Newcomers Highlight Executive Committee Nominations

The USGA Nominating Committee has released its 2019 slate of Executive Committee members and officers for the association, adding three new names to an already deep and diverse list of business leaders who share a common love of golf.

Leading the nominations is Mark Newell, of McLean, Va., who has been nominated to serve a second one-year term as president of the United States Golf Association.

Newell was elected as the association’s 65th president at the USGA’s Annual Meeting in February. Currently in his sixth year on the Executive Committee, he leads the committee that serves as the policy-making board of the organization.

Stuart Francis of Hillsborough, Calif., has been nominated as president-elect, a position created to provide committee leadership succession and continuity. Currently serving his fourth year on the governing board, Francis chairs the USGA Championship Committee and serves on the Equipment Standards Committee.

An accomplished amateur golfer, Francis played in three U.S. Amateur Championships and two NCAA Championships and earned All-American honorable mention at Princeton University. As senior managing director for Evercore, he leads the firm’s Silicon Valley technology practice. During his career, he has been an advisor to many of the most visible technology companies, including Dell, Facebook, Google and Qualcomm.

Stuart Francis, who has served on the Executive Committee for four years, has been nominated as the president-elect for 2019. (USGA/Chris Keane)

In addition, three new people have been nominated to the 2019 Executive Committee: Anthony (Tony) Anderson of Chicago, Ill.; Deborah Platt Majoras of Cincinnati, Ohio; and Fred Perpall of Dallas, Texas. If elected at the USGA’s Annual Meeting in February, they will assume seats vacated by retiring members Greg Morrison, Mark Reinemann and Clifford Shahbaz.

“This is an exciting and pivotal time at the USGA, as we continue to undertake game-changing work to ensure a healthy future for golf,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “The business acumen, executive-caliber skill, and governance experience demonstrated by these nominees further strengthen an already exceptional group of leaders who genuinely care about the game. We are thankful for their willingness to give back to the game.”

Tony Anderson served as vice chair and an executive board member of Ernst & Young from 2000-2012, capping a 35-year career with the leading global accounting firm. An active volunteer in Chicago, he serves on the board of World Business Chicago. He was the driving force behind Perspectives Charter School, focused on ensuring that every student graduates and attends college. As its current chairman of the board, Anderson has helped lead the school to a 97-percent college attendance success rate, realized through robust mentoring and scholarship programs. A member of several boards and a frequent speaker on corporate governance matters and the vital roles of corporate responsibility and diversity and inclusiveness, he is a graduate of Chicago State University.

Anderson started playing golf at age 28 after receiving his first set of clubs from a client who challenged him to play. Citing camaraderie among golfers as one of the greatest gifts the game provides, he calls Chicago Golf Club his home course.

Deborah Platt Majoras is the chief legal officer and secretary for The Procter & Gamble Company, leading nearly 500 lawyers and professionals in its corporate governance responsibility. Prior to P&G, she served as chairman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission from 2004-08, during which time she served as co-chair of the President’s Identity Theft Task Force. She also served as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division from 2001-03. Majoras currently serves on the board of directors of Valero Energy Corporation, where she chairs the Nominating and Governance committees. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Westminster College in Pennsylvania and her J.D. from the University of Virginia. Volunteerism activities include serving on the boards of Westminster College, the Cincinnati Legal Aid Society and the Christ Hospital Health Network.

Majoras, whose home course is TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio, has enjoyed both the business and social aspects of golf for more than 15 years. Recognizing that one of the game’s greatest benefits is the ability to play with anyone of any skill level, she is committed to motivating more people to play and enjoy the game.

A native of Nassau, Bahamas, Fred Perpall is the chief executive officer of The Beck Group, leading the firm’s domestic and international architectural design, planning, real estate consultancy and construction businesses. A registered architect since 2003, he was elected to the prestigious American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2016. Perpall served as chairman of the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Plan and is currently chairman-elect of the Dallas Citizens Council. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

An active athlete, Perpall played on the 1994 Bahamian National Basketball Team and is part of the Atlanta Tipoff Club, the group responsible for awarding the Naismith Player of the Year Awards. He was a member of the Board of Trustees who helped build Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas – the new home of the AT&T Byron Nelson. The public/private partnership that led to the club’s creation has served as an inspiration within its underserved community, serving as host to Southern Methodist University’s golf program, countless charitable tournaments and events for the Dallas chapter of The First Tee.

Two current members of the Executive Committee have also been nominated to serve as officers. They are Martha Lang as secretary and Thomas Barkin as treasurer. Other current members nominated to continue their service are: Michael Bailey, Stephen Beebe, Paul Brown, Kendra Graham, Robert Kain, Nick Price, Sharon Ritchey and William Siart. Dick Shortz has also been nominated to continue his service as General Counsel.

“These 15 individuals who comprise the USGA Executive Committee ensure that the organization fulfills its mission to act in the best interests of the game, for all who love and play it,” said Jim Hyler, USGA Nominating Committee chairman and president of the association in 2010 and 2011. “All Executive Committee members share a love for the game and a desire to more meaningfully contribute to its future.”

The USGA Annual Meeting will take place on Feb. 23, 2019 at the J.W. Marriott in San Antonio, Texas.

2019 Executive Committee Nominations Announced

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