REGIONAL DIRECTOR PROGRAM LAUNCHED BY AMERICAN JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION

The American Junior Golf Association has appointed five staff members as Regional Directors in an effort to further promote the AJGA’s mission in five geographical regions of the United States.

The Regional Directors will be at the pulse of junior golf and each AJGA event in their region. Though based at the AJGA National Headquarters in Braselton, Ga., each Regional Director will travel throughout their region year round.

“This new program is part of a continuing effort to bring the AJGA closer to its key stakeholders with the ultimate goal of improving and increasing junior golf opportunities throughout the country,” said AJGA Executive Director Stephen Hamblin.

Leading the team will be Peter Ripa, promoted to Assistant Executive Director of the AJGA and responsible for the Southeast region. Making up the remainder of the AJGA Regional Director team are Lee Pinchouck (VP/Regional Director, Midwest), Beth Reuter (VP/Regional Director, South Central), Derrick Farnham (Regional Director, Northeast) and Joe Mazzeo (Regional Director, West).

A key component of the Regional Director program will be the building and maintaining of relationships with all AJGA stakeholders—players, parents, sponsors, tournament committees, host facilities, college coaches, volunteers and fellow junior golf organizations. Through the development of a broad network of supporters and partners, the Regional Directors will further promote the AJGA’s mission regionally.

“As our national Association continues to mature, it is imperative that we grow regionally to further our core mission—to provide exposure for the world’s top junior golfers with the hopes of garnering college golf scholarships,” Hamblin said.

Specific objectives will include further developing relationships with state, regional and local golf associations and PGA Sections; identifying, creating and enhancing competitive opportunities for juniors; providing support for existing Tournament Chairmen, tournament committees, championships and venues; providing information and educational opportunities to juniors, parents and college coaches; developing community-based support for junior golf; recognizing and assisting grassroots junior golf organizations; identifying potential sponsors, committees and venues for future championships; and promoting AJGA initiatives such as its financial assistance program—the ACE Grant.

An intense cross-training involving each AJGA department will aim to broaden the varied backgrounds of each of the five individuals. The educational period will focus especially on Development and Advancement. Regional Directors will be well versed on any topic relating to the AJGA, ranging from the Association’s history to its initiatives, such as Performance Based Entry and the ACE Grant, and to the various departments, such as tournament operations and sponsorship.

The wide-ranging backgrounds of the five-person team stands to complement this goal. Of the Regional Directors, each will transition from a different department of the AJGA—Chief Operations Officer (Ripa), Finance (Pinchouck), Player Services (Reuter), Tournament Operations (Farnham) and Communications (Mazzeo).

The Regional Directors are currently in the educational period of the program and will be operating within their regions by January 3.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The largest association of its kind, the AJGA has a junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and 30 foreign countries.

Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association’s success since 1989.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Mike Weir, Charles Howell III, Jim Furyk, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, Grace Park, Cristie Kerr and Beth Bauer.
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The purpose of the AJGA Regional Director program is to further promote the AJGA Mission of the development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf in each of five geographic regions of the United States. Specific objectives include: • Further develop relationships with state, regional golf associations and PGA Section Offices • Identify, create, and enhance competitive opportunities for juniors. • Provide support for existing Tournament Chairmen, championships, communities and venues. • Provide information and educational opportunities to juniors, parents and college coaches. • Develop community-based support of junior golf. • Recognize and assist grass-roots junior organizations. • Identify potential future sponsors, committees, and venues for championships. • Promote AJGA initiatives such as the ACE Grant and Regional Leadership Council.

Peter Ripa Asst. Executive Director Southeast Region Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia	Lee Pinchouck VP/Regional Director Midwest Region Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia	Beth Reuter VP/Regional Director South Central Region Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas	Derrick Farnham Regional Director Northeast Region Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont	Joe Mazzeo Regional Director West Region Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming