New Leader for Northern California Golf Association

The Northern California Golf Association and Poppy Holding, Inc. are has hired David Bill to fill the position of Chief Executive Officer. Bill succeeds the late Paul Porter, who passed away in September 2006. Poppy Hills General Manager Tyler Jones has served in the position in the interim. Bill assumed his new position May 15.

Bill is a native of Norfolk, Va., and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He also has an electrical engineering degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

A highly decorated combat veteran with over 32 years of naval service, Bill served in river patrol boats in Vietnam and commanded the battleship Wisconsin during the first Gulf War. He later commanded the Enterprise Carrier Battle Group and was Deputy Commander-in-Chief U.S. Naval Forces Europe before retiring from active duty as a rear admiral in 1998.

Following his retirement, Bill was managing director of Carnegie Abbey, LLC, a development company that built, opened and operated two golf clubs in South Carolina and Rhode Island.

The Pebble Beach resident has most recently been a faculty member of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, having served previously as executive director of the school's foundation as well as CEO of Xslent, LLC, a technology company.

"David brings over 20 years of experience in significant positions of responsibility in the public and private sectors including military, golf club development and management, information technology and not-for-profit organizations," said NCGA President Dean Bartee. "We are looking forward to his leadership and believe that he will lead the NCGA to greater success and help us provide outstanding services to our members and the golf community of Northern California."

Founded in 1901, the NCGA is the largest regional golf association in the country, with more than 175,000 individuals who belong to over 1,250 members clubs throughout Northern California and into Nevada.

Among other services, the NCGA provides official handicap indexes, owns and operates two golf courses, Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach and Poppy Ridge in Livermore, conducts more than 50 championships annually, publishes NCGA Golf magazine, and operates a foundation to support deserving youth. For more details, visit www.ncga.org.