Bob Wood elected Environmental Institute for Golf chairman
The Environmental Institute for Golf elected officers and added three new members to its board of trustees during its winter meeting, held in conjunction with the 2008 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Education Conference and Golf Industry Show in Orlando.
Bob Wood, president of Nike Golf, was elected chairman. Ken Melrose, president of Leading By Serving, LLC, and retired chairman and CEO of The Toro Co., was elected vice chairman/treasurer.
LPGA board member Rae Evans, founder and president of the Evans Capitol Group in Washington, D.C., and GCSAA Secretary/Treasurer James R. Fitzroy, CGCS, director/superintendent at the Wollaston Recreational Facility/Presidents Golf Course in North Quincy, Mass., were added to the board of trustees for three-year terms. Fitzroy will serve as secretary. Mark J. Woodward, CGCS, returns to The Institute’s board of trustees as GCSAA’s recently-hired CEO.
"We had some very positive outcomes at the last meeting," said Wood, who also serves on The Institute’s Advisory Council. "The addition of Rae, Jim and Mark strengthens The Institute’s board of trustees, and they will all play a key role in advancing The Institute’s mission."
Former GCSAA CEO Steve Mona; GCSAA Immediate Past President Ricky D. Heine, CGCS; Bill Kubly, CEO of Landscapes Unlimited LLC.; and sportscaster Roger Twibell retired from The Institute’s board of trustees. David Pillsbury, president of PGA Tour Golf Course Properties, will remain on the board for one year as immediate past chairman. Kubly and Pillsbury will both remain on The Institute’s Advisory Council.
Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, owner and president of Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain, retired from The Institute’s Advisory Council. The Advisory Council provides guidance to The Institute’s board of trustees in the areas of outreach, fundraising and strategic planning. The members were selected to enhance The Institute’s ability to cultivate relationships with current and potential donors, as well as communicate the importance of the work conducted by The Institute. World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman, Great White Shark Enterprises chairman and CEO, serves as chairman for The Institute’s Advisory Council.
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 of national affairs for Hallmark Cards, Inc., and director of government relations for CBS Inc. She was the former chair of the LPGA board and is a current board member. Evans was co-chair of the LPGA search committee that selected current commissioner Carolyn Bivens and was a member of the former 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.
Fitzroy, who has served on the GCSAA Board of Directors since 2005, is a 41-year GCSAA member and has been at Presidents Golf Course since 1975. Previously, he was golf course superintendent at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Mass., and Cazenovia (N.Y.) Country Club. Fitzroy is a member and past president of the GCSA of New England and also holds membership in the Golf Course Managers Association of Cape Cod, as well as the Rhode Island GCSA. He is a former member of the Massachusetts Golf Association’s executive committee and currently serves on that organization’s course rating team. He also serves on the plant science advisory committee for Norfolk County Agricultural High School and UMass’s turf research building committee.
Melrose joined Toro in 1970 as director of marketing for the company’s consumer products division. He later served as vice president of Toro’s outdoor power equipment group, executive vice president and president. He was appointed chief executive officer in 1983 and chairman of Toro’s board in 1987. Melrose is credited with leading bankruptcy-bound Toro to the Fortune 500 company it is today. He retired from Toro in March 2006. Melrose is known for his efforts to promote the servant-leadership style of management and is author of "Making the Grass Greener: A CEO’s Journey to Leading by Serving." He has spoken about his philosophy for years at schools and businesses and recently formed the management consulting company, Leading by Serving, based in Wayzata, Minn. He joined The Environmental Institute for Golf’s board of trustees in 2006 and is also a member of The Institute’s Advisory Council.
Wood, who was ranked No. 32 in Golf Inc. magazine’s "2007 Most powerful people in golf," joined Nike in 1980 as an advertising project manager, worked his way up through the company’s innovative marketing department, and became president of Nike Golf in 1998. He is responsible for establishing Nike Golf as one of the most desired brands in golf around the world. Wood helped Nike Golf become a successful, stand alone division within Nike. Under his direction, Nike Golf is now the most diverse, single brand in golf which offers golfers everything from equipment, balls and clubs to footwear and apparel. Wood received the 2002-03 International Network of Golf Industry Award for Business Achievement.
Woodward, a 30-year GCSAA member who served as president of the association in 2004, will wrap up his three-year stint as the golf operations manager for the city of San Diego by hosting the U.S. Open this June at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif., before taking the helm at GCSAA on July 1. A regular participant on GCSAA’s committees over the years, Woodward is also active in the National Institute of Golf Management sponsored by the National Golf Foundation. He joined the NIGM board of regents in 1992, serving as its chair in 1999. Prior to his post in San Diego, Woodward served 31 years in various capacities with the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, Ariz. His last position there was parks and recreation administrator, which included the oversight of two golf courses, a tennis facility, the Chicago Cubs spring training home, a minor league baseball training site, a park ranger program and a cemetery.
The Environmental Institute for Golf board of trustees (Feb. 2008-Feb. 2009)
* Bob Wood, chairman – Nike Golf president
* Ken Melrose, vice chairman/treasurer – Leading By Serving, LLC president, retired chairman and CEO of The Toro Co.
* David S. Downing II, CGCS – GCSAA president, Signature Golf Group vice president, operations and construction (Surfside, S.C.)
* Rae Evans – Evans Capitol Group founder and president, LPGA board member
* James R. Fitzroy, CGCS, secretary – GCSAA secretary/treasurer, director/superintendent at the Wollaston Recreational Facility/Presidents Golf Course (North Quincy, Mass.)
* Mark Kizziar – Superstition Mountain Properties, Inc. president
* Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. – The Kohler Co. chairman, CEO and president
* Mark D. Kuhns, CGCS – GCSAA vice president, Baltusrol Golf Club (Springfield, N.J.) director of grounds
* Rafael Martinez – The Green magazine publisher/CEO, Republic Capital Corp. president
* Victoria Martz, ASGCA – Palmer Course Design Co. vice president, senior golf course architect and director of environmental design
* Greg Norman – Great White Shark Enterprises chairman and CEO
* David Pillsbury, immediate past chairman – PGA Tour Golf Course Properties president
* James T. Snow – USGA Green Section national director
* Mark J. Woodward, CGCS – GCSAA CEO
The Environmental Institute for Golf, the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), is a collaborative effort of the environmental and golf communities, dedicated to strengthening the compatibility of golf with the natural environment. The Institute concentrates on delivering programs and services involving research, education and outreach that communicate the best management practices of environmental stewardship on the golf course. For more on The Institute, visit www.eifg.org.
GCSAA is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.
Contact:
Teri Harris, GCSAA managing director, development, at (785) 832-4465 or tharris@gcsaa.org
Greg Lyman, GCSAA director of environmental programs, at (785) 832-3625 or glyman@gcsaa.org
