Management Team

Phil Harwood is a managing partner and co-founder of GrowTheBench.com, one of five companies he has founded or acquired since retiring from a successful management career spanning over four decades. He is widely considered as one of the leading consultants in the professional landscape and snow management industries in North America. 

Phil holds an Executive MBA with honors and Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing, both from Michigan State University. He is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree to better equip him to assist his business clients with succession planning and business law more generally. Phil is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Grand Rapids Bar Association, Christian Legal Society, and Federalist Society.  

Phil has a passion for helping business owners increase the performance and value of their businesses. His consulting firm, Tamarisk Business Advisors, offers a number of services related to business succession, exit planning, strategic planning, and building value in companies. He also is co-owner of the Snowfighters Institute, which offers educational and networking events for snow and ice management professionals. 

Neal Glatt, CSP, ASM is a managing partner and co-founder of GrowTheBench.com. In his career as a snow contractor, Neal joined Case Snow Management, Inc. as an Account Executive in 2010. The company owned a single pick-up truck and had annual revenues of less than $1 million. Leading the sales effort and serving as part of the leadership team, Neal helped the company exceed $40 million in annual sales before beginning his own coaching practice in 2017. During that time, Neal discovered the power of focusing on strengths and the ability of strong leadership to influence amazing results. His passion is to help other people also find fulfillment and success in life. He is a Certified Strengths Coach through Gallup and a John Maxwell Certified Coach, Speaker, and Trainer.

Neal earned Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Marketing and Spanish from Northern Michigan University as well as a Global Executive Masters of Business Administration from SKEMA Business School. Neal ran the Boston Marathon in 2018 and 2019, as well as the Chicago Marathon in 2021, each time for a well-deserving charity benefiting youth in foster care and around the world.  You can learn more about Neal at www.NealGlatt.com.

Course Presenters

Leslie Boomer is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and the former Publisher of Snow Business magazine for the Snow & Ice Management Association. Leslie also has an additional certification for executive coaching from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

The program at Weatherhead focuses on the coaching orientation of intentional development for resonant leadership, grounded in the development of emotional and social intelligence competencies. This orientation utilizes the Intentional Change Theory work of faculty member Richard Boyatzis Ph.D., a prominent researcher in leadership and emotional intelligence.

Leslie trained at the GALLUP campus in Omaha, Nebraska as a Strengths Coach to facilitate CliftonStrengths assessment for one-on-one coaching as well as team workshops. The Gallup Certification was earned in 2014 – renewed in 2016 at the Gallup Strengths Summit and renewed again at the 2018 Summit for continuing education surrounding building on innate talent and strength.

Leslie is also trained to teach essential workplace communication skills using the PREP Winning the Workplace Challenge curriculum that can be used for training at every organizational level.

Josh Ferguson is a Partner in the Tort and Catastrophic Loss, Construction and Design Law and Commercial Litigation/Directors & Officers groups at Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP. Josh serves as general counsel for a wide variety of businesses, including those in the construction, property management, snow and ice management, and landscaping industries.

Josh regularly advises clients on pending legislation at the federal and state levels. He has drafted legislation on behalf of various industries and has testified in Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania before house committees.

Josh has presented seminars and has been a keynote speaker at events throughout the United States, and has appeared on a variety of radio and online programs. He has also published articles in diverse legal and trade association publications and serves as an Arbitrator/Mediator in Pennsylvania.

Josh lives with his wife and daughter in Philadelphia. He is a volunteer attorney at Support Center for Child Advocates. You can learn more about Josh and contact him here.

Scott Zorno, CSP iis Founder and COO of HighCountry Ice Solutions LLC, providing high-quality anti-icing products and services.  He developed ice control spray systems for snowplowing contractors  after finding successs employing the proven design in his own snow operation since 2003.  Scott founded HighCountry in 2012 and is a frequent speaker at SIMA and other associations in the road, public works, and snow industries.

Scott makes efforts to encourage college students and graduates to think past their degree and find their passion; then make it work in business. He has more than 25 years of experience working in this industry and has gained success through persistence, dedication, durability, diligence, and tenacity. He aims to become a force in the de-icing industry, growing continually. He appreciates SIMA for bringing professionalism to the industry and seeks to continue bringing professionalism, recognition, and respect to the industry through his company. 

Scott lives in Colorado with his wife Cari.  You may learn more about his solutions on his website by clicking here.

Martin Tirado is the Chief Executive Officer of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA). He has been with SIMA since June, 2007 and has over 15 years of experience working with non-profit trade and professional associations.

Martin spends his time with SIMA working with the board of directors on governance, strategic direction and innovation. His role also includes advocacy for SIMA, both to governmental bodies such as members of the U.S. Congress, the insurance industry, and to consumers of snow and ice services.

In 2004, he was designated as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) by the American Society of Association Executives.

Kevin Gilbride is the Executive Director of the Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA). He started in the snow industry in 1996 as part of the team that launched what is today  Snow Magazine. Deeply passionate about the snow and ice industry and the issues that face today’s professional snow and ice management companies, Kevin brings a level of experience from the business side that benefits ASCA membership.

Initially entering the publishing industry as a sales representative for Lawn & Landscape magazine, Kevin moved his way up the ranks of GIE Media, Inc. into a management role including Group Publisher of Lawn & Landscape, Golf Course Industry, and Snow Magazine. Along the way, he led the successful launches of Snow Magazine, Interior Business, and Commercial Dealer magazines, as well as the successful re-launch of Golf Course News, and its transition to Golf Course Industry magazine.

Kevin established exclusive partnerships with Mills Insurance to bring unique insurance products to the professional snow and ice management industry. As Executive Director of the ASCA, Kevin is committed to helping drive our industry to new levels, and getting the outside world to recognize both the professionalism that exists in the industry and the unfairness that the outside world places on your business.