Evans named GCSAA CEO

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Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) President James R. Fitzroy, CGCS, has announced that J. Rhett Evans has been selected as the organization's chief executive officer.

Evans, who has served as interim CEO since late June of 2010, came to GCSAA in July 2009 as chief operating officer. Prior to joining GCSAA, he was the director of the parks, recreation and commercial facilities division for the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, Ariz. He was elevated to that position in 2005, after serving as that city’s convention center and amphitheatre director beginning in 2001.

“We are excited to have Rhett Evans as our CEO,” Fitzroy said. “He has a track record of success everywhere he has been. He has experience in the golf industry, both on the facility level and from an organizational perspective. He has experience in managing a large staff and being accountable to a variety of constituents. And, he is a consensus builder. That will serve him well with GCSAA members and in the increasingly collaborative golf industry.”

In his tenure at GCSAA, he exhibited solid leadership in implementing cost saving measures through more advantageous contracts in the areas of technology and convention and travel services; implementing headquarters building operational efficiencies; and staff reorganization. At the same time, GCSAA has improved member service through the creation of a member savings program; automated membership, registration and donation processes; new communications vehicles; an improved online job board; and the expansion of the field staff program.

"I am honored and humbled to be a part of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America,” Evans said. “I appreciate the trust the board has in me and the support staff provided in this transition.”