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Certification > Becoming a Certified Grounds Manager (CGM)

The Certified Grounds Manager program, developed and offered by PGMS and recognized by outside organizations such as the American Public Works Association, is the premiere program of its type in the Green Industry. With certification, your presentations, requests for funds and equipment, and recommendations carry more weight.

For those interested in becoming a Certified Grounds Manager (CGM), there is a very specific prescribed procedure.

Criteria | Exam Process | Application Form | Testimonials |FAQ's

Click here to view a list of all PGMS CGMs


CRITERIA

A candidate must meet one of the three criteria below:

  1. A Bachelor of Science in a recognized green industry field, including management and four years of experience in the field of grounds maintenance, of which two years are supervisory.
  2. A two year degree from a recognized college or junior college, plus six years of experience in the grounds maintenance field with a minimum of three years of supervisory experience.
  3. Eight years in the grounds maintenance field, with a minimum of four years of supervisory experience.

EXAMINATION PROCESS

The examination process consists of two parts.

  1. Part One is administered by an approved proctor and covers a core of basic principles of grounds management, consisting of one hundred true/false and multiple choice questions. The applicant taking the examination is required to answer these particular questions without referring to notes or reference materials. A minimum passing grade of 70% is required.

    The Closed Book Test Contains Questions On:
    Insects and Diseases
    Soils
    Trees and Shrubs
    Turfgrass
    Chemicals and Fertilizers
    Management

  2. Part Two is the open book exam. This is a newly revised take home examination to be completed by the applicant based on personal experience and the local situation. Candidates have 1 year to complete this open book test for review by the committee.

    The Open Book Test Consists Of The Following:
    Site Inventory
    Operations Inventory
    Turf Management
    Trees, Shrubs and Ground Covers
    Irrigation
    Pavings
    Management Skills
    Budgets and Finances

    Application and examination fees for PGMS members is $150. You may also join PGMS and apply for the program simultaneously by paying $325.


Download the Application Form

FAQ's

Q-Who is my proctor?
A- A superior manager in your company or your HR Director. Exams are also available at regional and national conferences or can be proctored by a local CGM.

Q-How are we assigned a mentor and how exactly does this work?
A- After successfully passing the closed exam, you will be assigned a mentor from your region or close to your region depending upon where you reside. You also have the flexibility to choose a committee member depending on their availability. The mentor is there to offer guidance and support and can help also by reviewing your current body of work to see if it matches the rubric.

Q- How do I study for the closed book certification exam? What are good study references?
A- The exam tests grounds management competencies, the test you're given is based on what you do and how you manage. A practical approach for study would be to freshen up on other geographical areas other than your current location, ie, if you are from the northeast, it would be beneficial to review warm season grasses and diseases and vice versa.

Q-What is on the closed book exam?
A-The exam covers management, human resources, business dynamics, technical grounds management issues, etc.

Q-What does the open book test?
A- It is more than a test. It is an opportunity to document your work site, from tree and shrub inventory to job descriptions. The open book completion results in a working document for your site. For areas you don't actively manage, it helps you learn the complexities and technical aspects so you can hire or supervise a project.

Q-How is my open book graded?
A- We have an established rubric for each section of the open book. We are looking for specific competencies. A good example may be a plant inventory- we are looking for a proper nomenclature, cultivars, plant varieties, spelling, thoroughness of the document, an accompanying map and related visual. Innovative ways to list and record data are also a plus.

Q-If I am not responsible for "irrigation", how do I express this in the open book section?
A- You might go to a vendor, or actually take an irrigation class if you have no prior experience with irrigation. Now you can understand the technical aspects of design and installation. If you currently do no more than supervise installation, you will now understand foot of head, frictional losses, static pressure, etc. This is an example of a required competency. Remember, your CGM status represents your ability to work at any grounds at any location, not just your present position.

Q- How long does the certification process take?
A- Most managers take about a year to complete the certification, others will fast track and complete it in six months.

Q- Should my staff work on their CGM certification?
A- Absolutely, especially if they are engaged in most or all of the open book areas you have just completed. If they are new to the profession, you can still get them ready by having them take classes. Or have them complete the CGT program and build their skills till they are at the level for CGM certification.

TESTIMONIALS

"The Certified Grounds Manager process is a great way to develop and sharpen your managerial skills. To complete my open book I used new computer skills, practiced my drafting and developed my own inventory files. I also built my presentation and budgetary skills. Completing and maintaining my CGM has allowed me to build my resume with continuing education requirements. My CGM gave me the confidence to pursue leadership opportunities in PGMS at the national level and had led to my being selected as chairperson of the certification committee. And perhaps most important, my CGM helped me obtain my “dream goal” of working in a new state, Florida. Without my certification, convincing potential employers of the ability to transfer from Kansas to Florida might have been impossible."

Monica D. Higgins, CGM Chair
Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club
Naples, FL

"There are many benefits to becoming a certified grounds manager. Ther certification shows others and, most importantly yourself, that you have made an effort to raise the bar of excellence in professionalism.

Personally, I feel one of the highest value assets of certification is the process of certification in itself. You are drawn out of your comfort zone and are required to think out of the box. What a great way to develop your management skills, marketability and confidence. Just do it!"

PGMS President Gene Pouly, CGM,
E. F. Pouly Company
Orrville, OH


 

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