Young Alum of the Month: Kevin Hansen
April 1, 2016
Name: Kevin Hansen
Title and Company: Grounds Foreman at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. I work for SMG (Stadium Management Group).
Hometown: Boone, Iowa
Major and Graduation Date: I did my Undergrad in Horticulture with a Turfgrass option (2013) and my Masters was in Professional Agriculture (2015).
Major Job/Position Responsibilities: At NRG Stadium we have a crew of 9 and we manage all of the playing surfaces for the Houston Texans. There is a practice facility for the Texans with three natural grass fields and an indoor facility. At the stadium we are in charge of all of the field conversions from natural grass to synthetic turf for various football or soccer games. As the foreman I help direct the crew in daily tasks. A majority of our duties include painting for different events.
What you like most about your job/position: The most enjoyable part of the job for me is seeing the satisfaction of thousands of people receive when playing or watching an event our crew has prepared.
What advice would you give to current students: Use internships as a means to experience as many different opportunities as you can in college. Through many of my internships I got to experience different avenues that a Turf Manager could pursue. Because of this it made me more confident in what I wanted to do when I graduated. These internships also help students develop a network that could help them get a job.