FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: November 11, 2010
CONTACT: Molly Baldwin, mollybaldwin@assnhqtrs.com

University of Texas at Austin's John Burns Earns CGM Status

(Baltimore, MD) - The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) has announced that John Burns of Austin, Texas has become the 131st grounds management professional to successfully complete its Certified Grounds Manager (CGM) program.

Burns currently serves as the landscape manager at the University of Texas at Austin and has been in that position for nine years. Since joining PGMS in 2003 he has been very active in the association, especially volunteering on the board of directors where he is currently serving as South Central Regional Director. PGMS recently spent a few moments catching up with John.

PGMS: Why did you want to become a CGM?
Burns: The CGM provided an opportunity for further professional development as well as a way to enhance professional reputation for myself and my department. PGMS has greatly improved my credibility as a landscape manager and this certification magnifies that credibility.

PGMS: What did you think of the program?
Burns: It was a very enlightening experience. Going into the process I knew it was going to be a bit challenging to complete. Having been in my position for several years we already had a lot things in place that made the task not quite as challenging as it could have been. Even with many things in place such as some fairly extensive inventories it was still a challenge to complete while at the same time keeping up with the day to day tasks of a landscape manager. Through the process I had to put some things in writing that I had never done before and the result has been not only a certification, but a landscape management plan for our campus. The process also made me aware of some areas where I could improve personally and areas where we could improve as a department.

PGMS: What advice do you have for aspiring CGMs?
Burns: Go for it! It is a lot of work, but the process itself will help you improve both personally and as well as your whole departmental operations.

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