Dear Members,

While the groundhog may have predicted six more weeks of winter, that means we are already narrowing in on the final two weeks.

I want to introduce myself as your 2026 MRTF President. I am Michelle Hancock-Hartzler, a partner at J&D Turf. I bring 17 years of experience in lawn care and irrigation from Kentucky, along with nearly 15 years in sports turf. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve you.

As President, my focus is to build upon the work of my predecessors by enhancing the membership experience and encouraging growth. My primary goal is to increase our membership by 10%.

I also aim to increase support for the foundation through fundraising efforts like the sustaining membership add-on and the Mike Dunk Chip-In program. If you would like more information on either of these initiatives, please feel free to reach out. If you are already familiar with them, I encourage you to consider becoming a sustaining member or suggesting a golf course we should contact regarding the Chip-In program.

Additionally, I am committed to advancing the third year of the MRTF’s three-year strategic plan to close our current progress gaps. Finally, I want to strengthen engagement among board committees. While many serve on committees, my goal is to ensure active participation so that our committees successfully achieve their objectives.

Thank you for your continued support of MRTF. We could not be the excellent foundation we are without you.

Best regards,

Michelle Hancock-Hartzler

2026 MRTF President