Community Service
I am committed to the Iowa Lakes community and take great pride in coaching youth sports and volunteering for local events. We can make a difference! Please read on about my community involvement.
- Founder of the Lakes Area Hockey Association and Boji Blizzard youth hockey program 2000
- Bedell Family YMCA volunteer youth soccer coach since 2006-present
- Bedell Family YMCA volunteer youth flag football coach 2012-present
- University of Okoboji Winter Games committee 2000-present
- Spirit Lake Youth Athletics Association T-ball and baseball coach 2008-present
- University of Okoboji Winter Games Cheerleader 2010
- Bedell Family YMCA volunteer of the month October, 2010
Environmental Stewardship
Brooks Golf Club is a 27 hole golf course on 250 acres of land that includes turf, trees, ponds/wetlands, structures, bunkers and vast native plantings. Our central location in the Iowa Great Lakes watershed gives us a tremendous opportunity to showcase our environmental stewardship. Sharing the passion with the Brooks team has lead to the company wide philosophy of "reduce, reuse, recycle. Creating a sustainable business model was not only good for our bottom line but it was the right thing to do.
Please continue reading below to learn more about our environmental management programs.
Audubon International's Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf Courses
Certified in 2003 & Re-certified every two years
The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf is an award winning education and certification program that helps golf courses protect our environment and preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf. By helping people enhance the valuable natural areas and wildlife habitats that golf courses provide, improve efficiency, and minimize potentially harmful impacts of golf course operations, the program serves as vital resource for golf courses.
Groundwater Guardian Green Site
Certified 2011
The Groundwater Guardian Green Site program recognizes good stewards of groundwater by encouraging managers of highly-managed green spaces (golf courses, ball fields, education campuses, parks, etc.) to implement, measure, and document their groundwater-friendly practices related to chemical use, water use, pollution prevention, water quality, and environmental stewardship.
Golf Course Pollution Prevention Guide
Iowa Waste Reduction Center - University of Northern Iowa
I had the pleasure of collaborating with a handful of industry professionals to develop this comprehensive guide that can easily be implemented at any golf course. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pollution prevention can be defined as: “The use of materials, processes, or practices that reduces or eliminates the creation of pollutants or wastes at the source.” Pollution prevention represents a shift away from the old school of thought, “pollution control,” in which waste was not dealt with until after it was generated. Through pollution prevention, we look at the processes that generate the waste to see if we can avoid creating a waste in the first place, or at least reduce the hazardous nature of the waste. When this is not possible, the next best solution to prevent wastes from having a negative impact on the environment is through careful management and recycling. This manual will help golf course maintenance staff identify areas where pollution prevention techniques can be applied in a practical manner. Each section presents a waste type common to golf courses accompanied by pollution prevention recommendations.
Iowa State University
Hort 452 Turfgrass Pest Management Class
Guest lecture on "Practical Environmental Management Ideas for Successful Turf Maintenance"