Alabama Turf Times:

Members who attend the ATA Road Shows, the Deep South Turf Expo, Auburn Research Field Days, or any other event the Alabama Turfgrass Association is involved in, know John Nabors. He is a stalwart at these and other green industry meetings, enthusiastically advocating for and educating those that are a part of it.

John works as a member of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and is also the Executive Director of the Alabama Green Industry Training Center. John completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture at Auburn University in 1998. Following that, in 2022 he completed a Master’s in Adult Education at Auburn. His areas of expertise include horticulture, safety & business, and workforce training.

Enjoyment of the outdoors and exposure to mechanical equipment initially sparked John’s interest in the field of turfgrass. He says, “Being able to spend some time on the farm as a kid can lead to trouble! I quickly learned that climbing over into the combine hopper or on top of the grain bin would earn my cousins and me an afternoon on the couch watching a soap opera…talk about some punishment! Over the years, I spent time growing up in several rural communities of Alabama, and in looking back, I realize how much I enjoy the country way of life. Many people in my family had gardening expertise and success with growing vegetables and flowers. In high school, I became interested in the landscape side to have some money in my pocket!”

Many people, including family, friends, colleagues, and professors encouraged John along his career path, and he is grateful for this support. “I started out at Auburn University in Landscape Architecture, but once the professor asked for a rendering of myself as a class assignment, I knew I was in the wrong field! My artistic abilities plateaued at the stick-figure level! The good Lord led me right on over to a chair in Dr. Harry Ponder’s office in the Auburn Horticulture Department. If you know Dr. Ponder, you know the rest of the story! With that being said, I avoided Dr. Ponder an entire quarter close to graduation, because I knew he wanted me to interview with companies in Atlanta…except, I did not want to live in Atlanta! My avoidance did not work when he rounded a corner one day in the Funchess Hall stairwell and said, ‘Ahhhh, John! Where have you been? Go get ready for the interview, they are here today! You must meet with them!’”

Fortunately, another long-term mentor, horticulturist and educator with the Alabama Cooperative Extension Center, Dave Bradford, interviewed and hired John for a post-college job at Landscape Services in Birmingham, AL. Dave had by then retired from his extension career as district agent and was later hired to work as Landscape’s in-house county agent, plant doctor, and customer care official. Dave was a good source of guidance for John over the years, steering him towards an extension-based career and helping people in the industry.

The old leaders of Landscape Services taught John a lot. “Being the long-term establishment they are, you usually can find someone who has worked for them ‘back in the day’. Mr. Beaty Hanna, Bob Newton, and Tut Touchstone had an interesting way of working together and providing access to projects, events, and people that were unique to their time. Each of them provided plenty of advice when needed, but the way they allowed you to work, make mistakes on their dime, and grow as an individual, emphasized how they believed in helping people succeed with their projects.”

John has found a blessing in his current role, working for Alabama Extension. “I like being able to connect people in our industry with the information they need to succeed. It helps that I have experienced first-hand similar challenges and difficulties. I can relate to my clientele, understand their frustration,