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Stanley J. Zontek Receives the 2003 Distinguished Service Award

PTC President Jerred D. Golden presents the Distinguish Service Award to Stanley Zontek (right) on behalf of the entire PTC membership. The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council (PTC) annually recognizes an individual who has exhibited outstanding service to the turfgrass industry. On October 6, a specially appointed President's Committee of PTC announced Stanley J. Zontek as the recipient of the 2003 Distinguished Service Award. An employee of the United States Golf Association, Mr. Zontek has been Director, Green Section for the Mid-Atlantic Region since 1985.

The award was formally presented in front of an audience of nearly 600 industry leaders during the Penn State Golf Turf Conference on November 12 in State College. Mr. Zontek, a long-term Council member, was honored for championing the Penn State turfgrass program over many years and for his support of initiatives both within Pennsylvania and nationally that have improved the status of the industry.

Now operating out of an office in West Chester, PA, Mr. Zontek is the senior agronomist with the USGA and their longest tenured employee. In 1971 he took a job as Agronomist, USGA Green Section, Northeastern Region shortly after his graduation from Penn State with a degree in Agronomy -Turfgrass Management. Through the years, he served as director for the Northeast Region and the North Central region before assuming his present position as Director for the Mid-Atlantic Region.

He also had hands on experience as a Research Technician at Penn State University and as a groundsman at Rolling Green Golf Club, Springfield, PA; White Manor Country Club, Malvern, PA, and Manor Country Club, Rockville, MD.

Recognized throughout the industry for his expertise and dedication, Mr. Zontek was previously awarded the Don Rossi Humanitarian Award by the Golf Course Builders Association and the Eb Steiniger Man of the Year Award by the Philadelphia Golf Course Superintendent's Association. He is also an honorary member of several regional GCSA chapters and is a frequent speaker at local, regional, national and international turf conferences.

Mr. Zontek is a member of the American Society of Agronomy and a Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg), as well as holding membership in the National Honor Society of Agriculture (Gamma Sigma Delta), and the USGA Green Section Award Committee. He is the author of numerous articles on turfgrass management and served on the editorial board for Turf Management for Golf Courses by James B. Beard. His history of the Penn State turf program is included on the PTC website, www.paturf.org.

PTC President Jerred D. Golden bestowed the Distinguished Service Award honors on behalf of the 900 members of the Council.