ATLANTA, Ga. – Richard Wilson of Columbus was named the recipient of the
2007 Georgia State Golf Association’s Bill Todd Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a GSGA volunteer. The award was presented at the Association’s Annual Meeting, held January 27 at Cherokee Town Club.
The Bill Todd Award annually honors a volunteer who maintains the highest standard of service and stewardship to the GSGA. It is named for one of GSGA’s most valued volunteers who spent more than 20 years serving the Association. Todd served as GSGA’s president in 1995 and gave of his time in many ways before his passing in 2001.
More than 20 years ago, Wilson was recruited into GSGA volunteer service by the late Shirley Weir, past GSGA staff director of club relations. One of his early assignments was chairing the Program Committee for the 1988 Georgia Amateur at Green Island Country Club in Columbus. That year’s program was 166 pages, the largest publication in the GSGA’s history.
Since then, Wilson has followed along in the footsteps of Bill Todd by serving with similar dedication in every capacity of GSGA service, including three years as the Association’s 25th president from 2002 to 2004.
He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1990 and in 1995 to the Executive Committee, the same year Todd was the GSGA’s President. In two terms on the Executive Committee Wilson reported on committees and activities in the membership, handicapping and communications areas.
In 2000, he was named president-elect and was also a member of the Georgia State Golf Foundation Board of Trustees. Upon ascending to the presidency in 2002, he subsequently served three one-year terms. The final year was a special circumstance that coincided with his successor, Glenn Cornell, completing his service on Governor Sonny Perdue’s cabinet before being able to take over as GSGA president.
As president, Wilson came to meetings with a briefcase filled with GSGA notes, just as Todd always did. He was intent on attending as many meetings of different committees as he was able because he wanted to show other volunteers how much he appreciated them giving of their time to the Association he loves.
In his final two years on the Executive Committee as the Immediate Past President in 2005 and 2006, Wilson chaired the Nominating Committee, which reviewed the entire GSGA governance process and brought on several new Board members from all areas of the state.
While Wilson has the same type of dedication as Todd to all of the activities of their golf association, his true love is working as a rules official at golf tournaments . just as was Todd’s. In addition to working several GSGA competitions each year, Wilson begins his 10th year as a member of the USGA Junior Amateur Championship Committee and works as an official at that national championship each year. In addition, he has been an official at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur and Women’s Amateur championships, along with the Carpet Capital Collegiate and Jones Cup Invitational events.
Todd would be pleased and proud of his fellow president.
The presentation of this award honors Todd’s memory and recognizes an individual who exemplifies his volunteer spirit and involvement. Originally known as the President’s Service Award, it was renamed in 2002. It was then deemed that all former winners of the President’s Service Award would also be known as Bill Todd Award winners. The winner is chosen each year by a committee that includes all past recipients and volunteers from each area of GSGA service. Nominations for the award may be submitted by any GSGA volunteer.
Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) received its official charter on June 24, 1924. Since that date, the GSGA has grown to one of the largest state amateur golf associations in the country, with over
365 member clubs and 85,000 individual members. With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups. Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.
Georgia State Golf Association
Bill Todd Award History
1993 – Billy Peters, Blakely
1996 – Col. F. "Ike" Fenton, Peachtree City
1998 – Bill Todd, Marietta
2000 – Gene McClure, Atlanta
2002 – Nancy Henning, Roswell
2003 – Roger Cordes, Decatur
2004 – Adrian C. McManus, Jr., Athens
2005 – Bob Henning, Roswell
2006 – Richard R. (Dick) Franklin, Dunwoody
2007 – Richard Wilson, Columbus
Contact:
Joanna S. Capo
PHONE: (770) 356-8960
jcapo@gsga.org