MEET THE TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS
TATER HILL & OKEMO VALLEY GOLF CLUBS
Jim Remy, PGA President/General Manager and Director of Golf Division, is arguably one of the New England Section PGA’s most successful me
mbers, being the only one to rise to prominence as president of the National PGA of America. Remy was elected as secretary of the PGA of America in 2004, then as the Association’s vice president in 2006. He served two years as president of the PGA of America, starting in 2008. He also served an unprecedented six-and-a-half year term on the National Board of Control, which reviews and rules on membership issues. Remy took part in nearly 1,200 decisions during his tenure on the PGA Board of Control. Remy, who earned PGA membership in 1984, began his golf professional career as an assistant at Worcester Country Club, Worcester, Mass., site of the first Ryder Cup played in the United States, under the tutelage of NEPGA Hall of Fame member Ray Lajoie. Remy also served as assistant professional under PGA Professional Arthur Harris at Mount Pleasant Country Club, Boylston, Mass. before accepting the PGA head professional position at Killington Golf Resort in Vermont in 1985. He went on to become the PGA director of golf and summer sports, and eventually the PGA director of golf for the Vermont Divisions for S-K-I Ltd. In 1997, Remy accepted a position with Okemo Mountain Resort and became responsible for the construction and development of the Okemo Valley Golf Resort. He is now responsible for all aspects of operations for Okemo Valley, one of New England's leading membership and resort facilities. He served in every capacity within the New England Section PGA before being elected as its president, serving from 1995 to 1997. He earned the Vermont Chapter NEPGA’s Professional of the Year award three times before being honored as the New England Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1997. He was named as the New England Section PGA Merchandiser of the Year, Resort Category, twice, in 1992; while at Killington Resort and again in 2002 at Okemo Valley Golf Club. Remy was also named as the NEPGA Stausbaugh Award recipient in 1993 for his outstanding work in elevating the vocation of his fellow PGA professionals. Remy highlighted his presidency as an advocate for promoting golf as a first recreational sport, advocating fitness among youth programming and welcomed three posthumous African-American pioneers in 2009, who were previously denied membership into the Association. Remy was named the 1997 New England PGA Golf Professional of the Year and was inducted into the Section Hall of Fame in 2008.
Remy is one of seven men scheduled for induction into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame. Remy and the other inductees will be honored Nov. 2, 2011, in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Rodney Williams, GCSA Head Golf Course Superintendent for the Golf Division, oversees all of the outdoor construction and maintenance operations of the golf course and surrounding facilities for both Okemo Valley Golf Club and Tater Hill Golf Club. He brings to both golf facilities an impressive resume of education and experience to ensure the finest playing conditions for golfing guests every day of the golf season. Prior to coming to Okemo, Rodney most recently served as the Head Course Superintendent at Neshobe Golf Course in Brandon, VT. He has also held positions at Bellows Falls Country Club in Rockingham, VT and the Hartford Golf Club in Hartford, CT. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Stockbridge School of Agriculture Turf Grass Management Program.
Michael Santa Maria, Head Professional at Okemo Valley Golf Club, started his career in the golf business as an 11-year-old caddie at the Worcester Country Club, sight of the first Ryder Cup, a US Open and a Womens US Open. Over a fifteen year period at Worcester Michael worked his way up through the ranks holding every conceivable job along the way: ball shager, caddie, bagroom boy, then onto Caddie Master/Assistant Professional. Santa Maria became serious about the golf industry and becoming a PGA Golf Professional. Michael moved up to First Assistant Professional for Worcester Country Club, a position he held for three years. During this period, Santa Maria earned his PGA Class A status. He then moved to the Nichols Golf Club in Dudley, Mass., as the Head Golf Professional for a three year revitalization project, where he supervised many facility upgrades. Then he moved to the Newport Country Club in Newport, Vt., where he revamped a tournament program, a junior program and energized a teaching program as Head Golf Professional for seven years prior to joining the team at Okemo Valley Golf Club, as the Head Golf Professional.
John Pawlak, PGA Head Professional/Club Manager of the Tater Hill Golf Club, had previously been employed as the Head Golf Professional at the former Windham Golf Club (now Tater Hill) for six years. Prior to that, Pawlak was the Head Professional at Marsh Creek Country Club in Fla., and John Cain Golf Club in N.H. He also held Assistant positions at Harbour Town Golf Links in S.C., and Amelia Island Plantation, Fla., before moving to Vermont. Pawlak is a Class A Member of the PGA of America and has been very active in the golf industry for many years. Pawlak also has a long career in skiing. In addition to being a PSIA-E Level III Certified Ski Instructor, he is the Assistant Race Director at Okemo Mountain Resort during the winter months.
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Bonnie MacPherson, Dir. of Public Relations
Okemo Mountain Resort
Ludlow, VT 05149
802-228-1947 or pr@okemo.com