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Staff Directory

Ed Mate
Executive Director/CEO

Bio

Kim Bussey
Manager of Administrative Services

Bio

Erin Gangloff
Chief Marketing Officer

Bio

Aaron Guereca
 Managing Director of Club and Facility Services

Bio

Ashley Harrell
 Chief Operating Officer

Bio

Lewis Harry
Director of Rules and Competitions

Bio

Hannah House
Manager of Member Engagement

Bio

Aaron Kellough
 Director of Creative Services

Bio

Debbie Kolb
Director of Finance

Bio

Jill Marks
Manager of Communications and Sponsorship

Bio

Joe McCleary
 Chief Business Officer

Bio

Kate Moore
Managing Director of Rules and Competitions

Bio

Emily Olson
 Director of Caddie Development

Bio

Ryan Smith
Chief Development Officer,
CGF Executive Director

Bio

Brent Vasa
 Director of Junior Competitions

Bio

Brendan O’Keeffe
Boatwright Intern – Communications

Bio

Cayla Regnery

Manager of Programs

Bio

Ed Mate
Executive Director

Ed is a Denver native who grew up playing City Park Golf Course and caddying at Denver Country Club. He graduated from East High School in Denver and is a graduate of the University of Colorado where he attended college on a Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship. Ed received his Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado in 1995. Ed has worked in golf administration since first joining the CGA staff in 1985 and became executive director in 2000. Ed currently serves on the boards of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Ed previously served on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee where he contributed to the Rules of Golf Modernization initiative which led to the major rewrite to the code in 2019. Ed has served as a Rules Official at many national championships and tournaments including the U.S. Open and The Masters.

Kim Bussey
Manager Administrative Services

Kim Bussey joined the CGA staff in January 2019 as the Manager of Administrative Services.  After 32 years in the Commercial Insurance Industry, it was time for a change.  When a friend told her about the opening at CGA, she knew this was the change she was looking for.  Kim is new to the game of golf as a player but loves being out on the golf course and caddying for her husband.  Kim has been married to her high school sweetheart for 34 years and has 2 children.  She is very excited about this new opportunity and increasing her knowledge of golf.

Erin Gangloff
Director of Community Outreach

Erin is a Colorado native who played golf for and graduated from Smoky Hill HS in Aurora. She then attended the University of Northern Colorado where she played on the women’s varsity golf team and earned her B. A. in Journalism. After graduating in 2005, Erin interned in Florida for the LPGA, then she worked for Clear Channel in promotions. Erin was hired by the Colorado Golf Association in January of 2007 as a PJ Boatwright Intern and joined the staff full-time that September as the Eisenhower-Evans Scholarship Recruiter. In 2011, she was named the Director of Youth Programs managing the CGA’s outreach programs, Evans Scholar oversight and current fundraising efforts.

Aaron Guereca

Managing Director of Club and Facility Services

Aaron is a Colorado native and grew up in North Denver. He started playing golf when he was 5 years old and grew up with the First Tee program. He attended East High School and graduated in 2009. He was a recipient of the Evans Scholarship and attended the University of Colorado, Boulder where he graduated with his BS in Integrative Physiology.

Besides working with the First Tee, he started his golf administration journey as a USGA Boatwright intern with the Colorado Women’s Golf Association in 2016 and has climbed the ranks to become the Managing Director of Club and Facility Services. In his free time, he enjoys collecting shoes, playing all sports but golf in particular, hanging out with his family and friends and enjoying a nice cocktail every now and then. His claim to fame is he played with Craig Stadler and placed third in the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in 2008.

Ashley Harrell

Chief Operating Officer

Ashley got her start with the CGA as a summer intern in 2014. She grew up in small-town Kenmare, North Dakota where she learned to love golf on the local 9-hole course and enjoyed traveling to play the nearby sand green course with her family. Ashley graduated from the University of Jamestown in 2016 with a BA in Elementary Education and minors in Early Childhood Development and Business Administration while competing on the women’s golf team. In 2021 she completed her Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Ashley is a multi-sport athlete who is passionate about competition and finds incredible value in sport. In her spare time, she enjoys playing golf with her husband, going to the park with her daughter, watching sunsets, and eating Crumbl cookies.

LEWIS HARRY

 

Director of Rules and Competitions

Lewis is a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico and has been around the game of golf since an early age. A 2016 graduate of the PGA Golf Management Program from New Mexico State University with a BBA Marketing, he was elected to PGA Membership in 2018. Before coming to the CGA, Lewis spent time with the Philadelphia PGA Section as a PGM intern and a full time staff member, holding the position of Junior Tour Director in his final years with the section. In December 2021, he joined the CGA team as the Director of Rules and Competitions, where his main responsibilities include CGA Men’s Championships & USGA Qualifiers and administration of the Rules of Golf.

HANNAH HOUSE

Manager of Member Engagement

Hannah House is from Raleigh, North Carolina, and she comes from a long line of unexceptional golfers. She grew up a competitive swimmer before getting more into golf in high school, where she used to skip class to play (or watch) golf. Hannah continued her swimming career as a club athlete at the University of North Carolina, where she studied communication and exercise science. Pursuing a career in sports took Hannah to a variety of places after graduation, including time spent with CGA as a P.J. Boatwright Intern in 2021. Most recently she had been living in New Orleans, working as a Program Coordinator with First Tee – Greater New Orleans. Outside of work, Hannah enjoys reading, hiking, and watching Carolina basketball!

Aaron Kellough

Director of Creative Services

A Colorado native (born in Aspen), Aaron graduated from Colorado State University in 1990 with a BA in Speech Communication. He joined the CGA in 1998, and now has a desk and a red stapler in the CGA utility closet. His Colorado golf media credentials include being a former golf talk show host in Denver (“In the Fairway” on 850 KOA, and then “Chip Shots” on 950 THE FAN). His radio career began (and some say should have ended) when he won the 1998 regional Dick Vitale Sound-alike Contest. Aaron has played golf since he was 10, and was a member of the Columbine High School varsity team his senior year. His love for the game, however, far exceeds his actual ability to play it. Aside from (or rather, in spite of) golf, Aaron is an accomplished dart player, pool player, and bowler. He has earned over 100 trophies and plaques over the years in these three sports, and has only earned ONE trophy in golf…a CGA State Championship trophy! Aaron and wife Kris have two children who will beat him in golf more often than not.

Debbie Kolb

Director of Finance

Debbie joined the staff of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association in June 2016 and came over to the Colorado Golf Association as part of the integration in 2018.  She took over as Manager of Finance in May 2018.  Golf became Debbie’s passion in the mid-80s.  She has been a member of and held various office positions for women’s leagues in AZ, MS, SC, and CO.  She is currently President of the Colorado State Senior’s Golf Association and is a member of the Saddle Rock Ladies’ Golf Association, CommonGround Women’s Golf Association and Aurora Working Women’s Association.  Debbie is grateful to have found the CGA and to work with a wonderful staff who all love the game of golf.

JILL MARKS

Sponsorship and Marketing Manager

Originally from Pensacola, Florida, Jill graduated from The University of Alabama in May 2021 with her BS and Masters in Marketing. She began working as a P.J. Boatwright Intern working in communications for the CGA soon before she made the move to Colorado. In 2022, Jill stayed on full-time as Communications Manager, and her role has since expanded to overseeing corporate partnerships. Jill enjoys a few classic Colorado activities, and she can be found hiking in the summer and snowboarding in the winter when she isn’t at work.

Joe McCleary

Joe is a certified golf course superintendent. He grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Kansas State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado, Denver. As the Director of Business Operations, Joe provides oversight for human resources, information technology, office infrastructure, financial operations, CommonGround Golf Course operations, course rating and handicapping services, GHIN software/customer support, and club and facility training and education. Joe has been active nationally on many Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) committees, is a past President of the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association, superintendent at Saddle Rock Golf Course for 17 years, and was a CGA volunteer for 14 years.

Kate Moore
Managing Director of Rules and Competitions

Kate Moore joined the staff of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association in  January 2016 as the Manager, of Tournament Administration and Member Programs. Kate came from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida where she worked for the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) as the Member Programs Assistant. Kate first began with the EWGA in 2013 as the USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern.

Originally from Shepparton, Australia Kate came to the US on a women’s golf scholarship to the University of Cincinnati where she majored in Health Sciences. She has also completed a Master’s of Science in Sport Management from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she was the graduate assistant for the women’s golf program. She is excited to start a new chapter in her life, in the beautiful state of Colorado.

Emily Olson
Managing of Caddie Development

Emily grew up in Kansas City but came out to Denver in 2003 to attend The University of Denver. She was a member of the golf team all four years at DU and graduated in 2007 with a Communications Major. After graduation, she worked in radio sales for a year and a half at Clear Channel. It didn’t take her long to realize she missed being around the game of golf and in 2009 she was hired by the CGA as their P.J. Boatwright Intern. Unfortunately once her internship was done with the CGA they did not have an opening on their staff for her so she went and worked on the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, where she was in charge of Hospitality Sales. Once the Senior PGA Championship was completed, Emily went to work for the City of Denver and The First Tee of Denver. In October of 2011, a position with the CGA opened up and Emily was brought on as The Evans Scholar Recruiter.

Ryan D. Smith
Chief Development Officer

Ryan is a 3rd generation Colorado native and proud Colorado State University graduate of the College of Business. As the Chief Development Officer, Ryan oversees the CGA’s marketing, communications and fundraising efforts in support of the Association’s community and member programming. Ryan also serves as the Director of Development for the Colorado Golf Foundation. Ryan brings more than 18 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, having served most recently as the Director of Development and Communications for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.

Brent Vasa

Brent grew up in small town Holyoke, Colorado. He learned the game of golf from his dad playing on the local 9 hole course, his passion grew for golf when he attended a Junior Golf Clinic in Sterling, Colorado. Brent started playing competitive golf when he was in 6th grade.  After high school Brent joined the Marine Corps and was discharged honorably in 2016. After the service Brent attended the Golf Academy of America – Orlando and graduated with and Associates in Golf Complex Operations and Management. While attending college Brent worked at Arnold Palmer’s Bayhill Club and Lodge. In 2018 Brent was hired for the 2018 to be the USGA Boatwright for the JGAC, after his internship Brent was hired as the Program Specialist with The First Tee Green Valley Ranch.

Brendan O’Keeffe

Brendan O’Keeffe is a Colorado native and recent graduate from Arizona State University with his BA in Journalism & Mass Communication. He knew he wanted to move back to the Centennial State upon graduating to pursue a career in sports communications. O’Keeffe is currently a P.J. Boatwright intern and aspires to use this opportunity to learn much more about the industry and golf in general. Outside of work, he enjoys watching and playing a variety of sports from basketball to racquetball.