Jim Ritorto

President

Jim is the Director of Agronomy at Lake of Isles Golf Club, North Stonington, CT., a position he’s held since 2008. Previously he held a similar position at Ocean Edge Resort and Club, Brewster, MA. from 2006 – 08. He was at Ocean Edge during construction of the course and grounds. Jim was the Course Superintendent on the South Course at Lake-of-Isles from 2003- 06 before moving to Ocean Edge. He also held the position of Golf Course superintendent at Charter Oaks Country Club, Hudson, MA. from 2000-02. Jim is a graduate of URI with a BS in Turf Management. Jim maintains memberships in the RIGCSA, CAGCS, NEGCSA and GCSAA.

Pat Hogan

Vice-President

Pat has worked at SODCO, Slocum, R.I., since 1982 in various capacities and has been the sales manager since 2000. He attended Bristol Community College and has taken various courses in the Turf Program at URI.

Pat is very active in turf and agricultural related associations. He is a past president of Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association ( RINLA ) and the New England Sod Producers. Currently he is on the legislative committee for RINLA. In 2005 Pat was the recipient of the inaugural Vendor of the Year Award presented by New England Sports Turf Managers Association ( NESTMA ). He maintains active memberships in RINLA, Mass Landscape Professionals Association, Mass Nursery and Landscape Association, RIGCSA, GCSANE, GCSACC, NESTMA and the Rhode Island Farm Bureau.

Pat is an avid golfer, still gets on the ice at least once a week in a hockey league but enjoys spending most of his free time with his grandson and family.

Jim Wilkinson

Treasurer

Jim has been the president of SeaScape Lawn Care, Coventry, R.I. since 1996. SeaScape’s provide lawn care, tree & shrub care and tree maintenance services to over 5,000 residential and commercial customers in R.I., MA. and CT. Jim was the Vice President for Professional Sales and Research & Development for Earthgro, Inc., Lebanon, CT. from 1992-96. From 1987 to 1991 he was the president of Wilkinson & Associates, Inc.. A consulting firm providing services to organizations within the horticultural and pesticide applicator industries. Jim served as General Manager / Vice President of the Old Fox Lawn Care Company, E. Providence from 1981 – 1987, Director of Research for the Chem Lawn Corp., Columbus, Ohio, from 1976-80 and as an Assistant Professor of Agronomy at  Ohio State University from 1973-75.

Jim received his B.S ( 1969 ) and M.S. ( 1971 ) in Horticulture from URI and his PhD in Agronomy from Michigan State in 1973. He maintains memberships in all professional lawn care associations in New England and is active in RINLA.

Rex Eberly

Secretary

Rex has been the Park Superintendent for the Town of South Kingstown since 2000 where he oversees the maintenance and capital improvements of over 400 acres of park land including the South County Bike Path and Matunuck Town Beach. His previous work experience includes 11 years as Landscape Construction Manager at Wood River Evergreens and several years working his way through URI as a Lawn Care Technician at Tuckahoe Lawn Care under the direction of Dave Wallace. Rex is and active member of the Rhode Island Recreation and Park Association where he was an officer on the board for over eight years, he is currently on the BOD of NESTMA and serves on the South Kingstown safety committee and health and wellness committee. Rex is a graduate of URI with a BS in Resource Development/Landscape Architecture. He is an avid road and mountain bike cyclist, enjoys travel and spending time with his family.

David Wallace

Past-President

Dave has been the Owner / President of Tee & Green Sod, Exeter, R.I. for most of the past 20 years. He spent three years working with New England Turf but has recently restarted Tee & Green. Previously Dave was a Managing Partner in Tuckahoe Lawn Care, Inc. At that time Tuckahoe was the third largest lawn care company in New England with offices in R.I. and MA. and a customer base of 8,500 plus clients. He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a BS in Agricultural Technology and an MBA in Business. Dave is extremely active in turf and agricultural related associations in Rhode Island and through out New England. He presently serves on the following Advisory Committee’s in the College of Environmental Life Sciences ( CELS ) at URI: Dean’s College Advisory, CELS Biotechnology and CELS Tick Prevention. He is also a member of the RI Ag Partners Steering Committees, RI Ag Land Preservation Commission and The Sports Turf Managers Association of America “Synthetic Turf Task Force. Dave is an active member in STMA, NESTMA, Turf Producers International and the Golf Course Superintendent Associations of New England, Vermont, Rhode Island, Cape Cod, Connecticut, New York Metropolitan and Long Island along with the GCSAA.

Ed Walsh

Executive Director

Ed was in the golf course management and construction business for over 40 years retiring as the course superintendent from Shelter Harbor Golf Club, Charlestown, R.I., in 2010. He was the construction manager of the Wending Creek Golf Club, Coudersport, PA., from 2000-02 and held that same position at the Mansion Ridge G.C., Monroe, N.Y. from 1997-99.

Ed served as the golf course superintendent at Essex County C.C., West Orange, N.J. from 1994-96 and the Ridgewood C.C., Paramus, N.J. from 1976-93. While at Ridgewood he prepared the course for the 1980 LPGA Coca-Cola Classic and the 1990 USGA Senior Open Championship along with numerous New Jersey and New York Met Golf Association events.

Ed was the president of the GCSANJ from 1986-87 and the Tri-State Turfgrass Foundation from 1995-96. He edited the GCSANJ's award winning newsletter, The Greenerside, from 1980-86. He has served on many GCSAA committee's including: Certification, Education, Nominating and Long Range Planning. 

He headed the committee that developed and ran the Met Area Team Championship for 12 years. This event  includes superintendent associations from as far south as the Mid-Atlantic to mid Pennsylvania and our own RIGCSA in the north. The event is now in it's 31st year.

Ed attended Rutgers University / Cook College from 1970-71 starting in Landscape Design and Maintenance then transferring to Turf Management. He has been a Certified Golf Course Superintendent since 1978.

He has been an active member in RIGCSA, GCSANJ, MGCSA, GCSAA and the Tri-State Turfgrass Foundation. Ed was awarded the GCSANJ's Distinguished Service Award in 1991.

Vicki Wallace

Board of Directors

Vicki is the Extension Educator for the University of Connecticut focusing on Sustainable Landscapes. Previous to U Conn she was a technical sales rep for Valley Green, Inc. Vicki has been associated with the turf grass seed industry for over 25 years focusing on golf, landscape, sports turf and sod as an agronomist and sales representative for companies such as Tee-2-Green Corp., Turf-Seed, Inc. and Lofts Seed. Vicki is an active member of many professional turf grass associations. She served on the board-of-directors for the Sports Turf Managers Association of America for four years and is an active committee member to this day. Regionally she is a board members of the New England Sports Turf Managers Association and maintains active membership in the RIGCSA, RINLA, CAGCS, GCSACC and GCSANE. Vicki received her BS in Ornamental Horticulture from Penn State University and her MS in Turfgrass Pathology from URI.

Brian Boesch

Board of Directors

Brian has been the Turfgrass and Sportsfield Manager for the University of Rhode Island since 2009. Previously, he served as the interim Assistant Director of Facilities Lands & Grounds at URI, 2008-2009.

Brian hails from the great city of Rochester, New York. Growing up in the country-suburbs, he loves being outdoors and stuck to the game of golf from an early age. A once driven teenager who rigged his dad's lawnmower to shave the landscape, he constructed a private golf hole and driving range on his parents 5 acre property to hone his shotmaking skills. After graduating from the University at Buffalo with a B.S. in Biochemistry in 2000, Brian felt that a career in the turf management industry would be the most natural and fulfilling next step. He moved to Myrtle Beach, SC, where he studied Golf Course Management at Horry-Georgetown College and worked on the grounds staff for the Dunes Golf and Beach Club. In 2003 Brian headed back to the northeast to continue studying turfgrass management as a graduate student in URI's plant sciences department. Brian became a Velvet Bentgrass expert as a grad student and spent much of his time maintaining the Skogley Turf Research Farm. He earned his Masters degree in 2006.

Today Brian enjoys the challenges of overseeing URI's Athletics and Recreation fields.He is a member of STMA, NESTMA and GCSAA.

Patrick Vetere

Board of Directors

Pat is the Grounds Superintendent of Brown University, a position he has held for the past 18 years. His responsibilities include managing all aspects of maintaining the vast campus grounds spreading around 236 buildings and encompassing 137 acres as well extensive high level athletic fields supporting 38 varsity sports ( 4th most in United States). Notable points of interest include a collection of 88 American Elms, large open  turf covered quads and historical gardens.  Previous to Brown, he was a Golf Course Superintendent for 11 years both in Rhode Island and New York.  Pat received an Associates degree from SUNY Alfred in Agronomy and Environmental Protection in 1978 and a Bachelors degree from University of Rhode Island in 1980 specializing in Turf Management.    

Michael Marino

Board of Directors

Mike's info is coming soon

Bob Chalifour

Board of Directors

Bob was the golf course superintendent at Shennecossett G.C., Groton, Connecticut for 30 years. He is presently self employed and represents Slater Farms / Holliston Sand Co., Slatersville RI.  His company is a major supplier of topdressing, root zone mixes and bunker sands in New England.

Bob received an associate’s degree from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, Turf Management Program in 1964 and a B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Rhode Island in 1967. He has been a Certified Golf Course Superintendent since 1974.

Bob was the President of both the Rhode Island GCSA from 1972-73 and Connecticut Association of GCS from 1988-89. From 1997 to 2010 he edited the CAGCS award winning newsletter “Connecticut Clippings”.

Bob is a member of GCSAA, RIGCSA, CAGCS, GCSANE, CT. Parks Association and New England Sports Turf Managers Association (NESTMA).

In 1996 Bob was presented with the Connecticut Superintendent of the Year Award bestowed by his peers.

Bob and his wife Pat continue to live in Groton CT next to the 11^th fairway of Shennecossett GC.