PGA of America welcomes three new members to board of directors

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Three new members of The PGA of America's Board of Directors were sworn in Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the Association's 95th Annual Meeting at the Hilton Orlando in Orlando, Fla.

The new PGA District Directors are Jim Antkiewicz of Aliquippa, Pa.; Scott Brandt of St. George, Utah.; and Chris Thomson of Lincoln, Neb., who each will serve three-year terms.

The PGA Board of Directors is composed of the Association's President, Vice President, Secretary, Honorary President and 17 Directors. The Directors include representatives from each of The PGA's 14 Districts, two Independent Directors and a member of the PGA Tour. New District Directors are elected by their local PGA Sections.

A closer look at the newest members of The PGA of America Board of Directors:

Jim Antkiewicz succeeds Michael Doctor of Camillus, N.Y., and returns for a second term as District 4 Director, serving the Central New York, Tri-State and Western New York Sections. Antkiewicz, 54, previously served on the PGA Board from 2002 through 2005. Antkiewicz is the PGA director of golf at the Club at Nevillewood in Presto, Pa., where he has served since 1995. He was the 2008 PGA Golf Professional of the Year and in 2011, inducted into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame. Antkiewicz is a 1980 graduate in business administration from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, and was elected to PGA membership in 1982. One of the most active members of the Tri-State PGA Section in professional education, Antkiewicz served as Tri-State PGA president from 2002 to 2006, and was the 1995 and 2007 Section Golf Professional of the Year; the 1998, '99 and 2000 Bill Strausbaugh Award recipient and the 1994, '95 and '96 Horton Smith Award recipient for contributions to Section education. Antkiewicz serves on the board of directors of the First Tee Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Youth Golf Foundation, and is an executive committee member of the Mario Lemieux Foundation and the Andy Russell Celebrity Golf Tournament for Children's Hospital.

Scott Brandt succeeds Ron Dunham of Jackson, Wyo., and Port St. Lucie, Fla., as District 9 Director for the Colorado, Rocky Mountain, and Utah PGA Sections. Elected to membership in 1985, Brandt, 52, is the PGA head professional at Bloomington Country Club in St. George, Utah, where he has served since 1992. He is a past president (2001-02) of the Utah PGA Section and was the 2003 Utah PGA Golf Professional of the Year; the 2011 Section Horton Smith Award recipient; the 1999 Section Bill Strausbaugh Award recipient and the 1995 Section Private Facilities Merchandiser of the Year.

Brandt is a 1982 graduate of the University of Utah, and was a 1981 all-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) selection. He is one of the Utah PGA Section's top performers, having won the 1982 Section Match Play Championship, and competed in four PGA Professional National Championships and the 2009 Senior PGA Professional National Championship.

Chris Thomson succeeds Jeff Smith of Oskaloosa, Iowa, as District 8 Director for the Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska Sections, and was elected to membership in 1991. Thompson, 46, is the PGA head professional at Wilderness Ridge Golf Club in Lincoln, Neb., and served from 2007 to 2009 as president of the Nebraska PGA Section. He is a member of the PGA National Publicity Committee, executive sponsor for the Golf 2.0 Committee; and a member of the President's Council for growing the game. One of the most decorated members of the Nebraska PGA Section, Thomson was recipient of the 2011 Nebraska PGA Junior Golf Leader Award; the 2006 and 2008 Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year; the 2000 and 2009 Section Merchandiser of the Year; and the 2002 and 2003 Section Horton Smith Award. Thomson is a 1989 graduate in business marketing and professional golf management from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., where he was president of the Professional Golf Management Student Association.

About The PGA of America

Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.