Our Vision
Mass Golf will advance the game of golf by building an engaged and inclusive community around the sport. We believe it is important to celebrate and honor the contributions of our entire community of Mass Golf members, while also recognizing the challenges they may face today or have faced in the past. All of this is done in the spirit of making the game and sport of golf more welcoming and inclusive for generations to come.
We strive to be an exemplar of inclusion, locally and nationally, within the golf community, and we are excited to partner with members, clubs/courses, and other associations to share and learn together.
The First Step
In 2020, Mass Golf assembled a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Task Force to establish the path forward for the association in education and strategic planning in the space of D, E, and I.
In order to form strategic priorities and infusing D, E, and I into the everyday work of the Mass Golf staff and Board of Directors, we contracted with Coaching Peace Consulting to guide and support us through this process. Founder Diana Cutaia, and consultants Ed Center and Gladys Neroda have years of experience focusing on equity in sports.
Coaching Peace provided a baseline of knowledge and shared multiple anecdotes to understand why issues of equity matter and how they manifest in society and within our organization. They also assessed our own diversity, equity and inclusion strengths and challenges within Mass Golf, such as diverse hiring, ensuring equitable paths for advancement, and building an inclusive work environment. It also focused on inclusiveness of our partners, events, and members with the focus of creating a game with inclusive opportunities across race, class, genders, and physical abilities. For approximately six months, training was done periodically for Mass Golf staff and the Task Force.
In order to sustain the work with Coaching Peace, Mass Golf formed an internal Equity Change Team, consisting of members of the Mass Golf staff representing all departments within the association. The team has met regularly and serves as a source for D, E, and I education, analysis, and response. This working group has institutional power to recommend policy, practice and purpose as well as provide staff education and assess feedback and response.
Mass Golf also formalized the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force into a Committee which included individuals serving on the Mass Golf Board of Directors, as well as sports industry leaders with familiarity in the D, E & I space. Its role is to oversee, influence, monitor and advise the organization on best practices and develop an annual work plan that addresses and supports the current and future needs of the organization.
Today, the Equity Change Team continues to meet monthly, as well as work in collaboration with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to work work through strategic priorities, making decisions using the Equity Lens and infusing D, E, and I into our everyday work.
| NAME | CLUB/AFFILIATION |
|---|---|
| Chelsea Curtis* | The Country Club |
| Mo Davenport | Wyantenuck Country Club |
| Mary Lou Bohn | Charles River Country Club |
| Patrick Martin | Charles River Country Club |
| Rebecca Skoler | Pine Brook Country Club |
| Alan Macdonald | Winchester Country Club |
| Jesse Menachem, Executive Director/CEO | Mass Golf |
| NAME | TITLE |
|---|---|
| Jesse Menachem | Executive Director/CEO |
| Steve Derderian | Manager of Communications |
| Kevin Eldridge | Director of Rules & Competitions |
| Kyle Harris | Director of Operations of First Tee Massachusetts |
| Jenna Walkiewicz | Assistant Director of Member Growth & Services |
| Michael Wice | Sr. Manager of GHIN Services |
* Denotes the committee chair.
** Denotes supporting staff.
