Canadian claims 2016 MVT Award

Yvon Jeaurond, the service manager at Victoria Golf Club in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has been selected as the recipient of the 2016 Most Valuable Technician Award, presented by GCSAA and Golf Course Management (GCM) magazine, in partnership with Foley United.

Now in its seventh year, the award recognizes excellence among golf course equipment managers and the vital role they play in the golf course management industry. Equipment managers are nominated by their golf course superintendents, and a panel of industry judges narrows the nominations to three finalists. GCM readers then vote for the winner through the association’s website.

“There is no debate that competent and professional equipment managers such as Yvon contribute significantly to the overall success of a golf facility,” said Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO. “We’re excited that we can recognize those contributions through the presentation of the Most Valuable Technician Award, and we thank Victoria’s GCSAA Class A superintendent, J. Paul Robertson, for nominating Yvon for the award and sharing his extraordinary story with us.”

According to Robertson, Jeaurond’s official title of service manager is appropriate considering his duties extend far beyond just the upkeep of Victoria Golf Club’s course maintenance equipment. A veteran of more than three decades in the auto industry before transitioning to golf and his current position almost 11 years ago, Jeaurond oversaw the development and construction of the club’s new $3 million maintenance building, a process that included the design and installation of customized material-handling and wash-water recycling systems.