Carlos Arraya, CGCS, is a living example that even the worst of tragedies can provide a teaching moment. something good can come out of something bad.
His people-first management style is the result of two things - the philosophy of his mentor and former boss John Cunningham and a car accident that killed his son, Isaiah, in 2016.
Called pillar management, his management style focuses on employees first with the idea that the best people will produce the best product. It's a management style that gives employees ownership of the golf course and playing conditions on a daily basis thus proving how important each member is to the team and the overall operation. It also is one of the reasons Arraya was named winner of last year's TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.
"Losing my son gave me a new perspective," Arraya said when he won the award at the Golf Industry Show in San Diego. "Tragedies really awaken people, or they make them go down a road they can't come back from."
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION
Nominations for Arraya's successor are now being accepted. A panel of judges will select five finalists and ultimately the winner from among the list of nominees. Click here to submit a nomination. Deadline for nominations is Dec. 31.
Since 2000, the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta, honors the accomplishments of golf course superintendents across the nation.
Criteria on which nominees are judged include: labor management, maximizing budget limitations, educating and advancing the careers of colleagues and assistants, negotiating with government agencies, preparing for tournaments under unusual circumstances, service to golf clientele, upgrading or renovating the course and dealing with extreme or emergency conditions.
Previous winners include: Jorge Croda, Southern Oaks Golf Club, Burleson, TX, and Rick Tegtmeier, Des Moines Golf and Country Club, West Des Moines, IA (2017); Dick Gray, PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, FL (2016); Matt Gourlay, Colbert Hills, Manhattan, KS (2015); Fred Gehrisch, Highlands Falls Country Club, Highlands, NC (2014); Chad Mark, Kirtland Country Club, Willoughby, OH (2013), Dan Meersman, Philadelphia Cricket Club (2012), Flourtown, PA; Paul Carter, The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Harrison, TN (2011); Thomas Bastis, The California Golf Club of San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA (2010); Anthony Williams, Stone Mountain (GA) Golf Club (2009); Sam MacKenzie, Olympia Fields (IL) Country Club (2008); John Zimmers, Oakmont (PA) Country Club (2007); Scott Ramsay, Golf Course at Yale University, New Haven, CT (2006); Mark Burchfield, Victoria Club, Riverside, CA (2005); Stuart Leventhal, Interlachen Country Club, Winter Park, FL (2004); Paul Voykin, Briarwood Country Club, Deerfield, IL (2003); Jeff Burgess, Seven Lakes Golf Course, Windsor, Ontario (2002); Kip Tyler, Salem Country Club, Peabody, MA (2001); Kent McCutcheon, Las Vegas (NV) Paiute Golf Resort (2000).