Meet Howie Pruitt, Candidate for Secretary

I am delighted and honored to be running for Secretary of our Section. As the process begins, I think it is important for you to get to know me and why I want to be your Secretary.

I am a late arrival to golf as a profession, although I have played the game since I was a teenager. I started my journey towards a career in golf when, after moving from Silicon Valley to Bend, Oregon, I made the decision to change careers to follow my passion. In 2004 I started working at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Oregon, as a retail counter person. I entered the PGA Golf Management Program later that year. During the next three years I progressed from Assistant Golf Professional to First Assistant. I became a Class “A” member in 2007 and subsequently became the Head PGA Golf Professional at Eagle Crest Resort for all three golf courses.  Over the course of the next eleven years, I have held positions in private, public and military golf courses including Head Professional, Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Development. Currently, I am the Head Professional/Director of Player Development at Aspen Lakes GC in Sisters, OR. Additionally, I serve on the Chapter Board of Directors, I’m a member of the Chapter Education Committee, the New Member Orientation Committee and the Section Rules Committee. I am also the winner of the Chapter 2017 Patriot Award. This variety of experience has allowed me to gain a wealth of exposure and experience within our industry.

My golf career is one facet of my professional career. Prior to moving to Bend and joining the golf industry, I worked as a Human Resources Executive in Silicon Valley, CA. I was responsible for all facets of HR from recruiting, employee and management development, compensation and benefits and executive coaching in companies ranging in size from 150 employees to over 1500 national and international employees.

I went to college on my parent’s “dime”, but I was not ready for the academic rigor, and after two years of wasting time and my parent’s money, I left school and joined the US Army. During my time in active duty, I went to Officer Candidate School, Ranger School and Helicopter Flight School. I served a year in combat and became a decorated combat pilot.

I left the Army after my last tour of duty in Germany and stayed there for another ten years.  I became a Department of the Army Civilian working in Equal Employment Opportunity and Organizational Effectiveness. It was there that I met a fellow Army Civilian who became my best friend and wife of over thirty years. In the late 1980’s we returned to the United States and began new careers in Silicon Valley.

So why am I motivated now to run for Section Secretary? I’ve always followed my passions and I’d like to leverage my experience and training to give back and contribute to our Section. A couple of years ago, the PGA of America initiated the first leadership development program called LEAD. The purpose of the program is to identify and train future leaders of the PGA of America. Over 1400 PGA professionals across the country applied, and I was one of fourteen selected for the inaugural program. Over the next two years, I received training in all facets of our Association’s operations; I also spent quality time with our Association’s leaders, past and present. The intent of this training, and the exposure it provided, prepared me to apply this learning as a leader at the Chapter and Section level.

As Section Secretary:

  • I will support our Section mission of supporting our members and growing the game through the execution of our strategic plan.
  • I will work with our committees, such as the tournament and outreach committees, to ensure we are providing great playing and community outreach opportunities for our members.
  • I will work specifically with our Education Committee and our Career Consultant to support the development of “Business First Programs”, thereby enhancing our value to our owners/employers beyond playing and teaching.
  • I will work with you, our members, to identify and develop the future leaders of our Section.
  • I will ensure that our story, as one of the best and most productive Sections in the PGA of America, gets told. The Herb Graffis Award is designed to recognize a PGA of America Section for extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in Player Development. I believe our section should be nominated and win this National Award.

I have been a member of Rotary International, a service organization, for over twelve years. Our motto is “Service above Self.” I am ready to serve as your Section Secretary and I am truly excited by the opportunity.

 

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