SBI 2021 virtual program now accepting applications

Superintendents can now apply for this year’s virtual professional development program which will be held virtually in December. (Photo courtesy of Syngenta)

Applications are now open for golf course superintendents to submit for the 2021 Syngenta Business Institute (SBI) program, which will be hosted virtually, Dec. 6-10.

“Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the SBI class of 2020 and with the health and safety of our customers in mind, we will be hosting the Syngenta Business Institute virtually for another year,” said Stephanie Schwenke, turf market manager for Syngenta. “From our survey of the 2020 attendees, they all wanted more education, so we are increasing the class hours to 15 hours.”

The 2021 program will be held via Zoom, beginning with an introductory social networking session on Thursday, Dec. 2. Educational courses will then be hosted in three-hour sessions Monday through Friday, Dec. 6-10. Faculty from the Wake Forest University School of Business will teach the curriculum, which will cover the following topics:

• Work/life balance
• Negotiations
• Financial management
• Tools for managing employees
• Leading across cultures and generations

“The Wake Forest and Syngenta teams couldn’t have been happier with the level of participation, energy and involvement from superintendents in the first virtual SBI last December,” said Ken Middaugh, faculty director for SBI. “The faculty were impressed that many were eager to stay ‘overtime’ to discuss issues with them and other participants, adding significantly to the experience. We decided to expand the length and scope of the 2021 Syngenta Business Institute to allow for more education, more time with professors, and more time with each other.” 

To facilitate deeper interaction among attendees, the class size for SBI 2021 will be limited. The program is only open to individuals employed in the U.S. as a superintendent, director of agronomy or at an equivalent level. Applications must be submitted online by midnight PDT on Sept. 2.