Kayla Kipp is the first woman to receive Certified Turf Equipment Manager title

Kayla Kipp (Photo: Nemacolin)

Kayla Kipp, the equipment manager for Nemacolin, a luxury resort with two Pete Dye-designed courses in Farmington, Pa., is the first woman to receive the title of Certified Turf Equipment Manager (CTEM) from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

Kipp has been a member of the GCSAA for seven years and volunteered with the organization on the equipment managers task group for four years. She helped develop the certification program.

“As I am now the first woman to attain the title of CTEM and as I’ve participated in three Women in Turf events while serving on the inaugural Women’s Task Group, I feel as though I have absolutely cleared a path for others to succeed in this industry,” Kipp said.

Prior to joining the Nemacolin staff, Kipp served as the equipment manager at the Lodestone and Fantasy Valley golf courses at Wisp Resort in McHenry, Md., and spent six years in the United States Air Force as a material handling and equipment maintenance journeyman.

According to GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans, to achieve the distinction, Kipp needed three years of experience as an equipment manager and to complete the Equipment Manager Certificate Program (EMCP) level one and two to begin the CTEM program.

“To then earn her certification, she passed all 197 attesting criteria focused on best practices of maintenance facility operations, safety and the environment,” Evans said. “She is the first woman to become a CTEM, and we congratulate her on this historical achievement.”