SFMA reveals speakers for 2025 Conference and Exhibition

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The Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) has revealed several speakers for its 2025 SFMA Conference and Exhibition. Registration is now open for the conference, which will be held Jan. 13-16 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Providing Opportunity for the Future

Drew Miller, Ed.D., turfgrass management program director at Brentsville District High School in Nokesville, Va., and Danny Losito, CSFM, director of sports fields and grounds for the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC, will present “Providing Opportunity for the Future.”

Miller is a former MLB, NFL, and NCAA groundskeeper with different teams. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s and master’s degree before completing his doctorate at Liberty University. In his current role, Miller has developed a successful high school turfgrass management program and helps to develop high school turfgrass management programs nationwide.

Losito has experience in the NFL, MLS, MLB, NCAA, and MiLB. He is a Raleigh, N.C., native and a North Carolina State University turfgrass alumni. Over the last 13 years in the industry, he has traveled the country to broaden his experience in multi-sport and event management.

In this presentation, Miller and Losito will discuss ways to provide life-changing opportunities to young individuals who may not have considered sports field management a career. The two will discuss different events where they created the environment for young individuals to truly experience what sports field managers do in the field firsthand in a real-world setting.

Data-Driven Sports Field Management

Tyler Carr, Ph.D., assistant professor and turfgrass extension specialist at Ohio State University and Dan Sandor, Ph.D., a collegiate assistant professor of turfgrass at Virginia Tech, will present “Data-Driven Sports Field Management.”

Carr’s research at Ohio State focuses on improving turfgrass cultural practices to develop sustainable turfgrass systems. His extension program strives to provide education and cost-effective solutions for the Ohio turfgrass industry. Carr received a bachelor’s in horticulture, landscape and turf sciences from the University of Arkansas, a master’s in horticulture from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. in plant, soil and environmental sciences from the University of Tennessee.

Sandor holds a 100-percent teaching appointment, leads all undergraduate coursework, chairs undergraduate research, advises and mentors students and serves as the faculty advisor for the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Club. Sandor directs multiple recruiting initiatives for prospective Va. Tech Turf students and has built and developed strong connections with high school agriculture and green-industry programs across the Commonwealth.

He is also engaged in multiple turfgrass research, extension and outreach-education efforts at Va. Tech, and he serves as the education chair of the Virginia Sports Field Management Association. Sandor earned his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas’s turfgrass science program in 2018, and he served as a postdoctoral associate with the University of Minnesota turfgrass science program prior to joining Va. Tech in the fall of 2019.

Carr and Sandor will delve into the rigorous scientific method that separates evidence-based practices from mere speculation. Attendees will gain the tools to critically evaluate recommendations, ensuring they’re rooted in scientific research. By the end, attendees can justify and advocate for data-driven, science-based practices at their facility. This not only leads to better field conditions but also translates to cost savings and a reduced environmental footprint.