Golf Course Superintendents Association of America elects new president

Todd Barker, the superintendent at Fore Lakes Golf Course in Taylorsville, Utah, has been elected president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

Barker is the 88th president in the association’s history and served as vice president of the association in 2024. He has been a member of the association’s board of directors since 2018. A 21-year member of GCSAA, Barker is also a past president of the Utah GCSA.

Barker joined the grounds crew at Fore Lakes in 1995 and has been superintendent since 2006. A third-generation superintendent, he became exposed to GCSAA at a young age when his father, GCSAA member Todd Barker, would take the family to the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show each year.

Barker, who has an advanced turfgrass certificate from Penn State University World Campus, said: “This is one of the greatest honors of my life. This organization is my professional home. The collective strength and passion of our members is what makes GCSAA exceptional.”

In addition to Barker, chapter delegates elected Paul Carter, superintendent at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Tennessee, as vice president, and Marc Weston, superintendent at Indian Hill Country Club in Connecticut, as secretary/treasurer.

Board members Steven Hammon, superintendent at Traverse City Country Club in Michigan; H Scott Griffith, director of agronomy at the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens; and Gregory Jones, director of agronomy at Champions Run in Nebraska, were re-elected to serve on the board, while Ryan Kraushofer, superintendent and general manager at Westminster National Golf Course in Maryland, and Brian Roth, superintendent at Oquirrh Hills Golf Course in Utah, were newly elected to join the board as directors. 

Jeff White, director of agronomy at Indian Hills Country Club in Kansas will serve one year as immediate past president, while Kevin Breen, superintendent at La Rinconada Country Club in California retires from the board. 

Doug Dykstra, director of agronomy and facilities at White Mountain Country Club in Arizona, resigned his position on the GCSAA Board for personal reasons after serving on the board since 2020.

In addition to the board election, the membership also approved a fees increase to support GCSAA efforts in workforce development, advocacy, environmental programs and professional recognition.