PGA CEO Pete Bevacqua Will Join MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on 4th Sports Diversity & Inclusion Panel

The 4th Annual Sports Diversity & Inclusion Symposium in New York City, Sept. 29-30, will be highlighted by a featured panel discussion Wednesday on “Diversity & Inclusion – A Leadership in Business Perspective.” The event will be hosted by Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and showcase top industry leaders, including PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua. 

Moderated by Wendy Lewis, MLB’s senior vice president for Diversity & Strategic Alliances, the 90-minute discussion at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, is expected to focus on the many benefits of a multicultural workforce and how sports can set the standard for society in establishing best practices. Bevacqua and Manfred will be joined for the General Session by a panel that includes: National Basketball Association Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, Major League Soccer President and Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott, United States Olympic Committee Chief of Organizational Excellence Benita Mosley and United States Tennis Association Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Gordon Smith. 

The PGA of America is part of an impressive consortium of sponsors of the 4th Sports Diversity & Inclusion Symposium including: MLB, Minor League Baseball, MLS, NASCAR, NBA, WNBA, NCAA Inclusion, NFL, NHL, United States Olympic Committee, U.S. Paralympics, RISE and the USTA. 

“It’s an honor to sit on a panel of such experts from across the sports industry spectrum to discuss a topic that is a core value of the PGA of America, diversity and inclusion,” said Bevacqua. “Together, it is the consortium’s mission to foster multiculturalism throughout sports, in order to showcase the myriad of professional, social and economic benefits that it drives. The PGA is proud to be a sponsor of this important initiative.”

The Sports Diversity & Inclusion Symposium provides a forum to discuss, evaluate and create tangible solutions that drive greater diversity and inclusion in today’s sports culture. Designed to recognize, celebrate and encourage diversification in the world of sports, the forum features influential and prominent leaders from Olympic, Paralympic, professional and amateur organizations, with expert panels, roundtable discussions and general sessions.

In addition, PGA of America Director of Digital Strategy Joni Lockridge will take part in a breakout session that will focus on “The Millennial Perspective” and the impact the generation is having on the workforce and the marketplace. The panel is expected to highlight technology trends that are hot right now for Millennials; what organizations are doing to keep them engaged digitally; and a general overview of the employment experience in sports.

Moderated by AOL Sports On-Air Host Nick Creegan, Lockridge will be joined on the panel by NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Chair Kendall Spencer and Samsung Omni-Channel Experience Lead Corey Patterson.

Last year, the PGA of America hosted the event at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. 

The 4th Sports Diversity and Inclusion Symposium can be followed on social by using #SDIS.