New Southwest rep in GCSAA field staff program

The Southwest region has a new GCSAA field staff representative.

Jeff Jensen, a veteran of more than a decade in the golf industry, has been selected to that position. He replaces Richard Pavlasek, CGCS, who previously served in that role before relocating to New Jersey late last year.

Jensen (pictured here) comes to GCSAA after having served more than six years as the chief financial officer at Imagine Marketing Inc. in Henderson, Nev. While there, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the company, which in 2009 earned the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award.

Before that, Jensen spent more than 11 years in the golf industry in several roles in the Memphis, Tenn., and Las Vegas markets, including stints as an assistant general manager/golfshop manager, director of golf operations and director of sales and marketing.

The complete release announcing Jensen's hiring is posted below:

Brings a strong facility and marketing background to the association
GCSAA names Jeff Jensen as Southwest region field staff representative

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has selected Jeff Jensen as the association's field staff representative for the Southwest region of the country (California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona).

Jensen comes to GCSAA after having served more than six years as chief financial officer at Imagine Marketing, Inc., in Henderson, Nev. He oversaw the day-to-day operations of the company, which in 2009 earned the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award.

Prior to his position at Imagine Marketing, Jensen spent more than 11 years in the golf industry as an assistant general manager/golf shop manager, director of golf operations, and director of sales and marketing on the facility level in the Memphis, Tenn., and Las Vegas markets. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada - Las Vegas with a degree in hotel administration.

"Jeff brings a great skill set to GCSAA and to the chapters of the Southwest Region," said GCSAA President Bob Randquist, CGCS. "He has proven to be an excellent communicator and is intimate with the operations of a golf facility. We are pleased to welcome him to the GCSAA team."

Jensen replaces Richard Pavlasek, CGCS, who relocated to New Jersey late last year.

To assist in the effort of serving members through chapters, GCSAA has continually added resources to facilitate an enhanced relationship between the association and its chapters, including the expansion of the GCSAA field staff program. Initially a pilot program designed to help chapters utilize GCSAA programs and services to a fuller extent, it has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from chapters that are staffed with representatives. These chapters report a greater connection with GCSAA, an enhanced ability to utilize GCSAA programs and services, and access to additional resources to advance chapters in a strategic manner.

In expanding the field staff program, GCSAA divided its chapters into nine regions with plans to place a field staff representative in each. Having resident field staff resources on the ground will help chapters implement programs developed by GCSAA, and serve as a direct communication link back to GCSAA to share the successful practices chapters have implemented. The program is designed to be mutually beneficial for the association and its chapters.

Jensen began his career in 1994 as assistant general manager at the Las Vegas Golf Club where he was directly responsible for all buying, receiving and merchandising of golf shop operations. In 1997 he moved to Memphis Oaks Golf Club in Memphis, Tenn., where he served as director of golf operations for the 200-member semi-private facility. He then became director of sales and marketing for Black Mountain Golf and Country Club in Henderson, Nev., in 1999. He managed those operations for the 430-member semi-private facility that had more than $3 million in annual revenues. He moved to Angel Park and the Legacy Golf Clubs in Las Vegas as Director of sales. Those two facilities featured 54 holes and an annual revenue total of $8 million.

GCSAA's resident field staff representatives include John Miller, CGCS, in the Great Lakes Region (Kentucky, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio), Brian Cloud in the South Central Region (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico and Louisiana), and Ralph Dain in Florida. GCSAA plans to fill the Northeast (New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Ontario) and Northwest (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado) regions in the first quarter of this year; the Southeast (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi) and Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia) regions in later in 2012; and the Central Plains region (Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri) in 2013.