
Vice President – Commercial
The Toro Company
Paula Sliefert joined The Toro Company in 2007 and currently serves as senior manager in the company’s Commercial Business. In her role, she has responsibility for supporting a number of Toro’s key industry relationships – in addition she develops and implements strategies targeted at growing the Sports Fields & Grounds market segments, which represents professional and collegiate sports, educational institutions, and government including federal, state and local entities.
Paula is a graduate of Simpson College with a bachelor’s degree in German and International Business and holds a master’s degree in German from Bowling Green State University. She studied and worked abroad in both Germany and Austria, having completed a work abroad program with Mercedes Benz, as well as having attended the University of Salzburg, Austria.
Professional Affiliations:
City Parks Alliance (CPA): Member / Elected Executive Board of Directors Member / Sponsor
National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA): Member / Inaugural Business Council Chairperson / Sponsor of Directors School & Maintenance Management School / Invited Member Park & Recreation Magazine Advisory Board
Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS): Member / Past Elected Board of Directors Member / Sponsor
Green Industry Expo (GIE) – (NALP & PGMS): Past Elected Show Board of Directors Member / Sponsor
Sports Field Management Association (SFMA): Member / Elected Executive Board of Directors Member / Sponsor National Institute of
Governmental Purchasing (NIGP): Member / Past Elected Business Council Chairperson / Sponsor
Synthetic Turf Council (STC): Member
ToastMasters International: Member having earned both the Dynamic Leader & Presentation Mastery designations within their Pathways program / Club Past President
Simpson College: Graduate / Alumni Board of Directors
VISION FOR SFMA
My background in Marketing provides a fresh, new perspective to the SFMA Board of Directors. I believe every SFMA member is looking for ways to become better and wants to set a good example for future generations. I have seen the importance of the role that businesses and SFMA can play – when they work together – in driving important change. Working together helps companies like Toro understand the strategic challenges experienced by customers and therefore gives companies an improved line of sight to investment areas that can support and enhance industry wide goals and initiatives. Technology needs to be developed but companies need customers who demand sustainable products in order to continue to invest in the technology development. Serving on the board as a private sector, commercial supplier member of SFMA can help advance SFMA’s environmental conservation efforts that enhances the quality of life for all people by educating membership on the better use of environmental resources such as water. Additionally, I believe collaboration with other industry associations could prove to be extremely powerful for all sports field managers, including enhanced dialog with CPA, NRPA, PGMS and STC. I have a Bachelors and Master’s Degree focused on International Business & German and have experienced working in the US and abroad, which brings a global perspective to the Board. It is indeed a privilege and honor to serve SFMA
membership and I will continue my contributions to the best of my ability in the year to come.