Courtesy of USGA
As Fred Perpall embarks on the last year of his three-year term as USGA president, the organization has appointed Kevin Hammer as its president-elect and added two business leaders — Dianne Dixon and James Gorrie — to its executive committee, a 15-person volunteer board.
Voting for the board, which provides strategic and financial oversight, took place at the USGA Annual Meeting at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club last weekend.
“I continue to be inspired by the men and women who put up their hand and dedicate years of service to ensure the USGA remains in a strong position to deliver greater impact for golf,” said Perpall, who enters his seventh year on the board. “Beyond the immense talents they share, we all love this game, and want to leave it better than we found it. With Mike (Whan) at the helm, we share a vision and a solid path forward, and that connection guides every step we make.”
Also elected to his second three-year term, Hammer will continue to chair the championship committee while serving on the governance, nominating, compensation and leadership development, and international team selection committees in 2025.
A decorated amateur golfer, Hammer was a first-team AJGA All-American and played collegiate golf at the University of Florida. He served 10 years on the Florida State Golf Association Executive Committee — two of them as its president. He currently serves as the managing director of Rubin, Hammer, Eaton and Conrad Wealth Management Group, a division of Merrill Lynch that manages investments for individuals, families, foundations and professional athletes.
The position of president-elect was created by the USGA in 2019 to provide committee leadership succession and continuity. Those appointed to the position serve a one-year term.
Dixon of St. Johns, Florida, and Gorrie of Birmingham, Alabama, were also elected to serve a three-year term on the executive committee.
Dixon currently serves as engagement manager for Spaulding Ridge, which provides business technology solutions for a wide range of industries. Like Hammer, she has deep connections to golf at the grassroots level, first as a Boatwright intern for the USGA’s Central Region, and then as manager of amateur services for the South Texas Amateur Golf Association, director of youth programs for the Houston Golf Association and a board member of the Women’s Texas Golf Association. On the national level, she has been a volunteer on USGA committees since 2004, serving as a Rules Official at multiple USGA championships as well as at PGA Tour Qualifying School.
Dixon also has ties with First Tee. She was executive director for First Tee’s Greater Houston chapter and also worked at the national office in Florida, where she received the World Golf Foundation Chairman’s Award for her significant contributions to junior golf and character-building programs.
Gorrie is CEO of Brasfield & Gorrie, one of the nation’s largest privately held construction firms, where he directs projects and construction management services across 13 regional offices and 15 market sectors. He served as vice chairman of the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur and 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships and chaired the 2016 USGA Men’s State Team Championship, all of which were hosted at the Country Club of Birmingham.
Active in his community, Gorrie was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2022 and was recognized by the United Way in 2013 and the Salvation Army through its William Booth Award in 2017.
In addition, Sinclair Eaddy Jr. of Baltimore was elected to serve a second three-year term.
“A strong board helps propel the USGA’s long-range plan, and I’m excited to continue to work with Fred and the entire team to make important strides for all golfers,” Whan said. “The executive committee’s commitment to invest in what matters and work for the good of the game empowers all of us, and we’re better for the expertise and effort they willingly lend.”
