| International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association (IGCEMA) CEO Stephen Tucker has announced that he will resign following the conclusing of the 2012 Golf Industry Show in Las Vegas. The following is Tucker's official notification to IGCEMA members: Good Morning IGCEMA Members, It is with mixed emotions that I come to you today to inform you that I will be resigning the CEO position at IGCEMA following the Golf Industry Show in Las Vegas. Unlike many positions today, I will be resigning from the IGCEMA on my own accord. Over the last 6 years I have enjoyed this new chapter in my life. I have grown a lot as a person and as a leader. Getting into association work seemed rather easy in the beginning but boy was I in for a treat. I have realized over these last few years that you get to experience some extreme highs, disappointments, frustration, joy, but above all accomplishment. Starting out I had one intention and that was to gain some recognition for the equipment technician. I realized early in my career that in this position people don’t come to you and thank you or give you anything. If you want something you have to ask for it or earn it. I feel that is what we have done with the IGCEMA. Building the association has taken more time than anyone can imagine. It is one thing when you have funds, staff and a group of people to work with but starting out we had nothing. To look at us today well all I can say is I feel happy to have been apart of it. During this journey I have met a lot of people. I have been to a lot of places, many of which, I may have never been able to experience. I think the toughest part about resigning or retiring whatever you want to call it is you miss the interaction that you had with so many people that make a difference in our industry. It feels really good to be apart of making those decisions and being involved in the industry itself. While I am resigning I also plan to be an involved member of the IGCEMA. The association and its growth are important to me and I plan to support the leadership of the association in any way I can. There are so many things to managing the association that need to be done so over the next 6 months I will be training our board members and transitioning some of my responsibilities over along the way so the association doesn’t lose a step in this process. Many may be curious as to what my plans are for the future and some of that is uncertain. Leading the association has given me a new perspective on things and what direction I would like to go in the future. I have thought about going back to college and am weighing those options. I have 2 kids and a wife and they have been very understanding the last 6 years. I have college, weddings, clothes, and having daughter’s boyfriends I will have to deal with so I may need to get a few more jobs. Overall the experience has been one of the best of my life and some that I will never forget. I just want to leave everyone with one thought. As equipment technicians we are just as important as every other position in our industry. We are no more important or less important than anyone else. For many years some lost sight of that and now the recognition for the job you do is finally becoming a reality. The one thing to remember is that it is up to you where this goes from here. Your future and the future of others depend on you. How you do your job everyday, the time you volunteer for your local or international organization all these things matter because now people are watching. Show them who we are and what we can do because quite simply no one else can do it. |
