Palm Beach Atlantic University Grounds Program Earns National Recognition

November 17, 2025

Nestled in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU) is a coastal campus where beauty, sustainability, and community meet. Through its partnership with SSC Services for Education, led by Grounds Director Miguel Gutierrez, the university’s landscapes have become an inspiring extension of its mission – cultivating an environment that supports learning, reflection, and faith-driven purpose.

 

The SSC grounds program maintains everything over 80 acres of grounds – from athletic facilities and student gathering spaces to historic courtyards and oceanfront walkways. The team’s mission is to create, maintain, and enhance safe, sustainable, and welcoming outdoor environments that serve both people and place.

National Awards for Excellence in Landscape Management

That commitment has earned Palm Beach Atlantic University two of the nation’s highest honors in professional landscape management:

  • Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) Green Star Grand Award – Urban University Grounds
  • National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Gold Award – Commercial Landscape Management

About the Grounds Management Awards

The PGMS Green Star Grand Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the care and presentation of urban university landscapes, highlighting SSC’s craftsmanship and environmental stewardship across PBAU’s downtown campus.

The NALP Gold Award honors exceptional long-term landscape maintenance, reflecting the team’s professionalism, innovation, and ability to deliver consistently high standards across every season.

Together, these awards celebrate the people and practices that make PBAU’s grounds a living expression of excellence and sustainability.

 

Key Highlights in Sustainable Grounds Management

A Campus Designed for Care and Community

The university’s iconic spaces, including the Million Dollar Walk, Lassiter Student Center, and Baxter Green, are maintained to the highest standards, providing a lush, welcoming setting for daily campus life and major events like homecoming, graduation, and commencement ceremonies.

These areas feature Royal and Sabal palms, colorful annuals, and well-pruned ornamental plantings that create both beauty and order. The SSC team works year-round to ensure both environmental and personal safety. Royal Palms near walkways are fitted with protective crownshaft bands to prevent falling fronds, and all campus trees are inspected annually by a certified arborist. Before storms, crews secure furniture, signage, and equipment as part of a detailed hurricane preparedness plan, demonstrating foresight and teamwork.

At the Green Sports Complex, home to PBAU’s soccer and lacrosse teams, Celebration Bermuda turf is mowed at 0.75 inches and overseeded each December to maintain color and density year-round. An autonomous, GPS-guided painter ensures precise field markings and efficient rotation to reduce wear. After each game, the crew fills divots and topdresses the field, maintaining a safe, level surface for student-athletes.

Sustainable Practices that Lead by Example

Environmental responsibility is woven into every aspect of the program. SSC utilizes electric stand-on mowers and utility vehicles to reduce emissions and noise – minimizing disruption to classes and campus life.

Organic fertilizers, wetting agents, and rain-sensing irrigation systems help conserve water while nurturing soil health. Monthly irrigation audits and upgrades to efficient sprinkler heads support long-term conservation goals.

Creative plant installations enhance the campus’s unique identity. Outside MacArthur Hall, orchids are attached to Ligustrum branches with sphagnum moss to create a tropical, natural aesthetic. Seasonal color beds, including displays of blue daze, white vincas, and silver bush, are refreshed three times a year to align with key university milestones. These plantings are fertilized with moisture-retentive treatments that balance beauty and sustainability.

A Partnership Rooted in Pride

Beyond the technical excellence, SSC’s work at Palm Beach Atlantic University is driven by people who take pride in every blade of grass and every flower bed.

Their attention to detail  – from edging sidewalks daily to pressure washing campus walkways and pruning by hand – embodies the university’s commitment to servant leadership and community care.

Through this partnership, Palm Beach Atlantic University and SSC Services for Education have cultivated far more than beautiful grounds – they’ve built a landscape that reflects excellence, stewardship, and heart.

Congratulations to the Palm Beach Atlantic Grounds Team and to the university for being recognized for their excellence by PGMS and the NALP. For more information on our Grounds Management services, check out our grounds service page.

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