Groundskeeper Chats

Live from OTF: Groundskeeper Chat with Matt Duncan

One of the most name dropped guests of the day, Matt Duncan joined us at OTF to share about his career which is rooted in networking and mentoring. Here's what you'll hear in this week's #GroundskeeperChat: 

• Matt's turf origin story 
• Matt Duncan, the meaningful mentor 
• How OTF has impacted Matt's career 
• Matt's living legacy in the industry 

A little bit more about our guest... 
Matt Duncan is a Professional Turf Account Manager at DLF USA. 

Live from OTF: Groundskeeper Chat with Tyler Carr

Tyler Carr joined us amidst a busy conference day at OTF to bring us up to speed on the logistics behind what's to come for the industry organization in 2026. Here's what you'll hear in this #GroundskeeperChat: 

• Tyler's new role as the Executive Director for OTF 
• Building and establishing trust with board members 
• The impact OTF has played in Tyler's career 
• Meaningful mentors along the way 

A little bit more about our guest...
Tyler Carr is the Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University and Executive Director for the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation

Live from OTF: Groundskeeper Chat with Chris Mason

Columbus Clippers', Chris Mason joined us for the first time at the Ohio Turfgrass Conference. We dove into his turf origin story and much more in this week's #GroundskeeperChat. Here's what you'll hear:

- Chris Mason's turf origin story

- How to build a crew

- How OTF has impacted Chris' career

- Meaningful mentors along the way

A little bit more about our guest... Chris Mason is the Head Groundskeeper for the Columbus Clippers. He spent time on many sides of the industry before taking the head gig in Columbus and has been with the crew for several seasons now.

Live from OTF: Groundskeeper Chat with Brian Hall

Longtime friend of our show, Brian Hall, joined Meg and Chris in Columbus to receive his praise for helping us make the OTF live show a reality! Brian recapped a transformative year for the industry organization and all the exciting things to come! 

A little bit more about our guest...
Brian Hall is the Facilities and Maintenance Director at Sylvania Recreation and Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Treasurer

Live from OTF: Groundskeeper Chat with Pam Sherratt

A guest who has been at the top of Meg's wish list, Pam Sherratt, joins us in Columbus for her first Groundskeeper Chat! Pam is the ultimate boy mom, OSU pillar and industry advocate and we were thrilled to hear her full turf origin story and much more in this week's #GroundskeeperChat: 

• OSU at the core of Pam's career 
• Meg's pitch to be a parent chaperone 
• People and creativity 
• OTF central to Pam's network 
• Pam's favorite student 

A little bit more about our guest... 
Pam Sherratt has been a Turfgrass Specialist with The Ohio State University for almost 30 years. She has played a large role in empowering the next generation of turfgrass professionals by being at the helm of OSU and groups like OTF and SFMA. 

Live from OTF: Groundskeeper Chat with Andrew Northeim

Andrew Northeim, Senior Head Groundskeeper for the Columbus Crew, joined us at the Ohio Turfgrass Conference to talk all things turf—from industry advocacy to preparing fields on the world stage ahead of the World Cup.

In this episode, we cover:

- A rapid recap of Andrew’s turfgrass origin story

- OTF 2025 at a glance

- How Andrew strives for balance on and off the field

- Building a strong network and tapping into industry resources

A little bit more about our guest: Andrew’s story is Ohio to its core. A graduate of The Ohio State University’s Turfgrass Science program, he has spent nearly 12 years with the Columbus Crew, helping maintain one of the top playing surfaces in the league.

Live from OTF: Groundskeeper Chat with Beth Guertal

• Beth Guertal's Turf Origin Story 
• A Career that people stumble upon 
• The 3 ways that industry groups have impacted Beth's career 
• Network of champions 
• The evolution of our industry, good vs bad 

A little bit more about our guests...
Beth Guertal was a longtime professor at Auburn University in Turfgrass Management. Now with Kansas State University, Beth specializes in research in soil fertility that helps move our industry forward.

Live from OTF: Groundskeeper Chat with Ryan Margraf

We kicked off another Live series with Ohio Turfgrass Foundation President, Ryan Margraf. Margraf shared his turf origin story and recapped a year of transformation for the industry group. Here's what you'll hear in this week's #GroundskeeperChat:

- Two decades with The Motz Group

- OTF going out on their own

- OTF/OSU Partnership

- How OTF has helped Ryan outside of work

A little bit more about our guest... Ryan Margraf has been with The Motz Group for over 20 years and he has a passion for moving our industry groups forward.

Live from Louisville: Groundskeeper Chat with Jeff McManus

Jeff McManus is the Executive Director of Campus Grounds and Landscape at the University of Texas. Before joining the UT team Jeff was with Ole Miss for 25 years. During that time Jeff built his philosophies on team building and turning weeders into leaders. Here's what you'll hear in this week's episode:

- The Pride, Passion and Purpose behind our workforce.

- Turning Weeders into Leaders

- Your PGMS network saves you from making expensive mistakes

- Breakfast of Champions

- Knowing what Table You're at and What Language is Being Spoken

 

A little bit more about our guest... Jeff McManus is an author, lead cultivation officer and inspiring industry veteran. Jeff is an alumni from Auburn University, where he discovered a love for a career in the professional groundskeeping industry. Today, he is a reputable leadership motivational speaker and team building expert.

Live from Louisville: Groundskeeper Chat with Joe Kovolyan

"You'll know if Joe is in the building"... The larger than life grounds personality Joe Kovolyan joined Meg to help close out the PGMS Groundskeeper Chat series. Joe shares his turf origin story and much more in this week's episode. 

• OG New England Crew 
• Turf Origin Story, from sports turf to grounds 
• 100th President of PGMS 
• The lifeline of PGMS + SFMA 

A little bit more about guest...
Joe Kovolyan is the Director of Landscape Services Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at the University of Missouri.