CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Dr. Tom Hsiang is a Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada specializing in fungal diseases of plants. Before arriving in Guelph, he worked on tree and landscape plant diseases in Washington State, U.S.A, where he obtained his Ph.D. (University of Washington) and conducted post-doctoral studies (Washington State University). He is from Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Forest Biology & Pathology at the University of British Columbia. His current teaching and research involve diseases of trees and turfgrasses, particularly biology and genomics of fungal pathogens as well as disease management. He has done extensive work with snow molds of grasses.
Contact Information:
Email: thsiang@uoguelph.ca
Tel: 519-824-4120 x52753
Contact Information:
Email: thsiang@uoguelph.ca
Tel: 519-824-4120 x52753
Dr. Tom Hsiang
Callum has over 20 years working in turf. He is a graduate of of Holland College, Guelph University and the University of Minnesota. He's spent several years on AGSA Board of Directors holding positions as Nova Scotia Director and Industry Representative.
Callum spent several years as Turf News Editor for AGSA. He is a GreenStart Academy and Syngenta Superintendent University Alumni.
Callum is currently Manager of Professional Turf for Halifax Seed and resides in Mahone Bay, NS with his wife Juliette and two sons, Tucker and Theo.
Callum spent several years as Turf News Editor for AGSA. He is a GreenStart Academy and Syngenta Superintendent University Alumni.
Callum is currently Manager of Professional Turf for Halifax Seed and resides in Mahone Bay, NS with his wife Juliette and two sons, Tucker and Theo.
Callum Haughn
Matt is a Technical Service Rep with Syngenta Professional Solutions in the turf & landscape division. He holds a Masters degree in Turfgrass Management and a Bachelors degree in Agronomy, both from the University of Nebraska. He provides agronomic consulting and solutions to turf managers in 15 states across the Midwestern US. He collaborates with academic and industry scientists to test and develop new and existing products through field testing. He frequently lectures at conferences, workshops and universities on a variety of turf related topics. In his free time, he enjoys working at the local golf course on the weekend maintenance crew. Matt resides with his family in Kansas City.
Matt Giese
Gordon Kauffman’s primary focus is new product development, trials and market development of the Grigg Brothers and BRANDT turf and ornamental product portfolios.
Dr. Kauffman holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy from Penn State University and has over 17 years of experience in the turf industry. Kauffman has taught agronomy; authored numerous peer review and trade journal articles; and lectured on turfgrass physiology and management throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Dr. Kauffman’s M.S. studies focused on nutrient and soil loss in runoff after core cultivation and Ph.D. studies assessed heat stress physiology of cool season grasses treated with PGR's and biostimulants.
Gordon Kauffman, PhD
Dr. Leah Brilman is Product Manager and Technical Services for DLF-Pickseed and Seed Research of Oregon. She received a B.S. degree in Biology from California State University Bakersfield, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Agronomy and Plant Genetics from the University of Arizona. Turfgrass breeder who focuses on breeding turfgrass cultivars with reduced inputs. A 2018 Distinguished Service Award Winner from GCSAA, a Fellow of the Crop Science Society, 2007 NACPB Breeder of the Year, 2011 recipient of the William Daniels Award for Educator of the Year from STMA and 2012 Recipient of the Fred Grau Award in Turfgrass Science from the Crop Science Society. She has developed and administered Undergraduate contests for turf students for both the GCSAA and STMA.
Dr. Leah Brilman
Based in Toronto, Jeff Mingay has 20+ years experience in golf course design and construction. Over the past decade, Jeff's principally focused on restoring aged layouts from the pre-World War II era throughout Canada and the United States, presenting those courses in historic fashion while ensuring they function up to the expectations of contemporary golfers. His first solo 18-hole design debuted at the Derrick Golf & Winter Club, in Edmonton, Alberta, in 2015. For a decade prior to establishing his own practice in 2009, Jeff worked as senior associate to fellow Canadian golf architect Rod Whitman. With Whitman, he participated in the design and construction of Blackhawk Golf Club, Sagebrush Golf & Sporting Club and Cabot Links, which have all featured among Canada's top-10 courses, according to SCOREGolf magazine.
Jeff Mingay
Alan Dolick is a technical sales representative for Evergreen Bio Innovations, a progressive company focused on providing natural solutions for lawn care, golf, and agriculture. Over the last decade, Alan has developed a passion for soil health and a keen interest in soil microbial populations. Combined with optimizing plant nutrition, he feels that promoting a healthy soil is the pathway to reducing future dependency on traditional inputs. With over 20 years of experience in the golf and lawn care industry, Alan provides a unique perspective and a practical approach to implementing regenerative principals in turf management.
Alan Dolick
Ryan Beauchamp is a Territory Sales Manager and Application Specialist with Bayer ES. He has over 35 years’ experience including 20 years Golf Course Superintendent, St. Thomas Golf & Country Club and Glen Abbey Golf & Country Club in Oakville ON. Ryan works in the field with Superintendents and Assistants to provide agronomic, business, and educational support. Ryan is accredited with CGSA, GCSAA, IPM and holds certification as an Irrigation Auditor (CGIA). Ryan is recognized in the turf community as a key contributor, international lecturer, and former Teaching Professor for Turf Management at Fanshawe College.
Ryan Beauchamp
Wayne Roper was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He studied soil and environmental sciences at University of Michigan where he learned about plants, soils, and microbes. Afterwards he completed M.S. and Ph.D. studies at North Carolina State University focused on field crops and soil health. In a post-doctoral appointment at University of Connecticut, he researched nutrient management for New England dairy farms and turfgrass. His research goals are focused on sustainable management of plant and soil resources that supports recreational and commercial productivity in different environments.
Wayne Roper
Corrie received his B.Sc. Agriculture Degree from the University of Guelph in 1981 and for the last forty years, has been providing consulting services to the turf-grass industry.
He is an independent agronomist (not associated with the sale of any products), specializing in optimizing nutrient management plans for golf course superintendents and sports turf managers. He works with turf managers to create chemically, biologically and physically healthy soil environments which will assist turf managers in producing stress tolerant (wear, heat, insect, disease etc.) turfgrass while maximizing the efficiency of their current fertilizer budgets. His current client list exceeds 75 courses all across Canada.
Corrie Almack
Dr. Cameron Stephens is the Technical Market Manager on the Technical Service Team at BASF where he began working in February 2021. Dr. Stephens holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from North Carolina State University, a M.S. in Agronomy from Penn State University, and a B.S. in Turfgrass Science from The Ohio State University. Throughout his tenure in academia, he studied various topics related to turfgrass management, turfgrass pathology, fungicide resistance, and the environmental fate of fungicides on golf courses. At BASF, Dr. Stephens is responsible for helping steward new solutions to the turf and ornamental industry. He is a plant pathologist with an extensive background in turfgrass disease management and has served the turfgrass industry for more than 6 years.
Cam Stephens
Paul graduated from UPEI with a BA in Psychology in 1996. He then graduated from Seneca College in Toronto in 2000 with a degree in Turf Management. He has been a Golf Course Superintendent since 2003, at Anderson's Creek, Green Gables and has been General Manager & Superintendent at Fox Meadow Golf Course since 2010.
Paul was recipient of the 2019 Atlantic Golf Course Superintendents Association Superintendent of the Year Award
and a finalist for the Turfnet Superintendent of the Year Award (North American wide, largely recognized for the mental health awareness advocacy). He has been a blog Writer for Turfnet since 2012 - The Mindful Superintendent Blog is dedicated to exploring the personal side of the turf industry with an emphasis on mindful living. He was co organizer of the 2018 Mindful Superintendent Retreat. The first of its kind in the turf industry, it gathered together 15 Superintendents from across North America to Prince Edward Island to explore the benefits of Mindful living in a retreat style setting. https://www.turfnet.com/turfnet-tv.html/profiles/the-mindful-superintendent-retreat-2018-r659/
Paul has been conference speaker at a number of events include the GCSAA Golf Industry Show (2018,2019,2020), CMAA Expo (2020), CGSA Fall Field Day (2019), NETRF (2020), BCSGA Turf Show (2018), Maine Turf Conference (2019) WAGCSAA Virtual Conference (2020), and the Alberta Property Managers Virtual Conference (2021).
Paul speaks about the benefits of mindfulness meditation practice and along with adopting a mindful approach to living and working. He organized the first mental health panel discussion at the 2021 GCSAA Golf Industry Show (audience of approx. 19,000 Turf Professionals) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvUF__dRNEQ
Paul recently completed a 2-year Meditation Teacher Training Program led by teachers Tara Brach & Jack Kornfield. The program consisted of video, readings, practice teaching, group work and collaboration, journaling, and personal practice. He was the author and lead host for the 2021 Mindful Leadership Sessions – 5-part series with industry leaders that explored themes and ideas related to mindful living. He worked in collaboration with the Carolinas GCSAA to produce the content for their members.
Paul is a life long resident of Prince Edward and resides in Stratford, PEI with his wife Jill and 3 kids Maria, Lucas & Clara.
Paul was recipient of the 2019 Atlantic Golf Course Superintendents Association Superintendent of the Year Award
and a finalist for the Turfnet Superintendent of the Year Award (North American wide, largely recognized for the mental health awareness advocacy). He has been a blog Writer for Turfnet since 2012 - The Mindful Superintendent Blog is dedicated to exploring the personal side of the turf industry with an emphasis on mindful living. He was co organizer of the 2018 Mindful Superintendent Retreat. The first of its kind in the turf industry, it gathered together 15 Superintendents from across North America to Prince Edward Island to explore the benefits of Mindful living in a retreat style setting. https://www.turfnet.com/turfnet-tv.html/profiles/the-mindful-superintendent-retreat-2018-r659/
Paul has been conference speaker at a number of events include the GCSAA Golf Industry Show (2018,2019,2020), CMAA Expo (2020), CGSA Fall Field Day (2019), NETRF (2020), BCSGA Turf Show (2018), Maine Turf Conference (2019) WAGCSAA Virtual Conference (2020), and the Alberta Property Managers Virtual Conference (2021).
Paul speaks about the benefits of mindfulness meditation practice and along with adopting a mindful approach to living and working. He organized the first mental health panel discussion at the 2021 GCSAA Golf Industry Show (audience of approx. 19,000 Turf Professionals) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvUF__dRNEQ
Paul recently completed a 2-year Meditation Teacher Training Program led by teachers Tara Brach & Jack Kornfield. The program consisted of video, readings, practice teaching, group work and collaboration, journaling, and personal practice. He was the author and lead host for the 2021 Mindful Leadership Sessions – 5-part series with industry leaders that explored themes and ideas related to mindful living. He worked in collaboration with the Carolinas GCSAA to produce the content for their members.
Paul is a life long resident of Prince Edward and resides in Stratford, PEI with his wife Jill and 3 kids Maria, Lucas & Clara.
Paul MacCormack
Dr. Clint Mattox graduated from Purdue University with a turfgrass science degree in 2000 and then worked overseas in the golf industry, primarily in Europe, where he was a golf course superintendent for 7 years. In 2013, he began graduate studies at Oregon State University focusing on managing turfgrass diseases in the absence of fungicides. He finished a doctorate degree in 2020 majoring in Horticulture with a minor in Botany and Plant Pathology. Currently he is a research associate at Oregon State University where he focuses on turfgrass research and education.