Suzy Whaley Elected PGA Of America Secretary
/This aligns the Connecticut golf instructor to be the first female president of the PGA of America in four years. But not before Derek Sprague and Paul Levy precede her. Honorary past president Allen Wronowski will serve another two years in that role after Ted Bishop's ouster, a move confirmed at the annual meeting.
Derek Sprague Elected 39th President of the PGA of America
Delegates Vote Paul Levy Vice President, Suzy Whaley Secretary
INDIANAPOLIS – (November 22, 2014) Derek Sprague of Malone, New York, was elected the 39th President of the PGA of America today at the Association's 98th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. Sprague is the PGA General Manager and Director of Golf at Malone Golf Club. Elected to PGA membership in 1993, Sprague has held leadership roles at both the National and Section PGA levels since 1998. Sprague previously served as PGA Secretary from 2010-12, and as Vice President from 2012 until Oct. 24, 2014, when he was named PGA Interim President. He also previously served as the District 1 Director on the National PGA Board from 2007-10.
Succeeding Sprague as Vice President is Paul Levy of Indian Wells, California, who served the past two years as Secretary and held the roles of Secretary and Interim Vice President from Oct. 24, 2014 until today.
Suzy Whaley of Farmington, Connecticut, was elected Secretary. Sprague, Levy and Whaley will each serve two-year terms.
The Board of Directors extended the role of Honorary President Allen Wronowski of Bel Air, Maryland, for two additional years.
In addition, three new members of the PGA Board of Directors were sworn in at the PGA Annual Meeting. The new PGA Board members are Jeff Drimel of St. Michael, Minnesota; Tim Fries of Kenmore, New York; and Kyle Heyen of Arvada, Colorado. The new PGA District Directors each will serve three-year terms.
The PGA Board of Directors is composed of the Association's President, Vice President, Secretary, Honorary President and 17 Directors. The Directors include representatives from each of the PGA's 14 districts, two Independent Directors and a member of the PGA Tour. New District Directors are elected by their local PGA Sections.
Whaley survived a potential misstep when she branded embroiled president Ted Bishop a sexist, then recanted her assessment.
**Alex Miceli talks to Whaley following her election.
With Whaley now taking such a prominent role in the organization, the effect for the majority of the population can only be enhanced. Still, growing the game recently has been a struggle. Can Whaley’s election will make a significant difference?
“I have never felt like I wasn’t a member of this association because I was a female,” Whaley said. “But I think what it does say is we are really moving forward into the next 100 years and that we’re looking to be diverse, we’re looking to have more people play the game that perhaps don’t look the same as everybody in that room, that look like our communities, and for that to happen, certainly we need more female leaders, more minority leaders, more people at our golf facilities that look like our communities. Then we really have the opportunity to grow the sport.”
