Far Hills, N.J. (Sept. 6) – The United States Golf Association has hired Sarah Hirshland as its senior managing director of business affairs and Joe Goode as its managing director of communications. Both will join the staff of the USGA in early October.
“Sarah Hirshland and Joe Goode bring deep experience and important skill sets to the USGA’s leadership team. They are also passionate golfers, with great respect for the game and its traditions,” said Mike Davis, the executive director of the USGA. “I am extremely excited that they have both accepted the offer to join our staff, and I am confident that they will each make significant contributions to the Association in the months and years ahead.”
Hirshland comes to the USGA from the Wasserman Media Group in Los Angeles, Calif., where she was a senior vice president in charge of strategic business development. She previously worked in Wasserman’s consulting division, where she led the development of sponsorship strategies for clients such as American Express, Nationwide, Nokia, Wachovia and Scotts.
Prior to that, Hirshland worked for OnSport, a Raleigh, N.C.-based sports and entertainment consulting firm. One of OnSport’s first employees in 1997, Hirshland led the negotiations for Nationwide’s multi-year partnerships with NASCAR and ESPN which resulted in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and she was also involved in 2002 when Wachovia and the PGA Tour launched the Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) Championship.
A graduate of Duke University, Hirshland was one of the founding employees of Total Sports in Raleigh, N.C., an online sports news and technology company, where she was general manager of collegiate sports business, helping to form partnerships with more than 100 universities, conferences and the NCAA.
“Sarah brings a wealth of leadership skills from her experiences in overseeing accounting, financial, human resources, IT and other business operations functions, in addition to her extensive marketing and business development background,” said Davis.
Hirshland is the final appointment to the Association’s new senior leadership team, which together with Mike Davis includes John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of Rules and Competitions; Mike Butz, senior managing director of Open championships and Association relations; and Rand Jerris, senior managing director of public services. As senior managing director of business affairs, Hirshland will oversee the Association’s Accounting, Broadcasting, Human Resources, IT, Marketing and Membership departments.
“The USGA is one of sports’ most respected organizations and I look forward to being able to contribute to its growth and evolution,” said Hirshland. “The opportunities that lie ahead are both exciting and challenging and I am eager to join Mike Davis and his whole team as we build upon the strong foundation and rich history of the USGA, and the great game of golf.”
Joe Goode has been a senior communications executive with Bank of America and its predecessor firms for the past 15 years, based in Boston, Mass. Most recently, Goode has served as a primary spokesman for the bank, providing strategic communications and media relations support for the company’s marketing and public affairs activities.
Goode directed the bank’s communications programming with some of the most storied events and teams in all of sports, including the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Bank of America Colonial, Bank of America Championship, Bank of America 500, Boston Red Sox, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Cubs, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, New England Patriots, New York Yankees and Washington Redskins. He was also instrumental in helping Bank of America design and implement communications strategies and marketing programs for its corporate brand initiatives and sponsorships of Major League Baseball, NASCAR, the National Football League, the PGA Tour and the U.S. Olympic Team.
Prior to joining Bank of America, Goode was an award-winning broadcast journalist, serving as a senior news correspondent and news anchor for Standard News Radio Network in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of Stonehill College in North Easton, Mass.
“I consider myself fortunate to have been given the opportunity to combine my passion for golf with my experience in communications.” said Goode. “The USGA represents a new and exciting professional challenge for me in two areas that I’m very passionate about – communications and golf. I look forward to helping the USGA, our leadership team and network of volunteers promote everything the USGA does for the good of the game.”
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s working jurisdiction comprises the United States, its territories and Mexico.
The USGA is a global leader in the development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and funds an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Contact:
Rand Jerris (rjerris@usga.org)
Web Address: www.usga.org
USGA Phone: (908) 234-2300