Ladies and Gentlemen,
I hope everyone had a wonderful 2009 season. As I’m sure you know, the Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) has been absorbed into the Section and now functions as a Committee instead of an independent entity. The Committee consists of two co-chairs, three committee members, and six sub-committee members. Responsibilities in various areas of our business have been clarified and assigned.
Co-Chairs
Eric Figueroa, Stonewall
Jim Smith Jr., Philadelphia Cricket Club
Finance/ Charity/ Junior Golf
Kevin Duffy, Philadelphia Cricket Club
Sub-Committee
Joe Kogelman, St. Davids Golf Club
Adrienne Hogan, Medford Village Country Club
Tournaments
Joey Pohle, Chester Valley Golf Club
Sub-Committee
Travis Diebert, Commonwealth National Golf Club
James Maack, Kimberton Golf Club
Education/ Mentoring/ Communications
Mark Parson, Hidden Creek Golf Club
Sub-Committee
Mark Kelly, Lehigh Country Club
Jim Fortese, Overbrook Golf Club
Our newly formed committee has been busy preparing for our upcoming 2010 season and we’ve had several meetings already to chart a path to success. With that said, I’d like to inform you of some upcoming events and other pertinent information:
· Our tournament program has been thoroughly reviewed and analyzed. Based on feedback from the Committee, events we hope to incorporate into the 2010 schedule include: two pro-am’s; three merged PAO/ Section events; our assistants’ championship; a match play tournament; two meetings (spring/fall); two or three stand-alone events; and a yearlong Pro-Pro series.
· The tournament committee is in the process of finalizing host sites for each event. Several excellent venues have already been secured, including The Philadelphia Cricket Club, Chester Valley GC, Sunnybrook GC, and LuLu CC. The 2010 tournament schedule will be posted on the PAO website as soon as it is available.
· The PAO has discussed using Blue Golf to streamline and professionalize our tournaments. With Blue Golf, our information will be easily and immediately accessible via our website. Our goal is to prepare all tournament registration information in advance and have this available to our members prior to the season beginning. All members will be encouraged to use this opportunity to sign up for tournaments earlier in the season. A final decision on Blue Gold is due in the coming month.
· The Education Committee is hard at work contacting and scheduling possible speakers and topics for the 2010 season. A schedule and more information are forthcoming.
· Jim Smith Jr. has taken the lead in securing sponsors for our 2010 season. Our goal is to more than double our 2009 sponsor contributions. Although this may be a difficult undertaking in this economy, we’ve gotten off to a great start.
· The section staff will maintain the PAO website from now on. This will ensure continuity with the rest of the section site and will provide the most up to date information in a timely manner.
· The PAO will have some kind of charity component/activity in 2010. Several options are being discussed and I’ll report back on what path is chosen.
· We have prepared a tentative budget for the 2010 that will be thoroughly reviewed by the Committee at our next meeting on December 13th. We’ve analyzed every area of our operation; reviewed prior years’ budgets and actual numbers; and developed a financial game plan for 2010 we believe is both realistic and achievable.
· Each of the Committee members will be involved in Section Committees in order to ensure the PAO has a voice. Kevin will be serving on the Junior Golf Committee; Joey will be part of the Tournament Committee; and Mark will serve on Education Committee. Additionally, I’ll be on the Section Board as the PAO representative and will spend time with them and the Executive Committee to represent PAO interests at Section leadership meetings.
· Part of my responsibility as the PAO Co-Chair will be to ensure we are highly organized and prepared. I’m in the process of developing a yearly ‘to-do’ list that will help make sure nothing gets missed as we develop, advertise, and administer the PAO schedule.
I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday as you prepare for the 2010 season. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of the PAO. I’m honored and privileged to be involved with the PAO and I look forward to a successful and exciting 2010 season!
Respectfully submitted,
Eric Figueroa
PAO Co-Chair
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