Episode 136 - Craig Roncace has been the Urban Park Manager for the University of Pennsylvania since April 2016.
Since April 2016, Craig Roncace has been the Urban Park Manager for the University of Pennsylvania. The Urban Park Department consists of five shops, each with its own Supervisor, and 58 staff who represent two unions. The Urban Park operation covers campus landscaping/maintenance, athletic field management, Penn Park, all hard surface maintenance, and the campus-wide waste/recycling program.
Before Penn, Craig worked in multiple roles as the Grounds/Area Manager for Temple University, at both their Ambler and Main Campus locations.
Craig was first introduced to the landscaping world by way of the golf course. He gained hands-on knowledge at an early age and quickly developed a love for the outdoors. He earned a degree in turfgrass management from Rutgers University, and within a few years, became the Golf Course Superintendent for a local private golf course in New Jersey.
Craig spent three years as a landscape manager for a large New Jersey based landscaping corporation, where he managed multiple teams in both turfgrass and horticulture maintenance within the local New Jersey/Pennsylvania Region.
In addition to his turfgrass education, Craig earned his MBA from Temple University’s Fox School of Business, and his B.A. from Eastern University.
Craig is an active member of multiple committees at Penn. One is Penn’s Ecological Landscape and Stewardship Plan (ELSP) Committee. The ELSP committee helps ensure Penn continues its efforts, from planning/design to maintenance, of successfully following a more ecological landscape within the ever changing functionality of the campus. These efforts cover, but are not limited to, storm water management, mature tree preservation, native plants, research, and training.
In addition to his current position at Penn, Craig is the owner of SportsTurf Management Resources, LLC which is a sports turf, lawn, and landscaping consulting firm. Craig enjoys helping others manage their own properties, both residential and professional, with a portion of the proceeds going towards suicide awareness.