Established more than 100 years ago in 1911, the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) aims to educate and advance professionals in the industry. Most of its members are grounds managers working for colleges and universities, municipalities and parks and recreation, apartment complexes, cemeteries, theme parks, and other facilities with grounds management requirements.
“Grounds are essential to projecting the correct image of an organization’s health, longevity and priorities,” the PGMS website states. “Organizations that invest in well maintained grounds provide social, economic and environmental benefits to stakeholders and the surrounding community.”
Members of PGMS gain access to a number of benefits, including a newsletter, directory, industry research, an awards program, scholarship, educational materials, networking, certification and discounts on registration to the group’s annual conference, generally held in the fall.
PGMS offers certifications for professionals—the Certified Grounds Manager (CGM) and Certified Grounds Technician (CGT)—to help prove their commitment to ongoing professional development, as well as a School of Grounds Management (SGM) certificate program. Those who earn certifications are often celebrated on the organization’s website.
The group also recognizes outstanding maintained landscapes via its PGMS Green Star Awards, which are announced at its annual conference. Grand Award winners in 2025 included Gathering Place Tulsa (Okla.); Greer (S.C.) Urban Park; Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y.; Michigan State University in East Lansing; Mission Point Resort in Mackinac Island, Mich.; Navy Federal Credit Union Greater Pensacola Operations (Fla.); Palm Beach Atlantic University (Fla.); University of Missouri – Columbia; and Utah State University in Logan.
The PGMS 2023-2026 Strategic Plan envisions “enhancing careers, lives and the environment through the care, growth and preservation of the landscape” through education, promoting and celebrating excellence, partnerships, and cultivating community and peer engagement.
Stated goals include:
- Continuing to establish PGMS as a recognized leader in education and training.
- Fostering partnerships between complementary organizations that drive the PGMS mission.
- Creating a strong network of community and collaboration that advances the grounds management profession.
- Promoting best management practices that enhance the environment and celebrate professionalism.
For more information on PGMS, its awards and certifications, visit www.pgms.org. RM
