Applicator Certificate.

Corrie Almack

Corrie Almack is a professional agronomist with over 40 years of experience in the golf industry. He has consulted on hundreds of golf courses across Canada, offering expertise in nutrient management, soil analysis, and water quality assessments through Brookside Laboratories. Corrie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Agronomy and Crop Science from the University of Guelph and serves on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation.

Samuel Anstey

Calgary Golf & CC

My name is Samuel Anstey, I am 27 years old and am completing my 9th year in the turfgrass industry. I grew up on the East Coast in St. Andrews, New Brunswick home of the Algonquin Golf Course. It was here that I was introduced to and learned to love the turfgrass industry. While working at the Algonquin I completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing. While in my fourth year of school I applied to Olds College. The following year in 2020 I began my schooling in Turfgrass management. Today I am currently working to complete my Bachelors in Turfgrass Management. In the four years since I have been in Alberta, I have worked at Calgary Golf and Country Club, one year as an intern and three as an Assistant. I have learned so much and made lots of industry friends while living here and I look forward to what the next four years bring me.

Donna Balzer

Army brat and farmer’s daughter, Donna Balzer has a degree in Horticulture from the University of Alberta. She started her career at The Calgary Zoo Botanical Garden before going on to teach at Olds College, Host an internationally aired Television show on HGTV and work as a consultant to individuals, Cities and various business clients. She was heard for over twenty years on CBC radio and has given almost as many talks to new gardeners as William Reader. After over 40 years as a Horticulturist she is still learning and inspiring new gardeners with her online classes, writing and speaking.

Donna lives in Calgary, Alberta, where she grows lemons from cuttings she takes and enjoys her home greenhouse, her vegetables and her own food flower fusion garden. Together with her Truffle dog and helpful husband she experiments and plays as much as she can in the garden.

James Beebe

James Beebe is a graduate of Seneca College and Penn State University and recently retired after 30 years as the Golf Course Superintendent at Priddis Greens Golf & Country.

James led and collaborated with many outstanding teams, achieving significant milestones such as hosting three Canadian Women’s Opens, including an LPGA major. He oversaw numerous successful renovations, built nine new holes and helped Priddis Greens become synonymous with excellence.

Throughout his career, James mentored numerous team members who have gone on to build successful careers in golf course management.

He is a lifetime member of the AGSA, CGSA, and the GCSAA. James has served as President of both the AGSA and CGSA and is a proud recipient of the AGSA Distinguished Service Award and the CGSA Superintendent of the Year Award.

Like many in the Golf Course Management industry, James has faced and overcome various challenges throughout his career. The knowledge and experience gained from both the challenges and accomplishments is the foundation for the next phase.

In the second phase of his career, James is now providing leadership coaching and mentoring for the golf industry in collaboration with Bob Wilke of I Got Mind, while partnering with Golf Course Architect Wade Horrocks at Ground3, offering Agronomic and Project Management services.

Darren Bourget

Government of Alberta

Darren Bourget has over 30 years of experience within Alberta’s environment sector including 18 as a senior manager with Environment and Protected Areas. That experience has helped him develop a comprehensive understanding of the unique relationship between government, the regulated community, industry, and the public. Currently, Darren is the Regulatory Assurance Manger for the Calgary District and works with the district’s approvals and compliance groups to manage the full lifecycle of regulated activities, from application to closure.

For the past year he has also been the Operations Chief for the provinces Drought Emergency Operations Centre. In that role his team has developed a Drought Response Plan that includes a comprehensive suite of tools to respond to water shortages including enhanced monitoring activities, updated modeling and forecasting capabilities, and expedited regulatory processes – all designed to support the provinces goals to minimize the impacts of drought on the public, water users, and the environment.

Cory Clouston

• One of the youngest coaches in NHL history
• Coached Team Canada U18 to two Gold Medals
• Coached several years in the Western Hockey League winning two WHL
championships
• Memorial Cup Champion
• Two time recipient of the Western Hockey League Coach of the Year
• Won Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year
• Coached 2 years in American Hockey League. AHL
• Coached 4 years in Alberta Junior Hockey League. AJHL
• Coached in top tier league in Europe (Germany DEL)
• Bachelor of Arts University of Alberta
• Played for University of Alberta Golden Bears winning two Canada West
Championships and one National Championship.

Randi Collins

Getz Collins & Associates

Randi brings a varied range of expertise to the table, stemming from her practice in a broad range of legal fields. Randi has worked in private practice and worked for years as in-house regional counsel to a global oil and gas service company, advising on all day-to-day business operations and legal matters, including corporate, employment, procurement, credit, and collections, real estate, intellectual property, and risk, to name a few. In addition to her work as legal counsel, Randi has also done a great deal of teaching and public speaking, educating students, management, employees, and the general public about a multitude of legal subjects. Randi has the skills, resources, and experience to serve her clients as a valued advisor, knowledgeable teacher, and strategic partner. Not only does Randi possess the professional aptitudes to benefit her clients, but she also understands that no two clients are alike and is keen to ensure that each and every client receives the service and attention they seek. Growing up in a farming family in the small town of Alberta has given Randi a great deal of insight into the value of hard work and perseverance, and she demonstrates those attributes each and every day in her service to her clients.

Rhett Evans

GCSAA

J. Rhett Evans is the chief executive officer of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America where he guides the business and overall strategy of the association and upholds the mission of GCSAA by serving its members, advancing their profession and enhancing the game of golf and the communities where it’s played.

He strategically leads the association toward its primary goals and objectives concerning membership, education, advocacy, the environment and the GCSAA Foundation.

He has served two terms as chairman of the board of the American Golf Industry Coalition and currently serves on its executive board and the board of the World Golf Foundation.

Evans is a native of Prescott, Ariz. He and his wife, Colleen, have a daughter Caite, and a son, Seth. Evans is a four-time Ironman Triathlon finisher, Mount Everest summiteer and an active adventurist.

Becky Feasby

Prairie Girl Flowers

Becky’s professional and academic lives have been firmly rooted in the earth since 2001. Having worked, studied, and taught landscape design, gardening, horticultural therapy, and sustainable floristry, Becky’s work has always been committed to improving our understanding of the relationship between plants and humans.

Becky recently completed her Master’s degree in Sustainability at Harvard University, where her thesis research focused on completing an environmental and social life cycle assessment of roses grown in North America.

She currently owns and operates Prairie Girl Flowers in Calgary, Alberta – a sustainable floral design studio that specializes in zero-waste and locally grown flowers for weddings and events. She also works as the Horticultural Therapist at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, where she oversees the Healing Gardens Program and provides horticultural therapy programs for inpatient and outpatient groups at the hospital.

Amy Fehr

Bartlett Tree Experts

Amy earned a Diploma of Environmental Horticulture
from Olds College of Agriculture & Technology in 2010. She
majored in Arboriculture and began working in the tree care
industry while in school. She has extensive training and
experience in tree work, plant health care, and pruning
consultation. Amy brought a history of providing
exemplary tree care when she joined Bartlett Tree Experts in
2022 as an Arborist Representative.
An ISA Certified Arborist and Certified Tree Risk Assessor,
Amy provides her residential and commercial clients with scientifically based tree care advice.
In her free time, Amy enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outside in her yard,
volunteering in her community, and knitting and crocheting. Amy is also active in the green
industry, sitting on the Advisor Committee for the Arboriculture Program at Olds College.

Dr. Ken Fry

Olds College

Dr. Ken Fry, Entomology Instructor in the School of Life Sciences & Business at Olds College, has been involved in insect pest management research, teaching, and extension for over 30 years. His research is focused on biological control of insect pests and integrated pest management. Current research projects include the introduction of a parasitic wasp to manage the lily beetle, surveillance of invasive species affecting the urban forest, and evaluating the effects of Aphodiine beetles on turfgrass. Ken’s “happy place” is in the Olds College Insect Collection where he serves as curator for 100,000 specimens. Ken is co-author, with Doug Macaulay and Don Williamson of “Garden Bugs of Alberta” and a contributing author to “Organic Farming on the Prairies”.

Mike Hopp

Norcan Fluid Power Ltd.

Technical Sales Rep w/ Norcan Fluid Power Ltd. Mike has been employed with Norcan 4-1⁄2 years and has worked as a Technical Rep in the Fluid Power/Hydraulic Industry for over 12 years. Within this time, Mike was also Branch Manager for another Hydraulic company. He was educated at SAIT and graduated from Mechanical Engineering Technology in 1996. Mike’s past employment was with a Plastic Injection Molding Co. as Preventative Maintenance Coordinator for 8 years and Canadian Sales Manager for a company that manufactured specialized lubricants, greases and fuel additives for 5 years.
Mike lives on a small farm east of Calgary with his wife Linda, son Aidan & daughter Emily. They have several saddle and Draft horses. Mike and his family raise a rare breed of Draft Horse, called Suffolk Punch. His family competes in various Draft horse events and Mike’s daughter Emily competes in several High School Rodeo events, she is the 2024 Miss Alberta High School Rodeo Queen.
It was always a dream of Mike’s to get involved in film/movie work with his Draft horses. This summer he had the opportunity to work with a UK Film Company making a docuseries on Pioneer Life of the 1880’s. Mike was contracted to bring two draft teams and two walking plows to assist with training Pioneer families to work both team and plow. Each of the three families were tasked with working a 1⁄2 acre of land. The docuseries is called: Back To The Frontier and should air next year on Magnolia an American TV Network.

Jason Jorgensen

The Irrigation Specialist

Jason is the owner of The Irrigation Specialist, a company he started in 1999. He has gained lots of experience as the Irrigation tech and the Assistant Superintendent during his 26 years at Lakeside Golf Club in Chestermere, where he oversaw the installation or renovation of several areas of the course, including a new pump station and mainline. The irrigation thing was a side job at first, but has always interested him and has presented a lot of opportunities in all areas of irrigation. He takes on jobs from Golf Course Repair, Large acreage systems, residential installation, consulting and drip automation at greenhouses…….and just about everything in between. He enjoys a challenge when it comes to irrigation…. especially when it comes to troubleshooting electrical issues. Jason graduated with a Turf Diploma from Olds College in 1996. He also just got married in 2022 and enjoys spending time at the lake with his wife, Rose, and their 18-year-old cat.

Lukas Koltusky

Wildwood Fabrication

Lukas Koltusky is the owner of Wildwood Fabrication, an aluminium fabrication company whose flagship product is a light-weight, flat-bottom aluminum jet boat designed for fishing and hunting on shallow water rivers. Lukas grew up in a family of carpenters, and in 2011 obtained his Red Seal in Carpentry from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and worked for over decade doing finish carpentry for a major Calgary homebuilder. He began welding in 2017 when his father-in-law recruited him to help him build a boat and needed his carpentry skills. Lukas has learned to weld with direct instruction from Chris McQuay, a former SAIT welding instructor and extraordinaire behind Unobtainium Welding, many YouTube videos and hours of practise.

Lukas originally hails from Strathmore, AB and currently lives in Carstairs, AB with his wife and three young children. He is an avid fisherman, and his travels have taken him from Northern BC to Belize in search of the next big fish.

Mike Kooy

Michael Kooy is an independent consultant specializing in the golf course industry, with a strong passion for integrating data and technology to improve surface performance. Over the past two years, he has been mentored by Corrie Almack, deepening his knowledge and practical experience in the field. Currently, Michael is completing his Master’s degree in Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph, where his research focuses on developing predictive models for disease forecasting. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from McMaster University.

Jason Pick MSc.

Olds College

Jason is faculty at Olds College, specializing in Turfgrass Science, Golf Course and Resort Management. He holds diplomas in Agriculture, Business, a Bachelor of Applied Science and Masters in Turf Science from Penn State. He is the Executive Director of the Alberta Turfgrass Research Foundation, and advisor to the Prairie Turfgrass Research Center. He is a past president of the Western Canada Turf association and former golf course superintendent. With post graduate training among 8 different golf clubs across Canada and the Caribbean, he’s been a certified pesticide applicator for 30yrs, a trainer since 2009.

Charlene Scott

Arboriculture Canada Training & Education Ltd

Charlene Scott works for Arboriculture Canada Training & Education (ACTE) as the Director of Operations and an Assistant Instructor. She has worked in the arboriculture industry for 18 years since she earned a diploma in Ornamental Horticulture with a major in Arboriculture from Olds College. With her formal education she went on to work for a combination of private tree care companies as well as municipal urban forestry departments as a production tree climber.
Through her work experience in the industry, she discovered her interest in training and educating individuals in arboriculture. This interest led her to become an instructional assistant at Olds College for the Arboriculture Technician Certificate program where she worked for 10 years.
Through attending continuing education courses through ACTE, Charlene became an assistant instructor for the company. She is now the Director of Operations where she gets to work with the team at ACTE to plan and organize courses for companies and organizations across Canada.
Charlene is currently an ISA Certified Arborist with her TRAQ qualification and Arboriculture Canada Comprehensive Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. She is an active volunteer for the Prairie Chapter where she is head judge of the ascent event at the Tree Climbing Competition. She is a previous competitor and has represented the Prairie Chapter in the women’s division internationally four times.
Most recently she has helped create the Prairie Chapter Women in the Trees Committee (PCWT), of which she is the co-chair, that focuses on encouraging and supporting women in the industry through networking events. One of the main events, a biennial women’s tree climbing workshop, has been very successful.

Stu Sheridan

Capilano Golf & Country Club

Stu Sheridan is the Course Superintendent at Capilano Golf and Country Club in West Vancouver, British Columbia. He has been with the club since 2013, starting as the Second Assistant Superintendent before taking over the Course Superintendent position in 2019. Before Capilano, Stu worked at prominent U.S. clubs like Muirfield Village and Bay Hill, with his career and education beginning in Ireland. Stu is known for his innovative approach, particularly addressing challenges like the lack of sunlight on the seventh green by implementing grow lights, a solution typically used in stadiums, to maintain turf quality year-round.

Hector Velazquez

Hector’s Shop

Hector Velazquez is an individual with a background in outdoor power equipment repair (Golf Course Technician) and videography. He started his career as a certified motorcycle technician and has been working in the OPE industry for over 24 years. In addition to running Hector’s Shop, he produces educational videos for a variety of clients, including Home Depot’s tool rental department and now GCSAA.org and also for His Rumble Channel. Hector and his team have won several awards for their instructional videos, including the Edwin Budding Award from GCSAA.org in 2018. In addition to video production, Hector’s Shop offers Reel Grinding Service, onsite tech training, shop organization consultations and speaking engagements.

Over the past four years, we have traveled across the United States visiting other technicians’ shops and gathering insights and ideas from our peers. We have used this knowledge to create educational videos and resources for technicians around the world, with the aim of fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement in the industry. If you are interested in our services or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Troy White

Biocomposites Group

Troy White is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Biocomposites Group, out of Drayton Valley, AB. With a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, Troy has helped build companies and industries inside and outside of Canada since then. Troy has led the sales and marketing initiatives at the Biocomposites Group for 3 years, with a prior history in the landscape and gardening supply industry.