14 facilities awarded STMA’s Environmental Facility Certification
The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) recognized 14 facilities with the organization’s Environmental Facility Certification.
These STMA members and their facilities showcase ecologically-friendly and sustainable best practices. Since the first certification was awarded to the Red Bull Training Facility and Red Bull Arena in 2016, 30 other STMA facilities have achieved environmental certification.
“Our members recognize the tremendous benefits adopting environmentally-friendly practices can provide,” said Victoria Wallace, Environmental Committee chair. “We are proud to celebrate the sports turf managers that have gone above and beyond in their effort to make their facilities more sustainable.”
To achieve the certification, the site must attain an 80 percent score within each section. Facilities will remain certified for a three-year period, at which point a recertification process takes place.
The 14 facilities include:
- Tom Barry, Greens Farms Academy (Westport, Conn.);
- Chris Bolender, CSFM, Pioneer Community Park (Peoria, Ariz.); Rio Vista Community Park (Peoria, Ariz.);
- Noel Brusius, CSFM, Waukegan SportsPark (Waukegan, Ill.);
- Ryan DeMay, Berliner Sports Park (Columbus, Ohio);
- Larry DiVito, Target Field (Minneapolis);
- Jared Hertzel and Blake Nelson, University of Nebraska Hibner Soccer and Tennis Center (Lincoln, Neb.);
- Dean Pearson, Champion Field, Seattle University (Seattle);
- Anthony Pell, CSFM, University of Michigan Soccer Complex (Ann Arbor, Mich.);
- Joel Rieker, Eastside Centre (East Peoria, Ill.);
- Al Siebert and Brandon Putman, Peoria Sports Complex (Peoria, Ariz.);
- Kim Spearman & team, Celebration Park, City of Allen (Allen, Texas);
- Ryan Storey, CSFM, Vanderbilt Athletic Complex (Nashville, Tenn.); and
- Colin Stuhr and Joe Wagner, Iowa City Soccer Complex (Iowa City, Iowa).
A facility’s field manager must complete an initial online assessment followed by an on-site walk-through validation with an attester. The assessment covers 10 environmental practice areas – including recycling, composting, energy conservation and water quality testing.
