The act of initiativebegan at a youngage for ChrisCalcaterra, CSFM,CPRP, sports facil-

ities manager for the city ofPeoria, AZ who took the reinsas president of the Sports TurfManagers Association lastmonth at the 21st AnnualConference & Exhibition inOrlando.

At age 13, Calcaterra workedas a self-professed cart cabanaboy at Whitewater CreekCountry Club in Fayetteville,GA just 2 miles away from thehouse he grew up in, when hecarved out his own opportunity,a habit that he would repeatover and over again during histwo-decade-long career.

When the course underwenta sodding project around the

golf shop, Calcaterra opted tostay late and helped lay somesod. The superintendent atWhitewater Creek back then,Rob Roy, took notice, and “therest was history,” Calcaterrasays. “At the

age of 13 once I laid my firstpiece of sod, I knew what Iwanted to do. (Roy) put meunder his wing and was mymentor in the turf industry.”

Since then, one could saythat Calcaterra has fashioned hisown path, making opportunitiesappear in front of him, decidingon a particular job that hedesires and then simply doing it.

That’s the way, at least, thatCalcaterra got a stint workingfor the University of Georgia’sathletic department during hisfirst year as a student there.

“I pounded on the door, andcreated an internship program,”he says, as though it were thatsimple.

THE FRUIT OFHIS LABOR

Looking at Calcaterra’sbeginnings, you could under-stand how he got into the busi-ness. He grew up on a 12-acrefarm in south Georgia, where hehelped out with gardening andother odd chores, gaining a lovefor the outdoors and workingwith the earth. Though hisupbringing didn’t inspire him tobe a row crop farmer, he saysthat lifestyle is responsible forhis work ethic and other quali-ties imperative to getting him towhere he is today. “My parentsinstilled good traits in me,” he

says. “They don’t makethem like that anymore.”

He may have been des-tined in more ways thanone to go into turf man-agement—his last name

STMAPresident | By Darcy DeVictor Boyle

A self-made manThere’s no telling what opportunities Chris Calcaterra, CSFM, will make out of the year ahead

Chris Calcaterragives his daughter,Sarah, some tipson watering infieldskin.

>>

www.sportsturfonline.com8 SportsTurf | February 2010

“Calcaterra” literally means “lime of the earth,”which earned Chris the affectionate nickname of“Limedirt” in 7th grade.

10 SportsTurf | February 2010 www.sportsturfonline.com

STMAPresident

literally means “lime of the earth,” whichearned him the affectionate nickname of“Limedirt” in 7th grade.

Quick to break out into his own territoryafter graduating from high school, Calcaterrawent away to a 2-year agricultural college fora semester before coming back home andstarting school at a community college. Fromthere he had a revelation that led him to theUniversity of Georgia.

“I realized if I wanted to go anywhere, Iwanted to get a 4-year degree,” Calcaterrasays.

Working for the Athens, GA-based uni-versity athletic program sparked an interestthat would last a lifetime.

“That’s where I got exposed to athletics,”Calcaterra says. “The beauty of athletics at acollege is you have multiple sports, intramu-rals, indoor and outdoor arenas. It definitelygot me hooked on the athletics of stadiumsand the turf practices. I was learning a lotjust by being there.”

He also attributes his success to the factthat his mentor Roy insisted that he gain avariety of experiences in the profession.

“He was instrumental in my not workingfor the same person,” he says of the periodbetween attending the 2-year college andcoming back home to go to community col-lege. “He helped me get jobs with othersuperintendents around town. I experienced

the management of turf, how they manageemployees, mechanics and the shop. Iworked for four different folks in a span of 3or 4 years, and I networked. I didn’t evenknow I was doing it.”

LAND OF THE BRAVESAs a senior about to graduate with a

degree in agriculture with specializations inturf and horticulture, Calcaterra hadn’texactly figured out what he wanted to donext, go into golf or stay in sports. And heonce again took the initiative and manufac-tured his own opportunity.

“I made a decision to go to the AtlantaBraves and introduce myself to theirgroundskeeper, Ed Mangan, who’s beenthere for some time and is very well respect-ed,” he says. “I told him I was about to grad-uate and wanted to get into the sports indus-try and maintaining a stadium, so he put meon as a gamer.”

And so his senior year of college,Calcaterra repeatedly made the 2½-hourdrive between Athens and Atlanta to work atthe stadium. It paid off.

An assistant at the stadium left, andCalcaterra was selected to take his place. Hespent five years at the Atlanta Braves as theassistant field director, gaining experiencessuch as hosting the 1996 Olympic Gamesand the construction of a new, modernizedstadium. “And the Braves were playing well,so that didn’t hurt,” he adds.

But on top of the long hours, Calcaterrafelt limited by the upward mobility availablewith the job.

“There are very few positions at that levelbecause there are so few pro teams,” he says.“I wasn’t going to move up unless someonedied or left. That’s when I left to go intomanagement.”

WESTWARD MOBILITYIn 1998, Calcaterra applied for a handful

of positions, and the city of Peoria in Arizonacame calling. Starting off as a grounds super-visor for the city (whose population is130,000 according to the latest census databut Calcaterra estimates is closer today toabout 170,000 people) he was promoted to afacility manager about 6 years ago, movingfrom the turf side to the facility side.

Since then, Calcaterra has been in charge

Calcaterra manages a $5.4 millionoperating budget, a vehicle maintenanceasset budget of $1 million and capitalimprovement projects such as facilityimprovements and renovations.

SportsTurf 11www.stma.org

of operations, marketing and grounds for thecity’s sports facilities, which includes thePeoria Sports Complex, a 15-field, 145-acreMajor League Baseball spring training facili-ty for two teams, the Seattle Mariners andthe San Diego Padres. That 120,000-square-foot facility boasts two 40,000 square feetteam clubhouses, an 11,000-seat stadiumand 20 hitting cages. Also under his respon-sibility is the 54-acre Rio Vista CommunitySports Park, which Calcaterra says “is builtto bring in people from 15 miles out. It’snot just a swing set. It’s a sports facility aswell with seven softball fields, four full-sizedsoccer fields, a lake, a recreation center, pic-nic pavilions and a skate park.”

He additionally manages a $5.4 millionoperating budget, a vehicle maintenanceasset budget of $1 million and such capitalimprovement projects for the complex asbridge construction and stadium painting.With a staff of 25 full-time employees and12 full-time equivalent positions, Calcaterramanages four direct reports.

But with all of these responsibilities, hesays the biggest challenge of his day-to-dayduties is dealing with the sheer breadth ofthe uses and purposes of the services he over-sees.

“It’s the multi-faceted user groups wehave, and all the different hats we wear,” hesays. “I could be talking to a team coach oneminute and literally get a phone call from acitizen the next. And that’s for anyone inour group. It’s great because it keeps youfocused and active and maintaining youredge. The bottom line is communication.It’s more valuable than any turfgrass class Iever had.”

His ability to manage multiple groups ofusers at once helped to prepare Calcaterrafor the duties of STMA leadership, saysSTMA’s immediate past president, AbbyMcNeal, CSFM, the turfgrass manager forWake Forest University in Winston-Salem,NC.

“Supervising a baseball training facility isnot an easy task,” says McNeal, who’s

known Calcaterra for 8 years through hisinvolvement with the STMA board of direc-tors and committee work. “He has activitiesat his facility every day, year-round. He’slearned to manage through all the activity ona municipal budget and create a great experi-ence for everyone that visits the facilitywhether as a participant or a fan.”

For those skills, Calcaterra thanks his par-ents, who prepared him for how to and hownot to manage certain situations, he says.

He also gives his boss, J.P. de laMontaigne, the city’s community servicesdirector, credit for taking a chance on ayoung supervisor years ago with little man-agement experience.

“He brought me into the municipal sideand gave me insight on how to survive,” hesays, adding that he hit the ground runningin the Peoria job. “He’s been great, very sup-portive.”

With a background in the private side ofthe business, Calcaterra enjoys the blend ofprivate and public services in his current gig.

12 SportsTurf | February 2010 www.sportsturfonline.com

“I have toes on both sides,” he says. “I’mworking with two pro baseball teams, butI’m also in the municipal side. Everyone hastheir own needs, and we’re kind of the gluethat makes that happen.”

In one of Calcaterra’s proudest accom-plishments he collaborated with others informing a nationally recognized intern pro-gram with a local high school. Called Schoolto Work Career Technical EducationProgram, the initiative involves Calcaterraand others going into the schools, makingpresentations and selecting sophomoresthrough seniors to participate. The studentsgo through the interview process and areprepared for the workforce. On the practicalside, the student interns interact with andlearn from the division’s full-time employees.The benefits are beyond the obvious.

“For one thing, we always had a highturnover because we’re seasonal,” he says.“We understood that the high schools couldprovide an endless supply of kids.”

CALLED TO SERVICEContributing back to the community

came naturally to Calcaterra, who continu-ously credits mentor Roy and his parents forgiving him the tools he needed to succeed.

So it may come as a surprise that he fellinto STMA leadership haphazardly. In 2005,an officer moved from a non-commercialrepresentative position to a commercial job,and gave up his spot on the board. The pres-ident at the time contacted Calcaterra andasked whether he was interested in serving.He was appointed treasurer in June of thatyear.

Nearly 5 years later and Calcaterra is atthe helm, and he’s got more than a fewitems of business to tend to.

“We want to educate our members,” hesays. “By educating our members, we’regoing to raise the professional level of every-one and our sister associations.”

Calcaterra’s commitment to education isbolstered by his own personal interest andparticipation in it, says Kim Heck, CEO ofthe STMA.

“He’s very focused on continual learning,and you can tell that from all of the designa-tions after his name,” she says. “And he’s avery strong supporter of continuing educa-tion for our membership. He walks thattalk.”

Because 65-70% of STMA membershipworks for parks and recreation directors, hewants to improve the image of the sportsturf maintenance professional to thoseemployers in particular and all employers ingeneral.

“I’m going to help the board and Kimexpose what we do well,” he says. “It’s aboutperception.”

He added that he wants to focus onresearch efforts, international outreach withchapters in England and Singapore, reinvigo-rating the conference, creating a more seam-less transition and process for one-year lead-ership terms and increasing student involve-ment.

It’s a tall order, but one Calcaterra’s col-leagues think he’s entirely capable of tack-ling.

He’s detailed and “provides well thought-out insight to the topics at hand,” saysMcNeal. “He’s always thinking ahead abouthow decisions being made today will affectthe association and members in the future.”

A big picture kind of a leader, Calcaterrahas “an uncanny ability to ask the rightquestions to make sure everyone’s on the

same page,” Heck adds. “He understandswhat the challenges and what the opportuni-ties are. He’ll be a great president for thisorganization. He has a varied backgroundand brings some unique perspective to thisoffice.”

Past STMA president Mike Andresen,CSFM, facilities and grounds manager forIowa State University Athletics, Ames, whoknows Calcaterra from their overlappingservice on the STMA board of directors,calls him analytical. “He takes a discussiontopic and spends the time to understand itcompletely, and then he comes preparedwith a very comprehensive point of view,”Andresen says. “You have to pay attentionwhen Chris speaks because he oftentimescomes at a discussion from a brand new andinnovative, and oftentimes spot-on, angle.”

Sports fields and grounds sales managerfor Toro, Dale Getz, CSFM, CSE, who’sknown Calcaterra for 10 years through serv-ice on the STMA board of directors amongother industry connections, says he alwaysfinishes what he starts.

“Chris is very thorough,” he says. “Hemakes sure that all the details are finished ona given project and provides input andinsight to make sure issues are properly vet-ted.”

But Calcaterra quickly bounces any acco-lades onto his colleagues.

“I wouldn’t be where I’m at without thepeople I’ve got working with me,” he says.“They allow me to do things like this andthey recognize the importance of being ateam.”

With that support, Calcaterra looks for-ward to the year ahead with a membershiphe admires and is “thrilled to death” to rep-resent.

“We don’t see each other that oftenbecause we’re regional,” he says. “Most of usgo to show, and we can all make phone callsto people we saw 10 months ago and ask acollective question, and we’re going to get acompassionate, practical answer. It’s aboutsharing and communicating. That’s whatwe’re good at.” ■

Darcy DeVictor Boyle is a free lance writerbased in Lawrence, KS.

STMAPresident