Pioneers in the Field 2026

Rick Perruzzi
Director of Athletic Fields // South Portland, Maine
2026 Class of Pioneers in the Field

Like any great field, Rick Perruzzi’s legacy didn’t happen overnight. It started with strong roots, was built on a solid foundation, and over time continued to grow in ways even Rick never set out to accomplish.

Sarah Martin
Park Supervisor // City of Phoenix
2026 Class of Pioneers in the Field

It started with a simple question: Who takes care of the field?

Sarah Martin was watching a football game in high school when the question sparked her curiosity. Her dad helped her find an answer in a massive college guidebook, the kind that existed before Google could point you toward a career in seconds.

Mike Goatley
Extension Turfgrass Specialist // Virginia Tech
2026 Class of Pioneers in the Field

If you can't find Mike Goatley, his wife Lisa already knows where to look.

He is likely outside tending to the garden that has become the pride, and perhaps the envy, of their neighborhood, carefully pulling weeds, mowing or admiring another bloom. Or maybe he's in the music room, seated behind his keyboard, happily losing himself in a favorite song. Both places require the same qualities that have quietly defined his career: patience, attentiveness and the satisfaction of helping something else flourish.