LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Section PGA Member Nick St. Onge of The Country Club at Lincoln has been selected to the 2023-24 PGA LEAD class. This year will be the eighth edition of the PGA of America leadership program.

Established in 2016, PGA LEAD is the Association’s leadership development program, created to identify, mentor and progress PGA Members from diverse backgrounds along a guided path to volunteer leadership roles at the Chapter, Section and national levels of the Association. PGA LEAD also helps PGA Members who have a desire to serve and make an impact on nonprofit boards within the communities where they work and live.

“I was motivated to apply for PGA LEAD to not only grow that network, but also to learn more about leadership, become a better leader, and to be able to pass along what I learn to others”, said Nick. St Onge, PGA. “Now, to be accepted into the program, I’m excited to get started.”

This will be the third straight PGA LEAD cohort with Nebraska Section PGA representation within the national program after Sarah Pravecek, PGA (2022-2023) and Alphonse Peterson, III, PGA (2021-2022) served in past years.

This 18-month leadership development program reinforces the PGA of America’s commitment to create a game, workforce and industry supply chain that better mirror America’s demographics. More specifically, the PGA is committed to inclusive governance, environments, systems and structures that create the opportunity for all PGA Professionals to develop, grow and lead.

Among the alumni of the PGA LEAD are three PGA Section Presidents, three Section Vice Presidents, two Section Secretaries, 19 Section board members and 19 National Committee members. It’s proven that participants of this program take their leadership and career skills to the next level and St. Onge hopes to benefit in the same way.

“The possibilities are endless. I love being involved with the Nebraska Section currently and only hope to become more involved as time goes on. It is a goal of mine to become a leader in both levels, Section and National and I think PGA LEAD will help that process”, said St. Onge.

St. Onge currently serves as the head committee chair for the newly created ‘Young Professionals Committee’ (YPC) within the Nebraska Section PGA governance. The committee strives to bring together PGA Members 35 years of age and younger as they navigate through each of their PGA journeys. The mission of the YPC is “To improve communication and interpersonal relationships amongst the young professionals of the Nebraska PGA Section through an open dialogue, networking and education.”

The work St. Onge and his team have done with the Young Professionals Committee has motivated him to positively impact Young Professionals across the country and more specifically the students within the University of Nebraska’s PGA Golf Management Program.

“I’ve been fortunate enough in my short time of being a PGA Professional to be around a lot of our industry’s great leaders. Their wisdom, advice, knowledge, and encouragement has motivated me in many ways”, said St. Onge. “I see being able to make an impact is with the next wave of PGA Professionals, PGM students and those just starting their journey. Motivating others and leading by example will always be two of my core values.”

We want to congratulate Nick St. Onge, PGA on his acceptance into the program and wish him well in his new journey through PGA LEAD.

2023-2024 PGA LEAD Class Members

Nick St. Onge, PGA – Country Club of Lincoln – Lincoln, Neb. (Nebraska PGA Section)

Brandon Howard, PGA – Belmont Golf Course – Richmond, Va. (Middle Atlantic PGA Section)

Brendan Locke, PGA – GOLFTEC Wisconsin – Madison, Wis. (Wisconsin PGA Section)

Cathy Kim, PGA – Baltimore Country Club – Baltimore, Md. (Middle Atlantic PGA Section)

Heather King, PGA – MCAS Miramar Memorial – San Diego, Calif. (Southern California PGA Section)

Jackie Buckley, PGA – Scioto Country Club – Columbus, Ohio (Southern Ohio PGA Section)

Jason Dochney, PGA – JSJ Inc. – Tulsa, Okla. (South Central PGA Section)

Langston Frazier, PGA – Belle Haven Country Club – Alexandria, Va. (Middle Atlantic PGA Section)

Len Zamora, PGA – Scotts Park Golf Links – Albuquerque, N.M. (Sun Country PGA Section)

Marvin Gene Herrod Jr., PGA – Sunset Country Club – St. Charles, Mo. (Gateway PGA Section)

Melissa Hatten, PGA – Talisker Club – Park City, Utah (Utah PGA Section)

Missy Williams, PGA – Tara Golf & Country Club – Bradenton, Fla. (North Florida PGA Section)

Nolan Rheam, PGA – Olde Florida Golf Club – Naples, Fla. (South Florida PGA Section)

Peyton Durham Hemme, PGA – Westchester Country Club – Rye, N.Y. (Metropolitan PGA Section)

Ronnie Valerio, PGA – Temecula, Calif. (Southern California PGA Section)