The Mountain State of Golf Volume 3, Issue 1, 2023
WVGA in a state of transition entering 2023
The West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA) is in a state of transition. The departure of Brad Ullman, the consummate organizer and the one who was dedicated to every detail essential to making the WVGA one of the best state golf associations in America, leaves a large void that must be filled. This is not an easy task. The WVGA Executive Committee has embarked on a process that hopefully leads to identification of a candidate to replace Brad. Given the depth and diversity of the talents Brad developed over his tenure with the WVGA in multiple roles and given those people in his career that helped him model his leadership style, beginning as a young man working for Larry Martin, somewhat the Godfather of junior golf in WV, Brad took the best from others and created his own comprehensive style of leadership and management. Nevertheless, that is behind us. The Executive Committee has a fiduciary duty to the WVGA membership to seek out and employ the best possible person we can identify and who is willing to take on the substantial task of assuming the position of our Executive Director. To do that, a search and transition management committee consisting of myself, Vice President Tim McNeely, Secretary David McCormick and Treasurer Andrew Jordon, along with immediate past president Ed McCall, set upon the task of posting the job opening announcement with numerous golf industry outlets nationwide and even with international reach. The timing of Brad’s departure, just after the first of the year, likely
led to a less than a robust number of applicants. It has been concluded that the season for persons interested in state golf association jobs to be looking for new horizons typically do so following the golf season in the November time frame. Regardless, we did get applications, and more than one, that can fulfill most of what the search and transition committee is looking for in an Executive Director. The committee will be making a recommendation to the WVGA Executive Committee in the near future. Moreover, the time spent by the committee, which has been quite substantial, has been productive in more ways than one. It has given the WVGA officers a meaningful interlude within which to evaluate the organizational structure of the organization in terms of job functions and who does what among the staff. It also has opened discussions of how to maximize the relative talents of each for the ultimate success of the future of the organization and filling the void left by Brad Ullman’s departure. Finally, it has given the current WVGA officers time to assess where the organization is at this time, ponder what can be done to enhance our value to the membership we now serve and what we can recommend to the WVGA Executive Committee for consideration of what we can do to grow our membership and enhance the services the WVGA can provide to our members. For now it is up to the leadership of the WVGA to marshal its collective wisdom, make a decision on the future of the organization, while committing the resources and energy it takes to succeed in maintaining the high level of proficiency with which services are delivered to the golfing community in our state.
Philip A. Reale WVGA President
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