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 GOLF, Ill. – John Kaczkowski will be the Western Golf Association’s next president and chief executive officer.
The WGA’s Board of Governors recently voted to name Kaczkowski as the successor to Don Johnson, the association’s president and CEO the past 21 years. Kaczkowski will become only the third person since 1960 to head the management of the joint operations of the WGA and the Evans Scholars Foundation.
Currently the WGA’s vice president of tournaments, Kaczkowski joined the WGA in 1998 and became tournament director in 2000.
“John is an outstanding leader who is devoted to excellence in all aspects of our operations,” said WGA Chairman John N. Fix. “He has been involved with our organization for many years and is committed to the development of both the Western Golf Association championships and the expansion of the Evans Scholars Foundation’s mission to fund college educations for caddies.”
The leadership transition will occur over the next six months and will become official upon Johnson’s retirement at the end of the year.
“This decision follows a nine-month, nationwide search involving our WGA Directors, Evans Scholars Alumni and other interested parties, including the professional search firm of Spencer Stuart,” Fix said. “There were many qualified candidates, with the field narrowed to six who were interviewed by the Search Committee.”
As president and CEO, Kaczkowski will manage the overall operations of the WGA/ESF, including the Evans Scholarships for caddies, golf’s leading charity for young men and women, and three national golf championships.
“I’m excited and grateful to the Board of Governors for offering me this opportunity to build on the successes we’ve enjoyed under Don Johnson’s leadership the past two decades,” said Kaczkowski. “My goal will be to build on the foundations already in place for our championships and scholarships and to expand and elevate them to even greater heights as we move forward.”
The WGA sponsors the BMW Championship, a PGA Tour Playoff event for the FedExCup; the Western Amateur and the Western Junior. The Evans Scholars Program provides full-tuition and housing college scholarships to more than 840 young men and women caddies annually. Since the program was founded in 1930, more than 8,800 caddies have graduated from college as Evans Scholars.
“We have a great network of Evans Scholars Alumni and Directors from across the country, and many more thousands who contribute financially and in other ways to our mission of sending deserving caddies to college,” said Kaczkowski. “I look forward to working with all of the different constituencies to help us expand our program.”
Kaczkowski, 41, of Mt. Prospect, Ill., is a native of Wisconsin and a 1990 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He earned a Master’s of Science degree in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University, Miami, Fla., in 1992. From 1994-1998, he was with the American Junior Golf Association, the world’s leading junior golf association, serving as director of tournament operations and later as director of development.
Vince Pellegrino Named WGA VP of Tournaments
 Vince Pellegrino, an Evans Scholars Alumnus from Indiana University, has been named the Western Golf Association’s vice president of tournaments, WGA Chairman John N. Fix and President/CEO Don Johnson have announced.
Most recently the sales and marketing director for the BMW Championship, Pellegrino joined the WGA staff in 2000 as associate tournament director. The first Evans Scholar Alumnus to head the tournament staff at WGA, Pellegrino follows John Kaczkowski, who was selected by the WGA Board of Governors to succeed Johnson when he retires at the end of this year. Kaczkowski is serving as WGA’s chief operating officer through 2009.
“Vince has served very capably in all aspects of our tournament operations, from the BMW Championship to the Western Amateur and Western Junior,” Fix stated. “I am sure that he will be highly successful in this new leadership role.”
Pellegrino has proven his abilities in both on-course tournament operations and in hospitality sales, added Johnson.
“After gaining nearly a decade of experience in all phases of our championships, Vince is well-prepared to lead the WGA staff and volunteers in planning for and conducting our three national championships,” Johnson said. “His knowledge and work ethic will serve him well and will provide a smooth transition for the Western Golf Association management team.”
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