Mona Steps Down from GCSAA

Steve Mona, the top administrator of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America based in Lawrence, Kans., is leaving his job after 14 years. On Wednesday, Mona was introduced as the CEO of the World Golf Foundation, an organization charged with uniting the international golf industry and upholding the game's traditions and values.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem made the announcement before the start of the Presidents Cup in Montreal, Quebec.

Among Mona's first responsibilities will be starting an anti-doping office, to which golf's leading organizations - including the PGA, European and LPGA tours - will turn for technical advice and information about common standards for preserving the integrity of the game.

"Tim half-jokingly said to me, 'You'll have to become an expert on doping,' " Mona said, during a phone interview from Montreal. "We're going to be advising tours on what they should and shouldn't be doing, and so that's a pretty heavy responsibility.

"And the whole image of the game is at stake with this issue, because there are those of us in golf - and I'm one of them - that feel that golf's an honorable game played by honorable people. I personally don't think the use of these substances is a problem in golf, and I'll stand by that statement, but yet we have to prove that, without a shadow of a doubt, and that's what we intend to do through this drug testing."

In a statement, CGSAA President Ricky D. Heine said: "Speaking for the GCSAA Board of Directors and the association's 20,000-plus members, it is indeed a bittersweet day. We are extremely happy for Steve and his wife Cyndi for this wonderful opportunity. The World Golf Foundation is fortunate to have a person of Steve's intelligence, integrity and vision to be its first chief executive. Just as GCSAA has prospered under his leadership, so too will the World Golf Foundation achieve even greater accomplishments with Steve at the helm.

"At the same time, we are sad to lose Steve as our leader. He has meant so much to the association. Under his guidance, he directed the association through a period of unprecedented growth, and helped to elevate the golf course superintendent profession. In his nearly 14 years, the association not only developed highly valuable programs and services that benefited not only the members, but the facility, the business and the game, as well. The association is strong and well-positioned for continued success, thanks in large part to his direction. I believe his appointment also speaks well for GCSAA as a focused, responsive and dynamic organization that has been integral in enhancing the game. His selection will benefit the entire golf industry. While Steve is leaving, it does not mean we are saying goodbye. We will still interact with him and the World Golf Foundation on a fairly regular basis.

"The GCSAA Board of Directors will meet in the near future to chart its course of action. Our strategic governance system presents a framework for succession. Steve has agreed to serve as our chief executive officer for up to another six months."

In a separate statement, Mona said: "It is difficult to put into words how tough this decision was to make. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America is a wonderful organization and I will miss my direct association with it. The professional members - the superintendents and their assistants are extremely talented, possess great integrity, are passionately loyal and are tireless in their support of each other. They truly are golf's 'unseen heroes.' The other membership classes, including industry representatives, educators, students, etc., provide the glue that helps to keep the association functioning at such a high level.

"I have had the good fortune of serving with more than a dozen loyal, dedicated and visionary boards of directors. They have never wavered in their commitment to GCSAA's mission and they have always provided the resources to enable the staff to achieve GCSAA's objectives. The achievements of the association are due in large part to their foresight. I am committed to helping the board achieve association goals and engage an effective and efficient transition during the next six months. The GCSAA staff is wonderfully talented and tireless. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be on the same team with each and every one of them. I will truly miss my day-to-day interactions with them.

"I am pleased and proud of my tenure at GCSAA. The accomplishments are certainly not the work of any one individual; rather they are the result of the combined efforts of elected leaders, the members, industry and staff. I point to the development of member standards, the revamping of the education program, the maturation of the GCSAA Foundation to The Environmental Institute for Golf, the increased recognition for the profession, the creation of a sponsorship program, the launch of the Golf Industry Show and the strengthening of chapters as key milestones in my time at GCSAA. But again, these are not my achievements. These are the work of many.

"I appreciate the trust PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem has placed in me. I have always admired the manner in which he has led not only the PGA Tour, but several of the game's major initiatives as well. It will be a challenge and great opportunity to lead the World Golf Foundation as the various organizations around the world seek to elevate the game globally."