Author: N
Salt Lake City, Utah – The Utah Section PGA announced the hiring of PGA Professional, Devin Dehlin as its new executive director. Dehlin succeeds the retiring Scott Whittaker who has served as executive director since 2002. Whittaker will work through the transition with a retirement celebration to be planned at a later date this year.
Dehlin was selected after a national search for Whittaker’s replacement. Devin, his wife Joanne and family are life-long residents of Utah. Devin played junior golf in the state and attended the University of Utah where he played on the golf team.
Dehlin said, “Like many Section members, golf has always been a major part of my life. I have been devoted to the Utah Section PGA for the past 15 years as an officer and a staff member. I am honored and humbled to be selected as the next executive director of our Section. More than anything I am excited to see what we can accomplish together. We have been fortunate to have strong leaders that have built a great foundation and I look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence. I am excited to serve the 330 members and apprentices and work together to grow this great game for years to come.”
After working at several Salt Lake County golf facilities as well as a stint as the county’s director of the golf, he became the Utah Section’s foundation and operations director in 2008. In 2001 Dehlin began serving the Utah Section, in a volunteer capacity, culminating in a two-year term as its president.
Current Utah Section President, Chris Stover, head professional at Wasatch Mountain State Park Golf Course said, “The hiring of Devin Dehlin as the next executive director will allow a seamless transition of leadership and continue the tradition of excellence in the Utah Section PGA. Scott Whittaker and Devin have been a great team for many years developing and implementing programs benefiting PGA members, apprentices and the Utah golf community. I am personally excited to know of the vision and passion Devin will bring to this position and look forward to working with him.”
The Utah Section PGA operates one of the largest and most successful state open championships in the country. The Siegfried and Jensen Utah Open and its beneficiary, Special Olympics Utah, will celebrate its 90th year in 2016.
The Section is extremely active in junior golf, conducting the Utah Junior Golf Connection events and tournaments, which attracts over 800 Utah children annually. The Section also conducts the Utah High School State Championships for boys’ and girls’ golf and sponsors the Utah High School All-State Golf Team and Awards Banquet.
Additionally, the section publishes the Utah Book of Golf and produces the Utah PGA Golf Pass. The section is active in the public sector as a co-founder and the co-administrative organization for Golf Alliance Utah, a union of Utah’s allied golf associations tasked with protecting and growing the game of golf in Utah.
In addition to the Siegfried and Jensen Utah Open, the section conducts 14 other Section championships and calendars over 350 statewide club and PGA member hosted events for men, women, and juniors.
Whittaker commented, “Devin has a wonderful resume of personal skills and golf management experience. He has been an important part of our section staff and has already helped the Utah Section achieve a high level of member service. Devin’s enthusiasm and leadership qualities will not only make his transition into the executive director position seamless but he will continue to add a new and exciting level of member and community benefits to Utah golf.”
ABOUT THE UTAH SECTION PGA
The Utah Section PGA is one of 41 sections in the PGA of America. It was chartered in 1986 serves 330 PGA members and apprentices in Utah and parts of Arizona, Nevada and Wyoming.