After almost 20 years as a golf course superintendent, Kevin P. Sunderman, CGCS, has been named chief working officer for the GCSAA.
Sunderman involves GCSAA uniquely certified for the place, with greater than 19 years of expertise in skilled golf course administration, prior expertise within the monetary companies sector, a bachelor’s diploma from the Ohio State College in turfgrass administration and a grasp’s diploma in enterprise administration from Florida Southern School.
He most just lately spent 17 years at Isla Del Sol Yacht and Nation Membership in St. Petersburg, Florida, the place he was director of grounds. He beforehand held the superintendent place at Whetstone Golf Membership in Caledonia, Ohio, and assistant superintendent place at TPC at Prestancia in Sarasota, Florida; Snee Farm Nation Membership in Mount Nice, South Carolina; and East Lake Woodlands Nation Membership in Oldsmar, Florida. Throughout his profession, Sunderman developed his expertise past skilled golf course administration by main a number of long-range strategic planning initiatives and gaining monetary administration expertise as a Collection 7-licensed monetary advisor.
After six years on the GCSAA board of administrators, Sunderman has acquired deep publicity to the GCSAA headquarters crew, together with work with the GCSAA Convention and Commerce Present, company companions, training, range, fairness and inclusion efforts, advocacy, environmental packages and the GCSAA Basis.
“When the chance arose for Kevin to hitch the GCSAA crew, we knew we had discovered our subsequent COO,” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans mentioned. “His information of GCSAA and the trade, enterprise acumen and management expertise present the affiliation with a pace of transition that can show advantageous as we broaden and improve the packages and companies we ship to our membership. All members will proceed to learn from his information, ardour and dedication.”
Sunderman has been a GCSAA member for 21 years and have become an authorized golf course superintendent in 2019. He’s a previous president of the Florida GCSA and Florida West Coast GCSA and served on varied nationwide GCSAA committees. He was first appointed to the GCSAA Board of Administrators in 2017, was elected vice chairman earlier this 12 months, and was nominated to be GCSAA president in 2023. Sunderman will relinquish his place on the board to grow to be COO. The transition of Sunderman’s board obligations and particulars relating to this course of will probably be introduced in upcoming communications.
“I’m extraordinarily excited to be becoming a member of GCSAA because the COO. Being a member of the affiliation has had an incredible influence on my life and profession as a golf course superintendent.,” Sunderman mentioned. “From the time I first served on a chapter board to the GCSAA board of administrators, it was all the time about service and management. That hasn’t modified. This provides me the chance to proceed to serve the trade that has meant a lot to me in a brand new manner.”
Sunderman succeeds outgoing COO Bob Randquist, CGCS, who’s retiring Oct. 15 after 4 and a half years on the employees and 46 years as a GCSAA member. As COO, Sunderman will probably be chargeable for managing a broad and complicated array of features and facilitate a number of tasks to fulfill the targets of the affiliation. Whereas he’ll symbolize GCSAA and preserve relationships with trade and allied companions, his major focus will probably be on inner stakeholders and being an integral a part of the headquarters’ tradition.
“The previous six years serving on the GCSAA board supplied me with beneficial alternatives to develop relationships with GCSAA Chapter leaders, in addition to to fulfill, pay attention and be taught from many GCSAA members whereas increasing my information of the good way GCSAA employees serve our members,” Sunderman mentioned. “As COO, I’m trying ahead to utilizing these insights to information the GCSAA crew in offering advantages that can have a real influence on the lives of our members. I recognize everybody at Isla Del Sol Yacht and Nation Membership; they’re an exquisite group of those that I’ll actually miss,”
Sunderman, whose household contains his spouse, Melani, son, Trent, and daughter, Elise, will relocate from Florida to Kansas for his new function at GCSAA headquarters. He’ll start his tenure as COO on Nov. 7.
