Outstanding Senior - John W. Nalls IV, IAA

At age 15 John Nalls, IV (Jay) began working on the grounds crew at Norbeck Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. He handled the routine maintenance on the course and set up for tournaments. He quickly established himself as reliable and hardworking, and soon he was promoted to foreman.

Jay was quick to learn and seemed eager to make a career in the golf course industry. With the encouragement of this superintendent, Jay enrolled at the Institute of Applied Agriculture in the fall of 1995. Attending school while trying to support himself proved difficult. Jay continued to work at Norbeck Country club, took one or two classes each semester, and he worked as a night manager at a Rockville ice cream store.

After two years of maintaining such an exhausting schedule, Jay left the ice cream store to devote more time to the golf course and his studies. He had taken on more responsibilities at the golf course training employees, scheduling the crews, and evaluating course conditions.

By the fall of 1998, Jay was able to attend school full time, and he graduates this spring with honors in Golf Course Management. In class, Jay is hardworking and helpful to his classmates. He recently represented the IAA at Turfgrass 2000 in Baltimore.

In 1999, he became the Assistant Superintendent at Montgomery Country Club, but recently left that position to become Assistant Superintendent at Norbeck Country Club - where he started 11 years earlier.

For more information, contact Gail Yeiser

Last updated: 05/2/2007