Robert Nielsen, CGCS, named to the EPA Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee

Robert Nielsen, CGCS, superintendent at Bedford (N.Y.) Golf & Tennis Club and 34-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), has been appointed to the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Program’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC).

Nielsen will take over for Mark Johnson, GCSAA director of environmental programs who served from 2020 to 2023, by joining the federal advisory committee in 2024 and 2025. 

“Bob brings a wealth of knowledge and firsthand experience to the PPDC, and he’ll be able to share the environmental best practices that superintendents engage in every day,” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. “His appointment means that GCSAA members will continue to have a voice on this crucial EPA committee.”

The PPDC — established in 1995 — is a diverse group of stakeholders chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide feedback to EPA on various issues with pesticide regulatory, policy and program implementations.

The PPDC is comprised of 43 members from environmental and public interest groups, pesticide manufacturers, trade associations, commodity groups, public health and academic institutions, tribes, federal and state agencies and the general public. Other groups represented on the committee include the American Bird Conservancy, Center for Biological Diversity, CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Tribal Pesticide Program Council, USDA Office of Pest Management Policy, Pollinator Partnership and Weed Science Society of America.

Nielsen has 40 years in the golf course management industry and is currently the vice president of the New York State Turfgrass Association (NYSTA) and president of the New York Golf Course Environmental Foundation. He has played a crucial role in promoting the widespread adoption of GCSAA’s Best Management Practices at golf courses throughout New York state.

“I am honored and privileged to serve on this committee,” Nielsen said. “I look forward to working with this diverse group to bring our environmental message to the table.”

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