Personnel

Terry Boehm has been named vice president of business development for Primera Turf, a green industry purchasing cooperative. He will be based in Salem, Ore. In his new position, Boehm is working with Chief Executive Officer Frans Jager to bring together cooperative member distributors and supply partners. Boehm will also focus on developing exclusive brands, generating greater value for end user members and managing the cooperative’s West Coast business.

ValleyCrest has appointed Gregory Pieschala as president of the company’s golf course maintenance division. Pieschala joined ValleyCrest in 2000 and is taking over the golf course division after the company entered several new markets last year and added a number of courses to its roster.

Rain Bird’s golf division has made two personnel additions recently. Shawn Emmack was named district sales manager for the company’s golf division. Emmack will be based in Atlanta and oversee sales in the southeast region. "Our existing team of technical irrigation experts continues to grow and strengthen and we’re pleased to have Shawn join the mix," says Stuart Hackwell, Rain Bird Golf’s eastern regional sales manager. Emmack brings 11 years of industry sales experience to his new position. Also, Doug Richmond joined the company as senior product engineer for golf. Richmond will help conceptualize new product development and engineering that supports the company’s water conservation efforts. "Doug’s extensive product development and R&D experience makes him a valuable addition to the Rain Bird Golf team," says Engineering Manager Lynn Roney. "We are excited to welcome him."

James Henderson joined Columbia ParCar Corp., as west coast regional sales manager. With more than 25 years of experience in customer service and sales-related fields for small-vehicle manufacturers, Henderson will assist in handling all sales and marketing activities in Columbia’s west coast territory. This includes working and developing dealership customers and customer support throughout the region.

Denise Soldenski of the golf division at Rain Bird Corp., recently became a certified golf irrigation auditor (GCIA) through the Irrigation Association. The Irrigation Association created the GCIA program in cooperation with the Golf course Superintendents Association of America and focuses on analyzing turf irrigation water use tailored to the unique conditions found on golf courses. "We are proud of Denise for becoming a certified golf irrigation auditor," says Jeff Kiewel, Rain Bird Golf’s national sales and marketing manager. "Her new skills will allow her to more effectively measure the performance of an irrigation system and make improvement recommendations."

Monroe Miller, superintendent at Blackhawk Country Club in Madison, Wis., has been selected to receive the Green Section Award from the United States Golf Association. The annual award recognizes distinguished contributions to golf through work with turfgrass. Miller is the editor/publisher of The Grass Roots, the official publication of the
Wisconsin Golf Course Superintendents Association. Miller also spearheaded a campaign to raise $100,000 in match-
ing funds for a University of Wisconsin field turfgrass facility. After overseeing construction of the O.J.Noer Research Facility in 1991, Miller led an effort to raise $1million, which when matched and invested, will generate annual support for four graduate research fellowships.

Harold Vaubel, CGCS, has been appointed owner/operator of HGM Consulting. Vaubel hasbeen involved in the construction of eight golf courses in the west and 16 PGA Tour and Champion Tour events. A new company division is opening to handle contract maintenance on golf courses, sports fields and driving ranges in the southwest.