DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Rae Forker Evans, founder and president of the Evans Capitol Group in Washington, D.C., has been elected chairman of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Board of Directors. Evans succeeds Marguerite Sallee, who served as chairman since 2001 and will remain an independent member of the LPGA Board.
"Rae has helped guide the LPGA in recent years as a member of the Board and her leadership and business acumen will be invaluable in her new role as chairman," said Ty M. Votaw, LPGA commissioner. "As the LPGA prepares for the transition of a new commissioner and continues to build on the momentum of our Fans First strategic business plan, I know Rae will serve the LPGA well as its chairman."
Evans brings extensive experience to her new role as chairman and has been involved with the LPGA for many years. She has been a member of the Board since 2002, currently serves as co-chair of the LPGA Search Committee to identify candidates for the next LPGA commissioner, and under former LPGA Commissioner Charles S. Mechem Jr., was a member of the Commissioner's Advisory Council where she was instrumental in helping the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation be named the official national charity of the LPGA. Prior to founding the Evans Capitol Group, a Washington, D.C.-based public strategies firm, Evans spent 25 years in various senior level Government Relations positions including vice president, National Affairs for Hallmark Cards, Inc., and director of Government Relations for CBS, Inc.
"Rae's passion for the LPGA is contagious," said Heather Daly-Donofrio, president of the LPGA Tour Executive Committee. "Her tenure on the LPGA Board is testament to that and I know that she will help launch us to new heights of recognition and accomplishment in the sports entertainment arena."
"Rae has always been a catalyst for forging alliances with the LPGA, and has wholeheartedly backed the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership," said Patti Benson, national president of the LPGA T&CP membership. "I look forward to working with Rae and the LPGA Board for increased opportunities for both the Tour and Teaching and Club Professional memberships."
Evans currently serves as a corporate director of the Haggar Apparel Co. and formerly served as a corporate director of Brinker International, now a client of her firm. She is a past president of the Board of Directors of the Business-Government Relations Council and was appointed by President George Bush to serve as a member of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships. She serves on the board of directors for Green Door in Washington, D.C., a community program that prepares people with severe and persistent mental illness to work and live independently, and is a recipient of the Betty Ford Award. Evans graduated from George Washington University and Marymount College of Virginia. She is a native of Savannah, Ga., and she and her husband currently reside in Washington, D.C. They have two children.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as chairman of the leading women's sports organization in the world," said Evans. "I have always had the greatest admiration for the LPGA players and the Teaching and Club Professional membership. My vision is to help build the organization's financial strength for our members through top sponsorships and tournament venues and I look forward to working closely with the LPGA's new commissioner."
The responsibility for management oversight of the LPGA falls under the direction of the LPGA Board of Directors. The Board of Directors' primary responsibilities include the establishment of goals and policies for the operation of the LPGA; long-range planning; counseling in the areas of legal, finance, member and sponsor relationships; and other responsibilities as mandated by the LPGA Constitution. The Board of Directors appoints the commissioner as the chief executive of the LPGA. LPGA staff, serving under the direction of the commissioner, conducts the operations of the association.
The other independent members of the LPGA Board are: Edwin L. Artzt, retired chairman of the board and CEO of Procter and Gamble; Dawn Hudson, president and CEO, Pepsi-Cola North America, Pepsico, Inc.; Mechem, commissioner emeritus of the LPGA and retired chairman of the Convergys Corporation; and Sallee, president and CEO, America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth, and the founder and retired chairman and CEO of Bright Horizons. The Board also includes the six members of the LPGA Tour Executive Committee: Daly-Donofrio, president; Deb Richard, vice president; Vicki Goetze-Ackerman; Kate Golden; Meg Mallon; and Wendy Ward. Jean Bartholomew, Hilary Lunke and Catriona Matthew are non-voting members of the LPGA Tour Executive Committee. Patti Benson, president of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership, also sits on the Board.
About the LPGA
Featuring the world's best women golfers, the LPGA's membership includes touring, teaching and club professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2005 features 34 events, with total prize money of $45.1 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its tournaments have raised approximately $160 million for charity. From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved into the world's preeminent women's professional sports organization. The LPGA has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of golf. The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership boasts a total of nearly 1,200 women golf professionals who serve as teachers, golf professionals, club managers and coaches. Through the LPGA T&CP membership, the LPGA is working to increase the involvement of women and youth in golf, as well as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.
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