MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada -- The World Golf Foundation announced a restructuring of its Board of Directors and an unprecedented collaboration among the leading golf organizations in the world that is designed to better represent the global nature of the game and to address areas of common interest to the international golf community.
The structural change unveiled at Royal Montreal Golf Club is to the makeup and leadership of the Executive Committee of the Foundation Board. The R&A and European Tour have been added, and the seven organizations that now comprise the Committee will be represented by their respective chief executive, as follows:
Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A; George O'Grady, Executive Director of the European Tour; David Fay, Executive Director of the U.S. Golf Association; Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR; Joe Steranka, Executive Director of the PGA of America; Carolyn Bivens, Commissioner of the LPGA; and Jim Armstrong, Executive Director of Augusta National Golf Club.
Moving forward, the Chairman of the Board will rotate on an annual basis between the members of the Executive Committee, beginning with Fay in 2008. Additionally, the Board of Directors will increase in size, potentially increasing to up to 25 members, from its current structure of eight members, and becoming more international in its representation. The Board currently consists of the seven members of the Executive Committee and Lynn Elsenhans, Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing for Shell Downstream, Inc. Shell Oil Company is the Founding Sponsor of the World Golf Foundation.
"We believe there is a unique opportunity for the World Golf Foundation, through this revised Board structure, to play a more prominent role in terms of collaborating on and addressing key issues and interests on a global basis," said Finchem, who has served as the Chairman since the World Golf Foundation was created in 1994. "With this new structure, the Foundation is strongly positioned to provide a more unified voice for the international golf community as we expand beyond its existing activities."
"The World Golf Foundation is providing a platform to establish an open line of communication that is critical to effectuating meaningful change on a global basis," Dawson said. "It is important that the international golf community come together in a strategic manner to address issues that affect us all and the sport we love."
The World Golf Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission "is to unite the golf industry and those who love the game, in support of initiatives that promote, encourage, enhance the growth of and access to the game of golf worldwide, while preserving golf's traditional values and passing them on to others."
Its primary areas of focus have been the World Golf Hall of Fame, The First Tee and GOLF 20/20: Vision for the Future, created to strategically accelerate growth, participation and diversity in golf, primarily in the United States.
While reaffirming these three primary initiatives, the Board is broadening the Foundation's focus by initiating strategic dialogue in areas of common interest that impact golf on a global basis. Specifically, the Board has approved expanding the Foundation's role in two new areas:
Global Communication, Research and Public Affairs
The World Golf Foundation will now share information and conduct other forms of collaboration that will result in communications initiatives for the global golf community and provide, when possible, a unified voice on issues affecting the game.
It will gather, collect and monitor research being conducted throughout the industry for the purpose of measuring trends and developing conclusions with respect to areas such as golf participation, fan base, diversity, economic impact and environmental issues affecting the game while also identifying strategic research opportunities and partnerships.
The Foundation will work with the Communication, Research and Public Affairs staffs of each organization represented within and served by the Foundation in carrying out these activities.
Anti-Doping Policy
As announced on September 20, the World Golf Foundation Board, through the global representation of its Board, has developed a unified approach to anti-doping among international golf organizations that will be accomplished in two phases.
The first phase of the policy, which has been completed, encompasses the creation of a Model Prohibited Substances and Methods List.
The second phase, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, includes a technical subcommittee comprising representatives from the European Tour, PGA TOUR and LPGA that is working in close cooperation with qualified external resources to develop a base list of prohibited substances. Also included in the second phase are general standards for all the fundamental elements of an anti-doping program for golf organizations that become signatories to the Policy.
The signatories will have flexibility to develop specific policies and procedures necessary or appropriate for their respective organizations. Testing protocols, Therapeutic Use Exemptions and penalties will be administered independently by the individual professional Tours. It is anticipated that signatories who will be testing under the Policy will commence and activate their testing programs in 2008.
An Anti-Doping office of the World Golf Foundation will be created in 2008 and will, among its duties, coordinate and share information with golf organizations with respect to medical waiver procedures and Therapeutic Use Exemptions under the Policy.
It was also announced today that Steve Mona, currently CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), has been named to the newly created position of CEO of the World Golf Foundation. As such, Mona's responsibilities will include overall management of the Foundation, as well as overseeing the Foundation's industry relationships and ongoing global focus, plus its newly announced anti-doping administration office.
"We also are extremely pleased that Steve Mona has accepted the newly created position of CEO of the Foundation," Finchem said. "Steve is recognized as an outstanding leader and a selfless contributor, lending his expertise and energy to numerous executive boards and committees both within and outside of the golf industry."
Mona, 50, has served as CEO of the GCSAA since late 1993. He has been actively involved with the World Golf Foundation and its initiatives over the past decade, serving on the World Golf Hall of Fame Advisory Board and The First Tee Advisory Committee since 1998 and the GOLF 20/20 Executive Board since 1999. Mona came to the GCSAA after serving 10 years as executive director of the Georgia State Golf Association. He previously held positions with the USGA and Northern California Golf Association.
"I am delighted to join the World Golf Foundation team at such a significant time in its history," Mona said. "I look forward to working closely with the Board, the Executive Committee and staff to advance the current and expanded initiatives of the Foundation."
In addition to Mona's appointment, the World Golf Foundation announced that Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., who has served as Executive Director of The First Tee youth golf initiative, will take on the new titles of Executive Vice President of the Foundation and Chief Executive Officer of The First Tee. Barrow, who will report to Mona and The First Tee Advisory Committee, adds Development and U.S. Government Relations for the Foundation to his responsibilities.
Also reporting directly to Mona will be: Jack Peter, Senior Vice President/COO of the World Golf Hall of Fame; Ruffin Beckwith, Executive Director of the GOLF 20/20 industry initiative; and Helen Atter, Vice President, who oversees Legal, Administration and Diversity for the Foundation.
