RICHMOND, Va. (September 11, 2023) – First Tee – Greater Richmond has announced two additions to its full-time staff, adding Chevonne Braxton and Emily Weinstein to its staff as part of a continued organizational evolution.
“Both Chevonne and Emily will be instrumental in helping us provide courses that build character,” First Tee – Greater Richmond CEO Brent Schneider said. “They both add to our dynamic team, and I look forward to working with each of them to achieve our vision of strengthening the character of our community.”
Braxton is serving as the organization’s Director of Education and Outreach, where she will oversee First Tee – Greater Richmond’s School Program and Community Program initiatives. Braxton previously was the Director of Internships at Partnership for the Future, helping local high school students gain experiences with local businesses and organizations to place students on a clear path from high school to college to the workplace.
Previously, she spent 10 years with Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond where her last role was Senior Program Director, overseeing the day-to-day operations of youth programmatic services in addition to family and youth engagement. A graduate of Lynchburg College, Braxton was a member of the women’s basketball and track and field team.
Weinstein will lead the organization’s fundraising efforts as its Vice President of Development. A graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in Public Policy, she returns to First Tee – Greater Richmond after previously serving the organization in a variety of capacities from 2009-18. During her previous nine years with the chapter, Weinstein collaborated on strategic initiatives surrounding programming development and fundraising, developed and managed corporate partners, increased the organization’s annual giving campaign, and led quality improvement initiatives through the implementation of donor and program management software and tools.
Before returning to First Tee – Greater Richmond, Weinstein worked in talent acquisition for management consulting firms in the Richmond area, most recently as the Director of Talent at Thought Logic Consulting. While there, Weinstein led all talent initiatives for the Richmond office.
Braxton and Weinstein both started their tenures on Sept. 5.
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About First Tee – Greater Richmond
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, First Tee – Greater Richmond is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Through three major programming areas, First Tee Programs, School Program and Community Partnerships, First Tee – Greater Richmond reached more than 75,000 youth in 2022.
RICHMOND, Va. (Aug. 10, 2023) – First Tee – Greater Charlotte captured the ninth Redmond Cup on Thursday, overcoming the elements at Belmont in a regional competition hosted by First Tee – Greater Richmond.
In cloudy, rainy conditions, Wyatt Feuss and Rohil Pawar led the way for First Tee – Greater Charlotte, taking second in the 12-hole division after a tie-break with teammates Stephen Strong and George Philipps. Kate Jones and Isabella Mebane also won a tie-break to finish second in the 9-hole division, giving First Tee – Greater Charlotte a team total of 2-over par, four strokes in front of First Tee – Triangle’s 6-over total.
First Tee – Greater Richmond was third at its home course with a score of 13-over par.
First Tee – Triangle saw Eli Taylor earn the 12-hole division title at 2-under par, while First Tee – Greater Philadelphia’s Rory Jones and Gabriella Mango posted an even-par score in the 9-hole division to earn medalist honors.
The Redmond Cup brings together First Tee chapters from across the east coast, with First Tee – Blue Ridge Valley, First Tee – Greater Charlotte, First Tee – Greater Philadelphia, First Tee – Greater Richmond, First Tee – Greater Washington D.C., First Tee – Hampton Roads, First Tee – Roanoke Valley, and First Tee – Triangle all participating in this year’s competition.
Six participants were chosen to represent their respective chapter, with participants ages 14 or older competing on Belmont’s 12-hole restored A.W. Tillinghast layout. Participants aged 10-13 competed in the 9-hole division, which saw play on Belmont holes 1-3 and Little Bell 1-6.
The team title was the fifth in the past six Redmond Cups for First Tee – Greater Charlotte, including four consecutive titles from 2014-17.
Participants were welcomed to Richmond on Wednesday, with teams practicing at Belmont before gathering at Top Golf for an evening with fellow First Tee participants.
First Tee – Greater Richmond has hosted the Redmond Cup since 2011, with the 2023 edition marking its return after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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About First Tee – Greater Richmond
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, First Tee – Greater Richmond is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Through three major programming areas, First Tee Programs, School Program and Community Partnerships, First Tee – Greater Richmond reached more than 75,000 youth in 2022. Learn more at www.FirstTeeRVA.org.
Niki Chan is one of 72 teens chosen for the five-day learning and empowerment academy
Richmond, Va. (July 17, 2023) – Niki Chan from First Tee — Greater Richmond has been selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. in Philadelphia, July 18-22. Chan is one of 72 teens from the First Tee network who has been selected for the five-day learning and empowerment academy and will participate in critical conversations around issues of identity, racism, equity and empathy.
Chan is a rising senior at Manchester High School in Midlothian and has been a First Tee – Greater Richmond participant for nine years.
“We are elated to have Niki represent First Tee – Greater Richmond at the First Tee Game Changers Academy,” Kelly Brown, First Tee – Greater Richmond Vice President for Impact, said. “When Niki began our program she was super quiet and soft spoken and to see her find her voice and come into her own is one of many examples of our evidence-based, life skills curriculum.
“I know Niki will make a huge impact at the Game Changers Academy, and we are excited to have her return and share the lessons learned in Philadelphia.”
The week will kick off with a ‘Critical Conversation’ hosted by RISE on Tuesday, July 18, featuring 8-year NFL veteran, Philadelphia native and member of the Baltimore Ravens Daryl Worley, First Tee – Greater Washington D.C. alumnus and professional golfer, Marcus Byrd, and Lodge Grass High School Head Basketball Coach Josh Stewart. Scarlen Martinez, the Sr. Director of Empowerment at RISE will moderate the panel about how sports lead to access and can help address societal inequalities.
RISE, a national nonprofit and leader in the sports community championing social justice and working to improve race relations, will also facilitate engaging and interactive workshops throughout the week. The workshops will explore a multitude of topics that encourage personal growth and understanding of diversity concepts that foster positive change in the community. The workshops will be paired with reflections led by our nationally trained First Tee coaches, team-building activities such as the Villanova Challenge Course, and golf outings at Walnut Lane Golf Club where they will continue to build relationships with other participants from around the country and learn from each other’s unique perspectives.
This Academy is an evolution of First Tee’s longest-standing participant event. The Academy honors First Tee’s former CEO, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., who led the organization from 2000 until his retirement in 2017. It’s one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee headquarters designed to inspire and encourage high school students on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities. .
Chan will be the first of two First Tee – Greater Richmond participants taking part in a First Tee national program this summer. Meg Lavinder will represent First Tee — Greater Richmond at the 2023 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee in September.
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About First Tee – Greater Richmond Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, First Tee – Greater Richmond is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Through three major programming areas, First Tee Programs, School Program and Community Partnerships, First Tee – Greater Richmond reached more than 75,000 youth in 2022. Learn more at www.FirstTeeRVA.org.
Richmond, Va. (July 10, 2023) – First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions announced today that Meg Lavinder will represent First Tee — Greater Richmond when she competes in the 2023 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee. The event, in its 20th year, will bring teens from First Tee chapters to Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course for the PGA TOUR Champions tournament, Sept. 19-24. The annual event, hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, is televised nationally on Golf Channel.
2023 Dominion Energy Charity Classic
A rising senior at Mechanicsville High School, Lavinder has been a First Tee – Greater Richmond participant for nine years. The organization’s Junior Advisory Board (JAB) President, Lavinder took part in the First Tee Drive Your Future Academy in San Francisco in 2022.
She has represented First Tee – Greater Richmond in National First Tee Opportunities, has qualified for the Virginia High School State Golf Tournament, Peggy Kirk Bell Golf Tournaments, and the Richmond City Amateur.
The trip to the PURE Insurance Championship will give Lavinder an opportunity to repeat her feat from the 2021 Dominion Energy Charity Classic Pro-Am, where she aced the eighth hole at The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course while playing with the PGA TOUR Champions’ Scott Dunlap.
“Congratulations to Meg for this well-deserved honor and opportunity to represent First Tee – Greater Richmond on a national stage at the PURE Insurance Championship,” Kelly Brown, First Tee – Greater Richmond Vice President of Impact said. “She is a fantastic role model on and off the golf course and exemplifies the values we hope to instill in our participants and our community.”
Throughout the week, the teens apply their character strengths and life skills learned from First Tee programs during the one-of-a-kind event where they are paired with a PGA TOUR Champions player and amateurs from the business world. Lavinder will compete for the Pro-Junior Team title, joining 80 other teens from First Tee chapters across the country and – for the third year in a row – a participant from First Tee — Morocco. Participants were selected by a national panel of judges based on their personal growth and development through First Tee’s programs, as well as their playing ability.
The full junior field was revealed live on Golf Channel’s “Golf Today.” A few players and legends of the game helped surprise several participants with the news of their selection, including PGA TOUR player Joel Dahmen and PGA TOUR Champions players Tim O’Neal, Rod Pampling and reigning PURE Insurance Championship winner Steve Flesch. PGA TOUR Canada player Quinn Riley – a First Tee alumnus who played at the PURE Insurance Championship as a junior – surprised his younger brother with an invitation to the tournament, and six First Tee participants were surprised by Golf Channel at women’s majors, including the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
“Earning the opportunity to play at the PURE Insurance Championship is a goal for many First Tee participants, and congratulations to Meg for achieving it,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “This marks the 20th anniversary of the tournament, and we are grateful to our partners at PURE Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Pebble Beach Resorts, Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Golf Channel for their ongoing commitment to First Tee. Our alumni who have played at the PURE Insurance Championship have told us it is a life-changing opportunity, and we are so excited for the 80 First Tee teens who will get to experience it in September.”
This year’s field of PGA TOUR Champions players will feature legends including Ernie Els, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Jim Furyk, as well as three-time PURE Insurance Championship winner Kirk Triplett and Steve Flesch, who will defend his title. Clint Eastwood serves as chairman of the PURE Insurance Championship.
Play will be conducted on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course on Friday and Saturday. The final round will be contested solely at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday, where 24 First Tee juniors will compete based on their 36-hole performance. The tournament will crown one male and one female First Tee Junior Champion on Sunday.
More than 1,000 teens from First Tee have played in the PURE Insurance Championship, experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet, play and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field.
“I’m so proud to continue our involvement with this incredible event,” said Martin Leitch, CEO of PURE Insurance. “Being selected to play in this tournament speaks volumes about the character of each of these 80 participants and I’m so excited to see this unforgettable experience play out for them.”
First Tee is a youth development organization that teaches life skills and helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf. The PURE Insurance Championship is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee Headquarters to encourage and motivate participants as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities.
The junior field for 2032 PURE Insurance Championshipcan be viewed here.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, First Tee – Greater Richmond is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Through three major programming areas, First Tee Programs, School Program and Community Partnerships, First Tee – Greater Richmond reached more than 75,000 youth in 2022. Learn more at www.FirstTeeRVA.org.
About Monterey Peninsula Foundation
Surpassing $200 million in total donations, Monterey Peninsula Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that donates funds from the proceeds of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR and the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee at Pebble Beach, a PGA TOUR Champions tournament. The Foundation focuses on improving the quality of life in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties.
Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE) Insurance is a property and casualty insurance company designed exclusively for successful, responsible families. We opened for business more than 15 years ago with the goal of offering something different in the insurance space: a company focused on doing what’s right for our membership (policyholders), one that promotes transparency and alignment of interests, and delivers greater value. Today, after growing at least 15% in each year since we began, we are the most awarded insurer in our category, offer coverage in all 50 states that includes high value homeowners, automobile, collections, watercraft, personal excess liability, fraud & cyber and flood to a membership of more than 100,000 individuals and families.
Pureinsurance.com | 888.813.7873
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 34 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @pgatourchampions.
All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Tournament programming is available via 25+ TV linear partners in 145+ countries and territories, with 25 channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage, and 200+ hours of live coverage distributed in 135+ countries and territories. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the United States, excluding China and Korea, with live coverage distributed in 130+ countries and territories.
First Tee School Program Field Trips Receive National Recognition
RICHMOND, Va. (July 6, 2023) – First Tee – Greater Richmond and Henrico County Public Schools were recently named a 2023 National Association of Counties (NACo) Award Winner in recognition of the First Tee School Program Field Trips held at Belmont in 2022-23.
“First Tee – Greater Richmond is committed to impacting the lives of young people in our community,” said Kelly Brown, First Tee – Greater Richmond’s Vice President of Impact. “Through our First Tee School Program and intentional collaboration with Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) teachers and leadership, we have been able to provide fun, engaging, and educational field trips for 5th grade students in HCPS Title I Schools at Belmont and The Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range.
“These opportunities not only provide access to our golf courses, but more importantly embrace our evidence-based curriculum that builds character, instills life-enhancing values, and promotes making healthy choices.”
An extension of the First Tee School Program, field trips bring local elementary school students to First Tee – Greater Richmond’s three green grass facilities: Belmont, The Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range, and The Tattersall Youth Development Center. Field trips are focused on building confidence and character while providing access to authentic golf experiences in a safe and friendly environment.
For the 2022-23 school year, 1,374 Henrico County Public School fifth graders attended a field trip, covering 22 title I schools. Henrico County Public School officials stated that the field trips resulted in 100% of its students improving upon benchmark psychomotor skills and learning outcomes.
“Teachers and students have raved about this authentic, outdoor golf experience,” said Mark A. Brandenburger, M.Ed., AT-Ret, CSCS, and Health, Physical & Driver Education Specialist at Henrico County Public Schools. “The First Tee staff and coaches were an essential element in delivering high-quality motor skills and golf instruction to our students.
“However, it was the fleet of First Tee (community) volunteers that allowed the student group sizes to be small enough for the instruction to be personalized and differentiated so that students could have more swings and increasing opportunities for success in a lifetime physical activity.”
The National Association of Counties serves nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. The recognition of First Tee – Greater Richmond and Henrico County came in the “Community and Economic Development” category and was one of 34 awards garnered by the county this year.
by Kaitlin Doherty, for First Tee – Greater Richmond
Integrity is cherished at First Tee. It is among the many values instilled in First Tee participants as they go through the First Tee various Program. Fei Roseboro is an extraordinary example of a First Tee – Greater Richmond alumna former participant that took this value to heart and carried it within herself once her days as a participant came to an end. Fei says this value has “kept me honest” as she’s continued playing golf, which helped her claim the winning title of the 95th Richmond Women’s City Amateur Championship at Lakeside Park Club on June 9.
A win like this takes a lot of good judgment calls – when to attack a pin, the proper putting line, and more. Integrity helped Fei with “knowing the difference between right and wrong,” making the journey to her win filled with good choices. Approaching each round with integrity lays the groundwork for success, and Fei showed that through her matchplay.
Fei won the tournament in a 2-and-1 victory over Helen Im after a week of hard work and skillful play. In the tournament played at Lakeside Country Club she went up against numerous opponents, six of which were previous winners of the tournament. True to her character, Fei is staying humble after this achievement saying “it’s just another win.”
Although Fei came to know First Tee – Greater Richmond at 7 years old, she ended up joining the team at Belmont as a part of the cart and range staff in high school. She says having a role at Belmont played a part in developing her golf game because “it definitely helped [me] to play and practice more.”
She said if she could give a piece of advice to current participants it would be to “have fun with it.” First Tee – Greater Richmond is proud to be building game changers like Fei, and look forward to seeing her golf game continue to develop!
RICHMOND, Va. (June 23, 2023) – First Tee – Greater Richmond has announced several additions to its full-time staff, adding Lee Coppock, Ana Ferreyra Heit, Grace Huffman, and Lauren Velardi to its staff as part of a continued organizational evolution. Additionally, the organization has hired nine summer interns to assist with First Tee Summer Camps and Programs.
“Our additions will all be instrumental in helping us forward our vision of strengthening the character of our community,” First Tee – Greater Richmond CEO Brent Schneider said. “Lee, Ana, Grace, and Lauren add to our dynamic team and I look forward to working with each of them.”
Coppock, who joined the organization in February, is serving as the organization’s Senior Director of Agronomy, overseeing the grounds at all three First Tee – Greater Richmond facilities. The Virginia Tech alumnus comes to First Tee – Greater Richmond from Salisbury Country Club, where he spent the last three years as its superintendent.
Ferreyra Heit and Huffman will both be Player Development Professionals, with Ferrerya Heit based at Belmont and Huffman at The Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range. In their positions, they will work in both golf operations and youth programming roles.
Ferreyra Heit recently graduated from Delaware State University, where she starred on the women’s golf team. The Mar del Plata, Argentina-native collected All-Northeast Conference Women’s Golf First Team accolades in 2023 after a third-place finish at the NEC Championship. The year prior, Ferreyra Heit was selected to the All-Southland Conference Second Team and earned Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar Team accolades.
A First Tee – Roanoke Valley alumna, Huffman completed her collegiate career at Longwood University, where she captained the women’s golf team. Huffman was the only Longwood player to compete in all 26 rounds in 2022-23, helping the Lancers to a fifth-place finish at the Big South Championship. At Rockbridge County High School, Huffman was the first female in Rockbridge County school history to play in the VHSL Girls State Championship and first to sign a national letter of intent to play for a Division I women’s golf team.
Velardi joins First Tee – Greater Richmond as its Chief of Staff from WNRN-FM, where she held several roles, most recently as the public radio station’s Director of Philanthropy. As Chief of Staff, Velardi will provide executive support with responsibilities related to day-to-day business operations including board communication, human resource administration, development management and event preparation.
Ward started as the Senior Assistant Golf Professional at Belmont in April after a year serving as an instructor and manager at The Edge Golf Academy in Richmond. The James Madison University alumnus previously spent over four years at Stonewall Golf Club as its Assistant Golf Professional before working as the assistant pro at Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean View, Del., before returning to Virginia.
Additionally, nine summer interns have joined the First Tee – Greater Richmond team. Summer interns will help run the day-to-day operations at summer camps and programs while also gaining insights into the organization’s golf course operations and external relations. The summer intern roster includes:
RICHMOND, Va. (May 23, 2023) – CapTech, an award-winning technology consulting firm, and First Tee, a youth development organization that teaches life skills and helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf, celebrated the grand opening of the CapTech Golf Innovation Center at First Tee – Greater Richmond’s Belmont golf course. The Innovation Center reflects the shared commitment to STEM education by CapTech and First Tee – Greater Richmond.
The opening event featured CapTech TOUR ambassadors, Lanto Griffin and Austin Ernst, and UNC-Chapel Hill basketball player and Richmond native Armando Bacot participating in a panel discussion and guiding a putting clinic, a par 3 challenge and tours of the new center.
“We are proud to announce the opening of the CapTech Golf Innovation Center at First Tee – Greater Richmond’s Belmont golf course,” said CapTech Chairman Sandy Williamson. “The center will foster collaboration and learning through cutting-edge applications of data, design, and technology. We hope that it helps spark participants’ interest in STEM and opens their minds to all of the possibilities that technology can create.”
The CapTech Golf Innovation Center will provide a dedicated space for First Tee participants to explore and learn from golf technologies to which they may not normally have access, including a newly-installed Zen Green Stage, which creates putting gradients and adjustable slopes. Participants will also benefit from a STEM-focused curriculum that incorporates engineering, innovation, and data and analytics challenges. In addition, the tools will capture participant data, which will help coaches customize training and help participants track improvement.
“We are excited about the opening of the CapTech Golf Innovation Center and appreciate CapTech’s continued partnership,” said Brent Schneider, Executive Director of First Tee – Greater Richmond. “This center and the additional STEM curriculum will greatly enhance our efforts to impact the lives of young people while also ensuring Belmont remains a place where everyone can find their connection to golf.”
In 2019, First Tee – Greater Richmond, in partnership with Love Golf Design, embarked on an ambitious reimagination of World Golf Hall of Fame architect A.W. Tillinghast’s 1917 design. The project converted the 18-hole course into a championship 12 holes, restoring Tillinghast’s vision and bringing back 10 of 12 original green complexes; created a six-hole par-3 course featuring Tillinghast template holes; an 18-hole putting course that measures the largest in the state, checking in at over 34,000-square feet; and a full practice facility that allows Belmont to host First Tee camps, programs and clinics, while also allowing the public to utilize both driving and short game ranges.
CapTech is also a leader in transforming sports technology. Its work with multiple sports organizations and leagues has helped broaden fan engagement and open expansive new revenue streams by facilitating entrance in the evolving sports gaming market.
RICHMOND, Va. (April 27, 2023) – Belmont Head Golf Professional Brandon Howard, PGA, has been selected as one of 15 PGA Members for the 2023-24 PGA LEAD class, the PGA of America recently announced.
Howard joined the First Tee – Greater Richmond organization in January as the head professional at Belmont and oversees the day-to-day operation of the historic facility, including staffing, sales, patron relationships, teaching and events. Howard came to Belmont with over 10 years of experience in the golf industry, including time as the Head Golf Professional at Somerby Golf Club in Rochester, Minn., and as the Player Development Coordinator for the City of Westminster, Colo.
“Brandon’s desire to grow the inclusivity of the game and industry was key in his selection to become our Head Professional at Belmont,” First Tee – Greater Richmond Vice President of Operations Mark Lynch, PGA, said. “His belief in making the game and facility welcoming to everyone drives our vision at Belmont and First Tee – Greater Richmond, and his efforts within PGA LEAD will continue to shape how we act and impact growth across the PGA of America.”
Established in 2016, PGA LEAD is the Association’s leadership development program, created to identify, mentor and progress PGA Members from diverse backgrounds along a guided path to volunteer leadership roles at the Chapter, Section and National levels of the Association. PGA LEAD also helps PGA Members who have a desire to serve and make an impact on nonprofit boards within the communities where they work and live.
This 18-month leadership development program reinforces the PGA of America’s commitment to create a game, workforce and industry supply chain that better mirror America’s demographics. More specifically, the PGA is committed to inclusive governance, environments, systems and structures that create the opportunity for all PGA Professionals to develop, grow and lead.
“I am excited to see the continued interest in PGA LEAD as it continues to thrive in helping PGA Members receive the training and skills needed to ascend into leadership positions throughout the Association,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, the Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing in Lansing, Michigan. “This program helps bring a diverse cross section of talented PGA Members together as leaders in a host of important positions within the golf industry nationwide, which will help position the PGA of America’s overall growth and success for decades to come.”
PGA LEAD is a complement to PGA WORKS – a strategic initiative designed to diversify the golf industry’s workforce. Among the alumni of the PGA LEAD are three PGA Section presidents, three Section vice presidents, two Section secretaries, 19 Section board members and 19 national committee members.
2023-2024 PGA LEAD Class Members Jackie Buckley, PGA – Scioto Country Club – Columbus, Ohio; Southern Ohio PGA Section Jason Dochney, PGA – JSJ Inc. – Tulsa, Okla.; South Central PGA Section Peyton Durham Hemme, PGA – Westchester Country Club – Rye, N.Y.; Metropolitan PGA Section Langston Frazier, PGA – Belle Haven Country Club – Alexandria, Va.; Middle Atlantic PGA Section Melissa Hatten, PGA – Talisker Club – Park City, Utah; Utah PGA Section Marvin Gene Herrod Jr., PGA – Sunset Country Club – St. Charles, Mo.; Gateway PGA Section Brandon Howard, PGA – Belmont Golf Course – Richmond, Va.; Middle Atlantic PGA Section Cathy Kim, PGA – Baltimore Country Club – Baltimore, Md.; Middle Atlantic PGA Section Heather King, PGA – MCAS Miramar Memorial – San Diego, Calif.; Southern California PGA Section Brendan Locke, PGA – GOLFTEC Wisconsin – Madison, Wis.; Wisconsin PGA Section Nolan Rheam, PGA – Olde Florida Golf Club – Naples, Fla.; South Florida PGA Section Nick St. Onge, PGA – Country Club of Lincoln – Lincoln, Neb.; Nebraska PGA Section Missy Williams, PGA – Tara Golf & Country Club – Bradenton, Fla.; North Florida PGA Section Ronnie Valerio, PGA – Temecula, Calif.; Southern California PGA Section Len Zamora, PGA – Scotts Park Golf Links – Albuquerque, N.M.; Sun Country PGA Section
Annual tournament has raised over $770,000 in five years
RICHMOND, Va. (April 21, 2023) – The fifth annual Dominion Energy Charity Classic – Community Invitational raised over $156,000 on Monday, April 17, as community and corporate partners came together at The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course for a charity scramble.
Twenty-nine foursomes took part in the captain’s choice scramble, which saw a team with First Tee – Greater Richmond participants tie for medalist honors. Foursomes also connected with First Tee – Greater Richmond participants on the 13th hole, where they played through the hole using the same games and lessons as participants utilize and teach.
“We are incredibly grateful to our partners at the PGA TOUR, The Country Club of Virginia, and within the community for their support of our organization,” First Tee – Greater Richmond CEO Brent Schneider said. “Their support allows us to meet our vision of strengthening the character of community.”
Run in partnership with the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, the invitational offers corporate and community partners the opportunity to play on the same course as October’s PGA TOUR Champions event. Funds raised go directly towards helping First Tee – Greater Richmond impact the lives of area youth via First Tee Programs, School Programs, and Community Partnerships.
“It is a natural extension of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic to partner with First Tee – Greater Richmond on the Community Invitational,” said Steve Schoenfeld, Executive Director of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic. “With the ultimate goal being to leave a charitable footprint in the local community, what better way to help accomplish this goal, while also enabling First Tee – Greater Richmond to generate funds that help make the game of golf more accessible to area youth.”
Over $770,000 has been raised through the DECC-CI since the introduction of the tournament in 2019. The tournament serves as First Tee – Greater Richmond’s largest single-day fundraiser of the year.
First Tee – Greater Richmond is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, and since incorporating in 1998 as one of First Tee’s first chapters, First Tee – Greater Richmond has steadily grown across the community, impacting nearly 75,000 youth in 2022. The organization also operates three public golf facilities in the Richmond area – Belmont, the Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range, and The Tattersall Youth Development Center – offering affordable, accessible golf to the entire community.
To learn more about First Tee – Greater Richmond, its impact and future vision, please visit:
First Tee – Greater Richmond is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Through three major programming areas, First Tee Programs, School Program and Community Partnerships, First Tee – Greater Richmond reached more than 75,000 youth in 2022.
Organization has been impacting the lives of youth in the community since 1998
RICHMOND, Va. (Feb. 28, 2023) – For 25 years, First Tee – Greater Richmond has used golf to impact the lives of young people. This week, the youth development organization is kicking off its 25th anniversary with the first of many features and a new anniversary storytelling hub on firstteerva.org.
Since incorporating in 1998 as one of First Tee’s first chapters, First Tee – Greater Richmond has steadily grown across the community, culminating by impacting nearly 75,000 youth in 2022. The organization also operates three public golf facilities in the Richmond area – Belmont, the Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range, and The Tattersall Youth Development Center – offering affordable, accessible golf to the entire community.
“There is little doubt that our chapter has grown significantly and had an indelible impact on thousands of young people during the last 25 years,” said Brent Schneider, First Tee – Greater Richmond CEO. “We are grateful for the vision of our founders, including Fred Tattersall, and for his leadership.
“Congratulations and thank you to all who have played an essential part in growing First Tee – our participants, coaches, volunteers, donors, team members and partners – who have helped create this impact over the last 25 years. We’re extremely excited about the future of our organization and how we can continue to strengthen the character of our community moving forward.”
First Tee – Greater Richmond recently completed a comprehensive strategic plan designed to carry the organization through 2025. The focus of the plan will be on Youth Development, Impactful Golf Operations, Sustainability, and Deeping Community Partnerships.
The first of several features on the organization focuses on its origins as one of First Tee’s pilot chapters. First Tee – Greater Richmond was officially incorporated on Feb. 26, 1998, and quickly became one of the bellwether chapters in the national organization through the leadership of Fred Tattersall, Bobby Ukrop, Bill Goodwin, and other Richmond community leaders.
Throughout 2023, First Tee – Greater Richmond will be shining a light on several facets of the chapter, including alumni, participants, coaches, donors, and its impact both locally and nationally. The organization will also be hosting several events, including its 25th anniversary celebration on May 4.
To learn more about First Tee – Greater Richmond, its impact and future vision, please visit:
