President of Duramed FUTURES Tour to be Recognized at Annual Conference
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL, October 24, 2007 – The Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) has named Zayra Calderon, president and CEO of the Duramed Futures Tour, the LPGA’s developmental tour, as the recipient of its 2007 Leadership Award. She will receive the award at EWGA’s Conference being held at Amelia Island Plantation Resort in Amelia Island, Fla., on October 31 through November 3, 2007.
The EWGA bestows this annual recognition to individuals who have made longtime and outstanding contributions to women’s golf by paving the way for female golfers – whose dedication to the game has inspired others to follow in their footsteps. Past honorees have included Patty Berg, Peggy Kirk Bell, Judy Bell, Judy Dickinson, Michelle McGann, Alice Dye, Kathy Whitworth, Shirley Spork, Marlene Hagge, Renee Powell, Golf For Women Magazine, Linda Vollstedt, Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott and the 2006 recipient M.G. Orender.
Acquiring ownership of the Duramed FUTURES Tour in 1996, Calderon has been instrumental in establishing the Tour as the premier women’s developmental tour in the world by providing young women professionals an opportunity to prepare their game for a career on the LPGA. She became the president and chief executive officer of the Tour in May 2000, and continues in these leadership roles as part of the LPGA, which acquired the Tour in July 2007.
"Under Zayra’s leadership, the Duramed FUTURES Tour has yielded some of the brightest new stars of the LPGA, most notably the 2007 Rolex Player of the Year, Lorena Ochoa, and 2007 top LPGA rookie, Angela Park," says Pam Swensen, CEO of the EWGA. "We are pleased to recognize her achievements in building a tour that helps so many young women professionals succeed."
A native of Costa Rica and the youngest of 10 children, Calderon earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the State University of New York and had a successful career in healthcare management before taking on the leadership of the Duramed FUTURES Tour. Some of the milestones achieved for the Tour include the awarding of five exempt LPGA Tour cards each year to the top five money leaders on the Duramed FUTURES Tour Final Money List, increases in tournament purses by 58.5 percent since 1999, and a record season purse of $1,585,000 in 2007.
Since the EWGA started in 1991, more than 85,000 women have benefited from membership in the organization which is dedicated to providing opportunities to learn, play and enjoy the game of golf for business and for life. The EWGA currently has more than 120 chapters across the United States, as well as international chapters in Canada and France, offering a wide range of golf, social and networking activities for both new and experienced golfers.
The EWGA is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. For more information about the association and membership visit www.ewga.com.
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