FARMINGTON, PA – Nemacolin, Pennsylvania’s premier luxury resort destination, is proud to announce Kayla Kipp, the equipment manager in the Turfgrass Management Department for the acclaimed resort’s Mystic Rock and Shepherd’s Rock golf courses, recently achieved her certification as a Certified Turf Equipment Manager through the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). She is one of 15 in the world to hold this certification in the industry and is, notably, the first woman to do so.
Over the last seven years, Kipp has volunteered her time with the GCSAA on the Equipment Managers Task Group and was instrumental in helping to develop the intense certification program bestowed upon turf equipment management professionals who have demonstrated a high degree of knowledge and proficiency in their profession.
“To earn her certification, Kayla was required to have three years of experience as an equipment manager and to have completed the Equipment Management Certificate Program (EMCP) Level 1 and 2 to begin the Certified Turf Equipment Manager program (CTEM),” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. “To then earn her certification, she passed all 197 attesting criteria focused on best practices of maintenance facility operations, safety, and the environment. She is the first woman to become a CTEM, and we congratulate her on this historical achievement.”
Of Kipp’s accomplishment, Nemacolin President Maggie Hardy Knox says, “This is monumental, and we are proud to have her motivation, determination, and spirit on the associate team at Nemacolin. She’s a shining example to all that nothing is impossible, and she is an encouragement to other women who are determined to achieve success in any business or industry.”
Prior to joining the Nemacolin staff, Kipp served as the equipment manager at the Lodestone and Fantasy Valley golf courses at Wisp Resort in McHenry, Maryland, and spent six years in the United States Air Force as a material handling and equipment maintenance journeyman.
Chris Anderson serves as the director of turfgrass at Nemacolin and as Kipp’s supervisor. “Since Kayla joined our team, she has devoted her time and talent to bring new life to our maintenance facility and program. She has fast-tracked her way to CTEM and brought our playing surfaces to the next level by working with the team,” adds Anderson.
Kipp says of her accomplishment, “GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans is always the first to remind us to ‘lead out,’ be the first to cut tracks for the next individual, and to put the work in to benefit the future. As I am now the first woman to attain the title of CTEM, and as I’ve participated in three Women in Turf events while serving on the inaugural Women’s Task Group, I feel as though I have absolutely cleared a path for others to succeed in this industry. I’m ready for what’s next.”
