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Gayle Champagne Named
President of AJGA Board of Directors
Champagne continues her 12-year commitment to the American
Junior Golf Association
Gayle Champagne, longtime American Junior Golf Association
Board member, was appointed president of the AJGA Board of
Directors. Champagne, the Detroit sales manager for Golf
for Women Magazine, has been actively involved with the
AJGA since 1992 and a member of the board since 1994. Most
recently, she served as vice president.
In conjunction with AJGA Chairman of the Board J.R.”Digger”
Smith, Champagne will provide direction and guidance to AJGA
Executive Director Stephen Hamblin and the rest of the board.
She will serve a two-year term that will involve maintaining
and cultivating sponsors as well as ensuring the Association’s
standards are consistently met and exceeded.
“She will become even more of a mentor to me and position
herself as a visual public spokesperson for the AJGA,”
Hamblin said. “She has a tremendous amount of insight
and involvement within the golf industry.”
Champagne became involved with the AJGA in 1992 when Golf
for Women Magazine sponsored the Golf for Women Magazine
Girls Championship, now the Rolex Girls Junior Championship.
She was immediately impressed with the competitiveness and
character the players showed at such a young age.
“Being associated with AJGA players and staff has always
been an inspiration to me,” Champagne said. “When
I watch the juniors who play in AJGA events, I see the future.
I now know the future will be bright because each of these
players exemplifies what we want and what we need for a successful
tomorrow.”
During her time with the AJGA, Champagne has seen membership
nearly double in size and numerous initiatives fully enacted,
including the construction of a new national headquarters
and the creation of the Performance Based Entry system. She
also had an active roll in the development of the Achieving
Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program that gives juniors
who have the ability to play a national junior golf schedule
the chance to do so through financial assistance. This program,
which was piloted in 2003, will be fully implemented in 2004.
“With all the good the AJGA has done and continues
to do for the game of golf, the ACE Grant will take the AJGA
to the next level,” she said. “This is another
way we are fulfilling our mission and helping to create the
leaders of the future.”
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