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Mac Baker

Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course

After jumping around in several fields, I enrolled at Old’s College to begin my journey in Turf Management. Worked at the Penticton Golf & CC, Carstairs Golf Club and the Millwoods Golf Course before moving to Medicine Hat to get experience as a Superintendent in 2012. In 2015 I became Super/GM and Purchased 50% in 2020.

Kathy Dmytruk Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator

Kathy Dmytruk Nutrition Consulting

Kathy has work for Alberta Health Services for nearly 25 years and currently is the Senior Advisor for the Diabetes, Obesity and Nutrition Strategic Clinical Network. Kathy is the project lead for diabetes initiatives to improve the care of people living with diabetes in Alberta. Kathy has a bachelor of science in nutrition and became a registered dietitian in 1997 and a certified diabetes educator in 2000. Kathy is the owner of Kathy Dmytruk Nutrition Consulting and she enjoys helping people achieve their health goals.

Amy Fehr Bartlett Tree Experts

Amy Fehr has been working with Sullivan Tree Service LTD since 2018 as their full time Quoter / Sales and has taken on part time consulting through Sullivan within the past couple years. Her career started in Edmonton with Chipps Tree Care, Alberta Arborists and 2 years at Millcreek Nursery, where she started her own company on the side. She owned and operated Amy’s Tree Care for 6 years servicing central Alberta.

Amy is an alumni of Olds College, graduating in 2010 with the Environmental Horticulture diploma majoring in Arboriculture. In June 2021 she received her certification in Tree Risk Assessments through Arboriculture Canada. She is ISA (international society of Arboriculture) certified and a member of the ISA Prairie Chapter.

She loves helping people understand the trees – “just call me the LORAX!” Doing consultations is Amy’s favourite part of the work day. She loves seeing the ‘aha’ moment when customers understand how the biology of their tree works or why they can or cannot prune in a specific way.

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”.

Thomas Gallant

Country Hills Golf Club

Thomas Gallant has worked at Country Hills Golf Club since age 13 in 2007. Was promoted Assistant Superintendent

Alex Hay

Lobb & Partners Design

Alex Hay is a Partner and Design Associate of the Canadian office and has worked in the Golf Course Design industry for 15 years.

Alex began his career in 2007 working for European Golf Design in the UK, a specialist golf course design firm owned by The European Tour.

In 2017 Alex relocated to Canada and worked closely with L+P before becoming a formal member of the team in 2018.

Alex benefited greatly by completing a vocational Golf Course Design qualification with the European Institute of Golf Course Architects and subsequently became a member of the organization. In 2021 Alex joined the American Society of Golf Course Architects’ Associate Program and has aspirations to become a full member in the coming years.

Over the years Alex has worked with many high-profile golf clubs and was part of the team that submitted successful bids for the Paris and Rome Ryder Cups.

Since moving to Canada the firm has worked with GolfBC on multiple properties, University Golf Club, Chilliwack GC and Lakeland Management’s Tuxedo Golf Course and Waterton Lakes.

He is a passionate golfer, runner and snowboarder and lives in Whistler with his young family.

Garry Haynes MS, AGS

Director of Agronomy Play Golf Calgary

AGSA President
Director of Agronomy Play Golf Calgary
28 years in the business
Graduate of Olds College and U Mass.

Kevin Hennigar Head Equipment Manager

Angus Glen and Goodwood Golf Clubs

21st season as Head Equipment Manager
Angus Glen and Goodwood Golf Clubs
Licensed Small engine mechanic
Level 1 and Level 2 ECMP with GCSAA
2021 CGSA/Foley Equipment Technician of the year.

Martina Holmes

Flowercentre

I am currently the business manager at Flowercentre, a division of Bloomstar, a fresh floral and supply wholesale in Calgary. I have been in the floral industry all my life, my dad owned a store next to a cemetery in Germany which was in our family for over 7 generations, so its kind of in my blood. I’m a floral designer by trade with certification from Handelskammer Koeln in 1988. With nearly 40 years in this industry and having worked in Germany, United Kingdom and here in Calgary now for over 13 years, I can say I’ve never lost my passion for this ever changing world of design and trends.

Joe Jemsek

Jemsek Golf Design

Growing up in a four generation golf family, the majority of my life has been spent in and around golf courses. Although I had modest achievements in tournaments, I quickly realized my passion for golf extended beyond playing and my future was in golf course design. At the age of 18, I was given my first opportunity to build two new greens for Cog Hill G & CC. To continue my design education, I attended college in Florida where I worked and learned from golf course designer, Joe Lee. While I spent time in the office learning to draft, the greatest lessons occurred when walking around construction sites on projects throughout South Florida. Mr. Lee taught me detailed plans were important, but field work
ultimately decided the quality of the golf course. In 1998, I designed 6680 N Sioux Ave – Chicago, IL 60646 and built my first course, Summer Grove Golf Club in Newnan, GA. To further my design career and broaden my experiences, I joined the team at Dye Designs and relocated to Denver, Colorado. Working for Dye Designs was a tremendous experience. I expanded my drafting skills to include CAD and imaging software. These tools are an effective means to communicate my design vision to clients and
construction personnel. The seven years spent living in Denver afforded me with the opportunity to travel the world and work with designers Pete, Perry, Cynthia, Matt & Andy Dye. In the fall of 2007 I decided to
recommit myself to Jemsek Golf Design and opened an office in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
Since 2007, I’ve helped large companies like Textron Financial, Pulte Homes and numerous individual private golf clubs, owners, and investors create value from their golf properties. Jemsek Golf Design
has experience with a variety of proven design and construction techniques having participated in nearly 90 projects in 29 countries.
Small bunker renovations, Long term master plans, and new course construction are all closely monitored to ensure successful implementation.

Jason Labonte General Manager

Belvedere Golf & Country Club

Jason has been successfully leading teams for more than 20 years. Jason is a Certified Professional Accountant and a Certified Executive Coach, and his career includes leadership positions in government, corporate and entrepreneurial settings. Jason also taught the Strategic Leadership Program for the Certified Management Accountants of Canada for 10 years. A graduate of MacEwan University’s Golf Operations Management program in 1995, Jason is working in his dream job as the General Manager of the Belvedere Golf & Country Club in Sherwood Park.

Rob Lavoie

AirTerra Inc.

In 2009, after working in the Alberta Oil and Gas industry for over 35 years Rob founded AirTerra and in 2015 registered SoilMatrix Biochar as the first commercially available biochar soil amendment for the Canadian farming, gardening, horticulture, silviculture, reclamation, and compost market. In short SoilMatrix Biochar is a product for any soil that is intended to be support healthy and productive roots and shoots.
Rob has been gardening for many years and the only fertilizer ever used in the SoilMatrix garden is compost. But it is a special kind of compost. It is a biochar fortified compost. If you read the posts provided on the AirTerra website in SoilMatrix Library Archives dating all the way back to 2013, you will learn the story of how the biochar and compost have an important “plant life-giving” relationship. Rob will be sharing the AirTerra journey and revealing the many benefits of a biochar amended soil.

Amy Macleod M.Sc. P.Biol.

Cows and Fish

Amy McLeod is the Provincial Riparian Specialist and Eastern Slopes Program Coordinator for Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society (Cows and Fish). Amy has been with Cows and Fish for four years, she has a Master of Science in Environmental Practice, a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, and is a registered professional biologist. Amy’s masters work focused on the application of sustainable solutions for socio-ecological resilience, specifically on the utilization of green infrastructure and community engagement, to reconnect people to natural systems and solutions. Prior to working with Cows and Fish she was with Alberta Environment in Parks where she worked in the environmental monitoring program as a water quality technician, the surface water modelling program supporting water allocation and water quality modeling in southern Alberta, and as an environmental protection officer focused on water treatment. Amy has spent over 15 years working on watersheds across Southern Alberta. When not working she is usually playing outside in the woods, mountains, and in, or by the water with her daughters.

Ian McQueen Golf Course and Property Manager

St. George’s Golf and Country Club

Ian McQueen, Golf Course and Property Manager, St. George’s Golf and Country Club. I have worked in the golf course maintenance industry for 32 years. I was previously, the Golf Course Superintendent at Islington Golf Club, from 2012-2016 and The Club at Bond Head, from 2004-2012. I was the Assistant Superintendent at Magna Golf Club, from 1999-2003. I am a Graduate of the Penn State University Turfgrass Management Program. I have 2 daughters that are both high level gymnasts, a very supportive wife and I am a huge Tottenham Hotspur fan

Sharon Murphy

Gardening with Sharon

Having grown up in a family with a long history in the greenhouse industry, Sharon doesn’t know of a time when gardening and growing were not a part of her life.

After some interesting life curves, like growing a tropical cut flower farm on the island of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands alongside her husband Dan Murphy, she and Dan went on to be part owners in the family greenhouse.
During their 20+ year tenure there, Sharon wore many hats which included perennial production, seeding, marketing, and retail strategizing.
In this current phase of her career, Sharon crafts Alberta-specific gardening content and utilizes her experience to mentor professional growers and home gardeners alike with her new company, ‘Gardening with Sharon’.

Chris Nelson

Inglewood Golf & Curling Club

Chris is currently employed as the Superintendent at the Inglewood Golf & Curling Club and has been in that role since January 2017. After getting his start at the Golden Golf Club in 2000, he obtained his Turfgrass Management Diploma from Fairview College in 2004, and moved to the Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club in Calgary, where he spent 14 years (11 as the Assistant Superintendent). He’s happily married to his wife Courtney and enjoys spending time with his 2 sons, Mitch & Reid. In his spare time he enjoys candle lit dinners and long walks on the beach.

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.

Jason Ranmussen

General Manager & Project Coordinator at Coal Creek Golf Resort

General Manager & Project Coordinator at Coal Creek Golf Resort for the past 15 years. B.Sc. from the University of Lethbridge Golf Management Diploma from Grant MacEwan College. Family business Survivor for the past 17 years. Wife Leah and 2 children, Finley, Owen and Devyn.

Stacy Reichert Assistant Superintendent

McKenzie Meadows Golf Club

I grew up in Leduc, AB where I spent my summer right out of high school working at Leduc Golf and Country Club. That led me to want to work on a golf course when I moved to Calgary and now I am currently the Assistant Superintendent at McKenzie Meadows Golf Club. I started as a labourer at Mckenzie about 14 years ago and became interested in the industry for my career. I worked from labourer through all positions to my current role as Assistant Superintendent. I graduated from Olds College in 2017 with my Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Golf Course Management

Braeden Rogers Superintendent/General Manager

The Nursery Golf and Country Club

Superintendent/General Manager at The Nursery Golf and Country Club. Began as Superintendent in 2016 and took on the role of both Superintendent and General Manager in 2019.

Education: Bachelor of Applied Science Golf Course Management Olds College, Graduated in 2017

Travis Russell PhD

Bayer Crop Science Inc. Environmental Science – Canada, Crop Science

Travis Russell is the Green Solutions Specialist for Bayer Environmental Science Canada team in golf and turf segment. He is responsible for providing technical support to golf course superintendents and turfgrass managers throughout Canada and for coordinating research efforts bringing new products to the Canadian turf market. Travis assists turfgrass managers with diagnosis of pest issues, providing agronomic and pest management recommendations, and communicating the latest in turfgrass research.
Travis earned his PhD at Penn State University where he conducted research on new and emerging turfgrass diseases, managed fungicide efficacy trials, and assisted with disease diagnosis in the Penn State Turfgrass Pest Diagnostic Lab. His research focused on describing a new disease of annual bluegrass called Pythium patch. Prior to Penn State, Travis was an assistant golf course superintendent before pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Arkansas researching minimum light requirements for turfgrasses.

Robin Sadler MS, AGS

Mickelson National Golf Club

Robin Sadler MS, AGS Mickelson National Golf Club

Robin is one of 15 Master Superintendents in Canada along with being an Accredited Golf Superintendent and a past President of the AGSA. He currently sits on the CGSA Accreditation Committee and is a graduate of Fairview College. Robin started out at the Strathmore Golf Club moving to Banff Springs, Silvertip Resort and is currently at Mickelson National Golf Club.

Andrea Sawatzky Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement Officer, Pesticide Compliance Program Prairie Region – Alberta

Health Canada/ Government of Canada

I was born in Thompson, MB, and spent six of my childhood years in Indonesia and Singapore. I attended the University of Manitoba and obtained a Bachelor of Science with a major in Zoology and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. After graduation, I moved to Alberta where I started working for the Federal Government. My first job was as a Primary Products Inspector/ Grader for the Meat Hygiene department of what is now called the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). I then switched agencies and have been working with Health Canada’s, Pesticide Compliance Program as a Pesticide Compliance Officer in Calgary for the past 20+ years.

David Schneider Owner/Operator

Northline Welding

Owner/operator of Northline Welding. Pressure welder for close to 20yrs in the oilfield. I have welded and had tickets in mig, stick, and oxy/acetylene process of welding. Stainless steel and carbon steel welding. I have run my own welding business doing general farm and oilfield repairs. Currently a pipeline supervisor for Lincoln County oilfield services. I also farm with my wife Carlene and two daughters Tennessee and Sage. We run Northline Farms east of Edmonton AB where we raise purebred Angus cattle and have a market garden where we sell boxed beef, eggs and fresh produce.

Graham Sherman

Owner, Tool Shed Brewing Company

Graham Sherman is a self-professed “high level geek” who used his love of technology to disrupt an entire industry. In 2013, Sherman took homebrewing “too far” when he launched the Tool Shed Brewing Company. What was originally a hobby housed in his backyard tool shed is now a 22,000 square foot brewery with product sold in over 1000 locations. Speaking on his bumpy entrepreneurial journey, Sherman’s passion comes through in every talk as he shows audiences how to harness disruption to transform their lives.

Prior to starting Tool Shed, Sherman, along with his business partner, worked on contracts for the Canadian and US governments and military forces, installing encrypted, tactical communication networks. By day, they rolled around Afghanistan in armoured vehicles, “geeking out” in the world of satellite communications. By night, they aimed their obsessive, high-level thinking at mastering everyday tasks such as roasting their own coffee beans and brewing the perfect cuppa, learning to control their homes in Canada remotely with their iPhones, and finally, perfecting batches of beer.

After quitting his well-paying, stable government job to jump head-first into the craft brewing industry, Sherman quickly learned that his new-found vocation was actually illegal in his home province of Alberta. So, he changed his game plan from simply brewing craft beer to disrupting the industry. It took one year of relentless perseverance for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Corporation to change their legislation. It was through this process he learned the importance of adaptability, resiliency, and collaboration in any success story, and it is these traits that helped his brewery see sustained success throughout a difficult pandemic.

Sherman has been nominated for Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year, was named one of Calgary’s 2016 “Top 40 Under 40” by Avenue magazine, and won the 2018 Business in Calgary Leaders Award.

Amanda Spencer

Chickadee Home & Garden

Educated at Olds College and University of Alberta, I spent about twenty years in the Alberta golf industry, primarily in the horticulture department.
Currently owner of Chickadee Home & Garden, based in Cochrane, AB, a boutique horticultural consultation and service provider. I enjoy applying my knowledge of horticulture and décor to all seasons. When I’m not killing plants, I’m probably skiing.

Ron Townsend SPS Technical Lead

Syngenta

• B.S. – Ohio State University
• M.S. – University of Wisconsin Madison
• SePRO – Technical Specialist
• Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) – Director of Turfgrass Research
• Exmoor CC – Assistant Superintendent

Morgan Webb

Seed Check Technologies Inc.

Morgan Webb is a botanist. He is the Lab Manager and Owner of Seed Check Technologies Inc. where he works as an accredited Seed Analyst, Seed Grader, Seed Import Release Assessor, and Accredited Seed Crop Inspector. He is a graduate of and has been an instructor at Olds College. He has the great fortune of moonlighting teaching classes and helping people find the right plant at Greenland Garden Center. You may recognize his voice as one of the hosts of the 630 CHED Garden Show on Sunday mornings.

Bob Wilkie

I Got Mind

Bob Wilkie is a former NHL hockey player, an award-winning entrepreneur, a best-selling author, and has given thousands of presentations to crowds ranging from CEOs, businesses, schools, and sports organizations throughout North America. His presentations are an emotional ride that triggers and inspires a deeper sense of understanding, hope, and motivation.
At age 17 Bob was ranked by Central Scouting to be a potential first-round pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. Bob was traded to the Swift Current Broncos in a historic 4-1 deal. This put Bob in the hands of the Coach and GM Graham James. On December 30, 1986, their team bus slid off the road and took the lives of four of his teammates. It is ranked as one of Hockey’s Greatest Tragedies. Bob was drafted 41st overall later that year in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.
In 1989 in Bob’s last year of Junior Hockey, the Broncos held the best record in Canadian Junior Hockey and won the Memorial Cup. Bob went on to play ten years of professional hockey and includes time with the Detroit RedWings and Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. He was an All-Star 4 times in his career and won three Major Championships. Bob is the owner of a company called I Got Mind that specializes in social and emotional learning. His team of professionals provides supports to organizations of all ages. They have been touring communities over the last two years sharing their stories and educating people about the social and emotional issues that are becoming more predominant in
society. Bob’s experiences have allowed him to take his success equation to the World of business. He works with companies helping them build strong and successful cultures.