Chris Gray has been appointed head of education at the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG).
Armed with more than 30 years’ experience working in the turf care and education sectors, Chris brings an extensive depth of knowledge and experience to the IOG team.
His background includes practical experience in both the private and local authority sectors – having maintained and managed golf courses, bowling greens, cricket, football and rugby pitches, as well as tennis courts. He was also a full time lecturer at an agricultural college and more recently an office manager at an awarding organisation.
With experience in both natural grass and synthetic turf, Chris undertook a research project for the Sports Council (now Sport England) in the late 1980s looking at the cost-effectiveness of artificial pitches. During this period he also worked with Peter Dury, the acknowledged founder of the Performance Quality Standards (PQS) and he gained valuable insight into their application and use. In 2004, he revised PQS for the IOG.
A Fellow of the IOG, Chris holds IOG qualifications NPC, NTC, NID and NDT, as well as an MSc (his research project was the effective use of ICT in delivering a sustainable amenity service within local authorities), a post-graduate diploma in computing, a BSc (Hons) degree, and diplomas in geography and information technology.
A key part of his role at the IOG will be to further develop an education and training course programme that assures that the IOG remains the premier education and training organisation within the industry.
The Institute of Groundsmanship www.iog.org