What a great couple of weeks for us as a PGA Professionals! I recently had the pleasure of attending our fourth annual Pacific Northwest PGA Mentoring Conference at Tacoma Country & Golf Club, and once again, it reminded me how fortunate we are to be part of this profession.
The conference continues to grow into something truly special, bringing PNW Section PGA Professionals together to learn, share ideas, build relationships, and invest in one another’s success. It is also a wonderful way to honor the legacy of our friend, Sean Fredrickson, and his passion for mentoring and developing fellow professionals. A special thank you to Carrie DeGree, Domonic Marconi, Frank Talarico, and our entire Section staff for putting together another outstanding event. I also want to recognize Tacoma Country & Golf Club for hosting us and our generous sponsors, including our presenting sponsors: TaylorMade Golf, Evolve Golf, Backswing Golf, NI Golf Tours, and Farmers Insurance/Jared Bouchey Agency. Thanks also to our supporting sponsors: Operation 36 Golf Program, FREDDY Initiative and AndersonOrd Apparel.
One of the highlights for me was participating in a Past Presidents panel alongside Marcus King, Dan Hill, Doug Doxsie, and Greg Manley. With a late change in the program, we had the opportunity to share experiences, perspectives, and probably a few stories we shouldn’t have! I had an absolute blast. I was honored to sit alongside these gentlemen I consider mentors, each of whom has contributed so much to our Section and Association. I also thoroughly enjoyed the TaylorMade putter fitting review with James Holley. The Mentoring Conference was a great opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business.
I also recently returned from the 110th PGA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, and I left feeling incredibly optimistic about the future of our Association. Congratulations to Nathan Charnes, our new PGA of America President, Vice President Eric Eshleman, and Secretary Jared Barnes. I am fortunate to call these gentlemen friends and have tremendous respect for their leadership and commitment to PGA Professionals. I am equally encouraged by Terry Clark and his new leadership team, along with the direction Scott Kmiec is taking PGA REACH.
Perhaps what excites me most is the renewed focus at the national level on directing greater resources and support to our Sections and, ultimately, our Members and Associates. Our Section is where the meaningful work happens, where relationships are built, careers are developed, and members experience the value of their Association. I believe this commitment to strengthening our Sections will create tremendous opportunities for our profession. One of the most moving moments of the Annual Meeting was the recognition of PGA HOPE and the incredible impact it is having on our nation’s Veterans. It was a tearjerker, to say the least. Seeing firsthand how PGA Professionals are changing lives through the game of golf was a powerful reminder of the reach and importance of our profession. Programs like PGA HOPE represent some of the very best of who we are as an Association.
Here at home, our Section represents approximately 1,400 Members and Associates across five Chapters, with diverse roles, interests, and professional needs. Tournament golf is an important part of our Section, and our tournament program is one of the best, but so are education, mentoring, teaching, coaching, player development, professional development, and the impactful work of our foundation. Our responsibility is to serve all of our members, listen to their perspectives, and make thoughtful decisions that strengthen the profession as a whole. I am incredibly proud of the position our Section is in today. Our recent member satisfaction results from national are a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to the strength of our strategic plan, our volunteer leadership, and, most importantly, our staff.
I want to take a moment to recognize our CEO, Frank Talarico. I have had the privilege of working closely with Frank throughout my time as an officer, and I truly believe he is the finest Section CEO in the country. His vision, professionalism, and dedication to our members have positioned the Pacific Northwest PGA as a national leader. His involvement on the PGA Executive Director Committee and Innovation Committee, along with the national interest in our Section’s best practices, speaks volumes about the respect he has earned throughout the Association. His work in our Section, diversifying partnerships, growing programs, and serving the member is second to none. Frank has an exceptional team, and their commitment to our members is evident in everything they do. Frank, thank you for your leadership, your friendship, and the support you have given me. To our entire staff, thank you for the outstanding work you do every day.
I also want to recognize two individuals whose service deserves special appreciation. Howie Pruitt has served our Section with tremendous dedication, first as President during a particularly challenging time and for the past four years as our Honorary President. His contributions extend to the national level through his service on the Board of Control. Howie’s commitment to our profession and his willingness to give his time and energy to our Association have been extraordinary. On behalf of our nearly 1,400 Members and Associates, Howie, thank you for your leadership and years of service. You have made a lasting difference.
Our District 14 Director, Marcus King, also deserves special recognition. This has been a trying year in many respects, and Marcus has gone above and beyond in his commitment to our District, our Section, and the PGA of America. His tireless efforts, steady leadership, and willingness to tackle difficult issues have not gone unnoticed. Marcus, thank you for everything you continue to do for our members and our Association.
We are also fortunate to have strong leadership throughout our five Chapters and an outstanding Section Board. In December, we will gather in Arizona for our annual Winter Strategic and Business Planning Meeting. This will be an important opportunity to evaluate our progress, establish priorities, and continue building on the success of our strategic plan. It will also mark the transition of our presidency to John Grothe. John is ready. He has put in the time, demonstrated his commitment, and is well prepared to lead our Section. I have every confidence in him and the leadership team surrounding him. While my role will change to Past President, I am certainly not going anywhere. I will remain on the Board with a vote and a voice, but my responsibility will shift toward providing support, perspective, and continuity. I look forward to being a resource for the officers and our leadership team as they move our Section forward.
As I reflect on my time as President, the thing I will cherish most is the relationships. I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside outstanding PGA Professionals and leaders throughout our Section and across the country. Many of those professional relationships have become lifelong friendships. We have shared challenges, celebrated successes, learned from one another, and enjoyed a lot of laughs along the way. Those connections mean more to me than any title ever could. To the Board members, Chapter leaders, committee members, and staff I have had the privilege of working with, thank you for your trust, friendship, and dedication. And to our membership, thank you for your trust and allowing me the honor of serving as your President. I have always believed that when you are entrusted with something, you have a responsibility to leave it better than you found it. I believe we have done that together. Our Section is strong, our Association has a bright future, and I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead.
It’s been one heck of a ride, and I’m grateful to have shared it with all of you. I’ll see you around the Section.
Chris M. Nowlen, PGA