Headline: Segregansett Country Club's Rich Gagnon to Receive 2010 Excellence in Government Relations (EGR) Awards from the GCSAA
For Immediate Release: January 11, 2010
Norton, MA — Congratulations to Richard Gagnon, head superintendent at Segregansett Country Club, who was recently selected to receive 2010 Excellence in Government Relations (EGR) Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).
Photo Caption: Rich Gagnon (right) accepts a certificate of appreciation from MGA Director of Rules & Competition Jesse Menachem at the 2009 Father & Son Championship.
The award will be presented at the 2010 GCSAA Education Conference during Celebrate GCSAA! on February 9. Hosted by GCSAA President Mark D. Kuhns, CGCS, the Celebrate GCSAA! (formerly known as the Opening Session and Welcoming Reception) will be held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show (February 10-11) at the San Diego Convention Center. Also receiving the same honor that evening will be Michael Crawford, CGCS, from The Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association.
"Mike, Rich and the Carolinas GCSA are such passionate leaders in our industry," Kuhns said. "It is an honor to recognize their government relations work. They are shining examples of GCSAA and its members seeking to be part of the solution, not part of the problem."
Gagnon, a GCSAA Class A superintendent at Segregansett Country Club, will receive an EGR Award in the compliance category. In a cost-saving effort, Gagnon hired high school students to work on his grounds crew. In preparation of employing minors, he began researching the commonwealth's child labor laws to determine their applicability to golf course operations. Gagnon partnered with a company that provides training for employees concerning right-to-know, safety training, and labor laws, to present labor law issues for clarification to the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General about age limits on operating workplace equipment.
From these proactive efforts, the Fair Labor Division in the Office of the Attorney General helped interpret the laws as they apply to the turf management business and clarified the tasks minors may perform in the workplace. The information was compiled into a checklist that Gagnon shared with other golf course superintendents across the Commonwealth to assist in complying with state child labor law requirements.
This past season, Gagnon oversaw the action at the 2009 Massachusetts Father & Son Championship, which was hosted at Segregansett Country Club. Over the two-day period, the players and officials alike raved about the conditions of the course and the hospitality of Gagnon and his staff. Click here to see photos from that special event.
Congratulations to Rich Gagnon on his tremendous achievement and thank you to all superintendents for their superior, tirless and year-round work.