As 2019 kicks off, the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation is thrilled to announce their new President, Suzanne Kelley, who ascended to the role after less than three years as a board member in large part due to her ability to build relationships and her unparalleled passion for the people and mission of the Foundation.
Though she will be the Foundation’s first female president, Kelley much prefers to focus on what she’s going to do in her role.
“I’m so impressed with what I’ve seen SCGA Junior Foundation accomplish in the past couple years and it has gotten me so excited to be involved with the leadership moving forward and the opportunities to grow that are continually developing,” Kelley said.
As for being the first woman president, well she’s not sluffing it off either. Kelley is specifically excited about engaging with more women, empowering more girls through the game of golf and getting more females involved with programming across the spectrum.
Even though Kelley knows that growing any program begins with a great idea, she really wants to emphasize the importance of following through on the ideas that are in development and getting them off the ground.
“I’m not a dreamer, I’m very practical,” Kelley said. “Let’s just march and get this stuff done.”
Granted, when asked what she wanted to focus her efforts on this year, Kelley’s list seemed to grow by the minute. To name a few that are at the top of the priority list, though are: San Fernando Valley and Riverside County programming expansions, rolling out the Ambassador Club (a new donor recognition program), a tournament assistance program and growing the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of Southeast LA Chapter.
“See we already have so many great ideas,” Kelley said with a laugh. “I want to make sure we have the staff, support and resources to make sure our great ideas get completed.”
She isn’t just focused on on-course development, though. Kelley hopes to make mentorship an even bigger priority and increase opportunities for mentorship by engaging with donors and scholar alumni. In her role, Kelley also looks forward to connecting even more with current donors, while looking to expand the donor base.
Kelley’s passion for giving back is rooted in all that golf has given her. As an accomplished leader in the corporate world, Kelley often used golf to build relationships outside the workplace that helped her succeed in the office. Now, she wants to make sure that kids have the same opportunities that she had, or even more.
“I wish that I had started golfing as a kid,” Kelley said. “When I see some of these kids out here that are so young, it just gives me so much hope for their future and for the future of the game.”
After emphasizing her excitement for the coming year, in a moment of self-reflection Kelley realized how many different things she wants to accomplish. And yes, it’s going to be a lot, but she’s ready to start marching.
If you’d like to connect with Suzanne or get involved, please email her here.