January 29, 2007
Mark A. Coty was honored by the Delaware Technical & Community College Alumni Association during a Jan. 29 ceremony at Baywood Greens in Long Neck. Pictured, from left, are Coty, Delaware Tech Alumni Coordinator Alison Buckley, “Roady,” the college’s favorite roadrunner, Delaware Tech Alumni Association President Kevin Burdette, and Robert Tunnell III.
Georgetown – Mark A. Coty, general manager of Baywood Greens in Long Neck, was honored by Delaware Technical & Community College during a brief ceremony on Monday, Jan. 29.
Sitting near the beautiful golf course he’s helped maintain for more than a decade, Coty said he was thrilled to be recognized by the school.
“I am honored to be the first ever recipient of this recognition program,” Coty said. “I have always been impressed with the instructors and the curriculum offered at Delaware Tech.”
The program, implemented by the Owens Campus Alumni Association, recognizes former students who have made “significant contributions to the community.”
A native of Holyoke, Mass., Coty’s original experience at Delaware Tech was in the early 1980s at the Terry Campus in Dover, where he earned a degree in criminal justice.
Shortly after becoming a police officer, however, he decided to build on experience learned in the past and pursue a career in turf management.
And he knew just where to turn – The Owens Campus of Delaware Technical & Community College.
“I saw Delaware Tech as a way for me to obtain a higher level position by getting a degree in turf management,” Coty said. “Having the ability to go to day and night classes also really helped. It took me a number of years to get that two-year degree one class at a time but I’m just really happy to have graduated in 2002.”
Coty has been at Baywood Greens for 11 years now, 10 as superintendent and the last year as general manager. He said he owes a lot of his success to the training he received at Delaware Tech.
“I feel a great sense of pride in getting both of my degrees at Delaware Tech,” Coty said. “I strongly feel that the college has played a very important role in preparing me for the success I have achieved here at Baywood.”
On hand to present a certificate of recognition to Coty were Owens Campus Alumni Association President Kevin Burdette and Alumni Coordinator Alison Buckley.
“We developed this program so people can recognize the outstanding contributions Delaware Tech alumni make to the health, welfare, and betterment of the community in Delaware,” Burdette said. “We had a listing of several candidates, we viewed each one of them, and Mark was the unanimous choice to be the first recipient.”
Baywood Greens is owned and managed by Tunnell Companies, LP. There are currently more than 400 housing units throughout the property, with several phases not yet in development.
Robert Tunnell III was on hand for Monday’s reception and sang the praises of his general manager.
“Mark has meant a lot to us,” Mr. Tunnell said. “We promoted him to general manager last year and he now oversees not only the turf grass side of things, but also the pro shops, the restaurant, and the banquets.
“I think Delaware Tech prepared him well and the education he received has made him multi-dimensional.”
Coty, who currently serves on the Turf Management program’s advisory committee, lives in Baywood with his wife, Karen, 14-year-old son Tyler, and 18-month-old twins Matt and Sarah.
He graduated from the Owens Campus with an associate degree in turf management in 2002.