Jim Remy, Class of 2011

JIM REMY
The first member of the New England PGA Section to ascend to president of The PGA of America, Jim Remy was born in Leominster, Mass., became a professional skier and in 1980 took advantage of an unlikely job offer and subsequent mentoring by PGA Head Professional Ray Lajoie at Worcester (Mass.) Country Club, site of the first Ryder Cup. Earning PGA membership in 1984, Remy gained his first PGA head professional position in 1985 at Killington Golf Resort in Vermont, and since 1997 has been in various managerial positions at the Okemo Golf Division of the Okemo Mountain Resort. He is the vice president and general manager of that division.

Remy became an active member of the New England PGA, serving as president from 1995-97, and went to serving an unprecedented 6½-year on the PGA Board of Control. He was elected PGA Secretary in 2004 and became president in 2008, during a worldwide recession. Remy, who traveled 850 days during six years as a PGA officer, spent much of his two-year presidency focusing on the PGA Professional and “resetting” priorities to bring individuals back to golf; and supported the government relations program, WE ARE GOLF, to bring attention to legislative and public affairs goals of the industry.

Remy also helped lead a prudent fiscal management of The PGA’s budget that enabled the continuance of valuable member programs. An honorary member of Worcester Country Club, Remy supports the Lori Lajoie charity golf tournament that benefits the Seven Hills Foundation, supporting the welfare of people with developmental, physical, psychological and related disabilities.

Remy highlighted his presidency as an advocate for promoting golf as first a 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, 56, was named the 1997 New England PGA Golf Professional of the Year and was inducted into the Section Hall of Fame in 2008. Remy and his wife, Darlene, live in Ludlow, Vt., and are parents of a daughter, Niki.