I’m hopeful that this message finds you well during our “offseason.” Mother Nature has kept us busier than we usually are this time of year with many days conducive for golf. Hopefully you still have been able to get some of your winter to-dos completed as well as spending valuable time with your families.

For those of you that did not attend the Fall Meeting, you might have missed out on the announcement that John Pillar was appointed as our next District 2 Director for the PGA of America’s Board. John went through the different chairs of leadership on our Section’s Board, which culminated with him serving as our President from 2014-2015. John has also served at the national level as a member of the PGA of America’s Tournament Committee. As the incoming District Director, John attends Board Meetings as an observer until he officially becomes District Director at the Annual Meeting this coming October in Hartford, Conn. We are thrilled to have John represent our Section as well as the New Jersey and Metropolitan Sections. John’s experience and enthusiasm will be a tremendous asset in the board room.

Speaking of the Annual Meeting, this year is an election year for the PGA of America Secretary position.  At the PGA Show, members of our Executive Committee met with the four candidates for brief introductions.  Some of us will be traveling to Atlanta, Ga., later this month for a Super Regional meeting where each candidate will present their campaign agendas. In addition, each Section will be allocated time with the four candidates privately to be able to ask questions in a more personal venue. If you are interested in learning about the candidates, you can click the link below.

Congratulations once again to all of our award winners. It is an incredible collection of talent that is being recognized.  I especially want to congratulate John Carpineta on being named our Golf Professional of the Year. John’s story of becoming a PGA Member is inspiring by itself let alone the incredible work that he continues to do with our military veterans. I am confident that calling John to tell him he won this award will stand out as one of my fondest memories from my time as Section President. The Section is hosting the Annual Awards Dinner at Aronimink G.C. on Sunday, March 15.  We encourage you to attend, especially if you have a friend or co-worker that received one of these prestigious awards.  It is a special night and it casts a great spotlight on some of our Section’s best professionals.

Finally, congratulations to Ashley Grier and Vincent Kabaso for being selected as two of the 15 members of the fifth PGA LEAD class. PGA LEAD was created to identify, mentor and progress PGA Members from diverse backgrounds into volunteer leadership positions in the Association.  Previous LEAD classes have served as a launching pad for leaders both at the Section level and for the national PGA initiatives. With individuals like Ashley and Vincent, I am sure that this class will be just as successful.

We are less than two months away from our Spring Meeting at Green Valley C.C.  The date of the Meeting is Monday, March 30. Spring Meeting registration is currently open as is TPD registration.  We look forward to seeing you all for the meeting.

Sincerely,

Jeff Kiddie, PGA
Philadelphia PGA President