2020 PDGA State/Province Coordinator Candidate Statements

Alaska

Patrick Miller, #55433

Biography/Candidate Statement:  I want to be your Alaska PDGA state coordinator for the following reasons.  First, I’ve directed dozens of tournaments around the great state of Alaska.  I care about disc golf enough to put my time and energy into tournaments, and I want to see it grow at the local and state level.  Second, I’ve played in dozens of tournaments across Alaska and the lower 48.  I support local clubs when traveling and want to see every city/region have a self-sustaining group to handle the local disc golf need.  Finally, I have attended numerous work parties, meetings, and course design sessions across the state.  I want to see every course looking its best.  The common thread in all of these reasons is a design to see disc golf become as popular as possible in Alaska.  This will be achieved by working with local/regional sponsors, hosting tournaments big and small, and developing more courses wherever possible to get new players into the game.  I would love to continue to represent Alaska as your PDGA State Coordinator, and I appreciate your consideration!

Professional Experience:  I have worked for and volunteered with Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, The Minnesota Land Trust, Kachemak Bay State Parks, Center for Alaska Coastal Studies, and the Kachemak Bay  Research Reserve – all environmentally-focused non-profits.  I was treasurer of our graduate school ultimate frisbee team and organized an annual tournament that would attract over 30 different club teams from across New England.  I currently sit on the Kachemak Bay State Parks Advisory Committee and am Commissioner of the Homer Softball Association.

Disc Golf Experience:  I have successfully directed dozens of PDGA-sanctioned disc golf tournaments all over the state of Alaska.  I co-manage a weekly disc golf league in Homer, Alaska, that has been continuously running for more than 3 years.  I have attended and played in dozens of PDGA-sanctioned disc golf tournaments all over Alaska and the rest of the country.  I have facilitated and attended numerous local and statewide disc golf course park clean-ups, restructuring meetings, and course design sessions.  I have maintained a good working relationship with local and statewide park liaisons to ensure smooth operations throughout the disc golf season.  And I’ve cashed an ace pot or two.  I would be thrilled to continue to represent Alaska as the PDGA State Coordinator!

Arizona

Michael Spencer, #86613

Biography/Candidate Statement: 

• I grew up in Fountain Hills, Arizona
• Considered by most as a native Arizonian for living here most of my life
• Proud father of 2 dogs named Pasha & Alfie, 3 chickens named Buffy, Yolko Ono, and Hennifer, and an African Sulcata Tortoise named Sully
• My wife & I started playing disc golf as a hobby that we could enjoy while being outdoors
• President & Co-Founder of the Arizona Disc Golf Association, better known as the AZDGA

For additional details, please watch my candidate video on YouTube here: https://tinyurl.com/MichaelPDGA  or https://youtu.be/mjIWUBJ4-t0

Professional Experience: Professionally, I am a business development manager for a Fortune 500 company.  For the last 19 years, I have worked in business finance, where daily, I focus on project management, sales, communications, overcoming challenging situations, and training of 500+ individuals in a corporate environment.

Disc Golf Experience:

• Tournament Director for the 2nd largest annual all women's disc golf event in the nation, we have continually increased registration by 20% year over year
• Regional PDGA state coordinator
• League Director of multiple PDGA sanctioned & unsanctioned leagues with over 200% growth on participation
• Numerous year Board Member & Course Director/Course TD for A-Tier, DGPT Memorial Championship
• Multiple year Marshall for various Arizona Tournaments
• Tournament Director, assistant TD, Co-TD, or served in a leadership position for every tier the PDGA offers, including planning for multiple majors
• Tournament Director, Co-TD, assistant TD, league director, Co-league director, or event director for 20 – 22 events annually
• I serve as a board member for multiple clubs and organizations, both professionally and disc golf related
• Involved in course development, design, and maintenance in several areas across the state
• Mentor and resource to new tournament directors, league directors and club leaders in various corners of the state
• I play 12+ tournaments per year along with countless leagues and events across the state

British Columbia

Dan Laitsch, #16032

Biography/Candidate Statement: The PDGA is a critical part of disc golf in its advocacy of the sport, its governance work in establishing the rules of the sport, and its sanctioning of competitive play. By professionalizing the sport of disc golf, the PDGA has helped bring disc golf into the mainstream of athletic competition and built the foundation for the sport's rapid growth over the past 20 years. I see my work as the Provincial Coordinator as an opportunity to advance high quality play and player experience through player and TD development, event scheduling and support, and as liaison with the PDGA and PDGA Canada. PDGA membership has grown considerably in BC over the past ten years and it would be my hope to continue that growth as the Provincial Coordinator.  More information about me and my candidacy for the Provincial Coordinator position will be available on my disc golf web site: www.discgolfing.ca

Professional Experience: Since 1990 I have worked in the field of Education as a high school teacher, policy analyst for two nonprofit global education membership organizations, and since 2005 as a university faculty member as Simon Fraser University. My work in policy and nonprofit organizations has given me an important lens through which to think about and advocate for disc sports. My history of working with the PDGA in directing tournaments, combined with my work provincially across BC, puts me in a strong position to advance the interests of PDGA members throughout the Province.

Disc Golf Experience: I’ve been playing disc golf casually since 1996 (competitively since 2005), and an active PDGA member ever since joining in 2000. My home course is Mundy Park, in Coquitlam BC. I generally compete in Open, Open Masters, or Open Grandmasters divisions in individual events, competing widely across North America, as well as globally. While I’ve designed many temporary courses for events I’ve helped run, I was lucky enough to lead the team that designed the world class Grouse Mountain course and more recently the recreationally focused Walden Park Disc Golf Course in Chilliwack, BC. I've been Tournament Director for four of BC's premier events (the BC Open) and was TD of the first PDGA/WFDF Team Disc Golf World Championships, presented by DGA, held in Vancouver, BC in 2016. Between 2007 and 2016 I was actively involved in the governance of disc sports in BC, serving in a variety of positions (including President) within the British Columbia Disc Sports Society. In 2018/19 I returned to the Board in a position ending Fall of 2020. The end of that term offers a nice opportunity to transition to more formal work with the PDGA.

California (South)

Suzette Simons, #11957

Biography/Candidate Statement: Volunteer PDGA State Coordinator since 2009.

Connecticut

Patrick DiCaprio, #58042

Biography/Candidate Statement: I love playing disc golf, but quite honestly I think I enjoy being a TD more.  I take great pride in the fact that I put on a quality event, and have a good history of doing so.  Seeing players come and compete while having a great experience has always been my number one goal, and at the end of the day, I find doing so quite rewarding.

There is no arguing that disc golf is booming in Connecticut right now.  Events are filling faster than I've ever seen, with more and more new faces arising running leagues and events.  I think I have a wealth of knowledge that can be passed onto this new generation, whether it be through answering questions and guiding them while they setup events or simply being an extra set of hands on site to help make sure things run smoothly during the event itself.

There are also things that as a state I think we are lacking.  Right when covid shut most of the country down, I was getting ready to announce a CT Amateur Disc Golf Championship.  It is something I have wanted to see in the state for quite some time.  I had intended for this to be a premiere event for amateurs spanning 2 days and 3 courses, but had to delay the event until 2021. 

I would like to see a point series return to Connecticut in 2021.  I have been developing a charter for such a series and look to get tournament directors involved this fall to plan out the entire 2021 season as a coordinated effort.  My goal is to offer something the TD can add to their tournament that adds significant value to the player, but isn't a burden on the TD or event itself.

Professional Experience: I graduated college in 2005 and immediately took a job in the healthcare informatics sector.  I spent the first 14.5 years of my working career doing customer support for hospital imaging systems before taking a new role as a Technical Account Manager for Philips Healthcare earlier this year.  I now analyze and optimize those same hospital imaging systems I used to support, helping customers improve their work flow and make things run more efficiently.

I have also been a swim coach for almost 20 years, spending the last 11 years as the head swim coach for Seymour High School.  During those 11 years I have served as the coach chairperson for the Naugatuck Valley League, coordinating and serving as the meet director for the yearly championship meet consisting of over 200 entrants.

Disc Golf Experience: I started playing disc golf in early 2012 and quickly became hooked.  I played my first tournament that spring, and have been a PDGA member since 2013.  I quickly moved from playing events to helping run events and becoming the tournament director for events.  At this point, I have assisted or run just as many tournaments as I have participated in as a player.

I can say I have participated in almost all aspects of the sport in some way.  I've helped with course work and minor design changes.  I have experience vending and still do a fair amount of retail and disc trading online.  I participate in leagues when I can, and have filled in running things for league directors at times.

Florida

Cameron Harbachuk, #52085

Biography/Candidate Statement: Over the past 2 years I have been the state coordinator for Florida and I hope that the work we have done has earned your support as I attempt to retain this position for the next 2 years. In these two years, we have revamped the event pre-approval process to make it much more user (TD) friendly and streamlined with automated calendar updates and email notifications. In addition, our new process systematically tracks all historic event information for easier future review. In addition to the streamlining of the pre-approval process, we have also instituted the monthly state player newsletter. This newsletter currently reaches 400 disc golfers around the state and provides them with important updates from the PDGA as well as an updated list of upcoming tournaments across the state. I have also challenged tournament directors of long standing events to re-evaluate their events and identify areas of improvement to allow them to elevate their tier level and provide a better experience for you, the players. I believe that Florida is on the precipice of becoming the disc golf juggernaut that it should be and I look forward to continue working towards that goal.

Professional Experience: My background is in corporate finance and management. I have worked as an analyst in the retirement industry in the past and currently am the head of the billing department of a multi - billion dollar transportation company. Additionally, I am the director of operations for a non-profit organization that focuses on event promotion for charities. My passion is in process and people development and i strive to examine processes to try and achieve maximum efficiency and productivity.   

Disc Golf Experience:    

• Began playing disc golf in July 2008.
• PDGA Member since 2012 (#52085)
• 70 Total events played.
• Founder and Event Director of annual Gulf Coast Charity Open.
• 13 - Time Tournament Director | 1,762 Total Players
• PDGA Florida State Coordinator 2018 - Current

Hawaii

Alan Koons, #31429

Biography/Candidate Statement: I'm interested in the Hawaii State PDGA coordinator role as I believe there is plenty of growth opportunity for the sport in the state at this point. I've spoken with many of the leaders and TD's on all of the islands stating my intentions and my goals as the state coordinator and tried to learn from them what past coordinators did or didn't do in order to successfully build on that.

Hawaii is a unique state in that competitive disc golf is hard to incorporate do to logistics of being an island in the pacific and also not having many course options to choose from. I'm eager to help the Hawaii state discgolfers overcome those issues and help the sport continue to grow. I already have idea's and plans to help all of the islands and clubs better communicate events and club information. I'd like to offer any of my knowledge and experience to TD's and organizers as well to help them build their club. Also, I hope to keep good communication with the PDGA on the happenings in Hawaii discgolf. I look forward to the potential opportunity to help continue growing the sport in Hawaii!

Professional Experience: Senior Technical Recruiter

Disc Golf Experience: I've been playing discgolf for about 15 years (14 as a  PDGA member). I've been on the Prodigy Discs Street Team since December 2018. I lived in Buffalo, NY up until November 2018 and had been involved in multiple local clubs (NRDG and WNYDGC). I have been TD'ing events for about 10 years, both sanctioned and non-sanctioned. I traveled the north east every year to compete in tournaments as an MPO player. One of my last projects before leaving Buffalo was in coordination with Erie County and NRDG, I had led the design and installation of 9 alternate pin locations at Como Lake Park disc golf course in Lancaster NY. I've been living in Hawaii since November 2018 and have run a least 4 events, including a PDGA sanctioned C-Tier in February 2020 (Gargoyles Garden Open). I've also taught an after-school disc golf class at Hawaii Preparatory Academy between August 2019 - October 2019.  In December 2019, I helped with the design and led the installation of the first public 6 hole disc golf course in Kona on the island of Hawaii at Old Airport park in coordination with Parks and Rec.

Illinois

Mike Krupicka, #28238

Biography/Candidate Statement: I have served as the state coordinator since 2012.  As state coordinator, I am to be a resource and first point of contact with the PDGA for tournament directors and players in our state.  Illinois has a very active disc golf scene with tournaments almost every weekend, which makes scheduling events each year a challenge.  I have strived for a schedule that provides opportunities for events to be able to succeed.  This past year has been particularly challenging with the current pandemic.  I have been working with TDs who are trying to reschedule their events and also lobbying on behalf of Illinois with respect to decisions being made by the PDGA regarding the suspension and resumption of sanctioned tournament play.  I, along with other leaders in the state, have established the Illinois Disc Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.  We intend to continue to recognize those who have made an impact on disc golf in Illinois.  I will continue to promote the PDGA and believe I can continue to provide the leadership needed for our state.      

Professional Experience: I have worked in the telecommunications industry for over 25 years as a software engineer.

Disc Golf Experience: Started playing in 2001.  I have been a PDGA member since 2005 and became a Certified Official in 2006.  After volunteering at events for a couple of years, I began running events as a TD in 2008.  I have been active locally in the Discontinuum and Fox Valley Metro Disc Golf Clubs.  I have served on the Rules Committee since 2019 and am currently the chair of the PDGA Rules Committee.

Iowa – Two Candidates

Eric Mullaly, #70996

Biography/Candidate Statement: The biggest thing about me is my family and disc golf. You ask anyone about me, and they'll say I'm all about my family and disc golf as well. It's pretty much all I do, either I'm out disc golfing, working on disc golf, or doing stuff with my family, or even out disc golfing with my family. My oldest son, who still does have special needs, is also a PDGA member and goes out disc golfing with me a lot and was even getting known with all the Oregon people as being my caddy for the more significant events. As the Iowa State Coordinator, I would pride myself on traveling to the many different events around the state of Iowa to check them out and even play in a lot of them if I'm able to along with my oldest son. I would do everything I can and then some to help grow the great sport of disc golf and be a hands-on state coordinator.

Professional Experience: I've been a disc golf retailer for seven years now, and before that, I was a stay at home dad raising my two oldest kids who had/have special needs. I started my business so I could be home more with my kids, who needed a lot of extra attention due to their issues. I started my business with just a $250 order and turned it into one of the largest disc golf retailers in the country with the help of my wife who I met the following year after I started the business.  I mainly started the business to get discs at low prices to get them out to others at affordable prices as well. I had next to no business experience, but I just wanted to help others get into disc golf at an affordable price. That wasn't the first discs I ever ordered in bulk either. When I was 19, I ordered about 100 random Innova discs (all are collectibles now it's how long ago it was) and gave them all away to various people in the town to help grow the sport. I've been running disc golf events for well over 10 years now, can't remember the first one I ever ran it was so long ago. These days I run much more organized tournaments, with a focus on giving the highest payouts possible. We tend to average (based on the PDGA system) around 140% payouts across all divisions with our player packs and payouts combined. I like to have next to no mark-ups on anything, so customers and participants get more for their money to encourage people to get out and throw in both PDGA-sanctioned and non-sanctioned events. My favorites to do are events like the Trilogy Challenge and MVP Circuits cause I'm always able to get new people out there playing since those tend to be more casual events with great players packs.

Disc Golf Experience: I've been disc golfing since I was 16 or 17 years old, and I will be turning 37 this coming up June. I have 20 years of experience under my belt, and I've seen a lot in that time. I would have been pro myself if it wasn't for my health issues, which mainly comes from a rare heart condition called WPW. I still have pro knowledge and probably more than most pros even at this stage. I take a lot of pride in being able to help people improve their game as well as helping match up the perfect disc with a thrower. Just being able to see or know how they throw with specific discs and knowing what they want a new disc to do, I'm ready to provide perfect match-ups and have helped countless people over the years improve their game. When I first started disc golfing in Klamath Falls, Oregon, as a teenager, the only people in the whole town who threw were just my buddy and I. We had no course, we played an obstacle course at our local park, and we quickly became the talk around the town. At only 18 years old, I was going into city meetings with the town officials trying to get help build disc golf courses. It didn't happen right away, of course, but after growing the sport around the town for years, our first course was finally available. By the time I moved, which was just last year in 2019, we had dozens of PDGA members around town, multiple disc golf courses, and the local college even started forming a team and built their course.  I don't take full credit for that, not by any means, but I certainly helped out with what I can when I can to grow disc golf in that town.  Now here in Iowa, I'm looking to do the same with growing this sport. The groundwork is already laid here, for my area has lots of courses, but does not appear to be big into tournaments. I plan on growing disc golf here just as I did back in Oregon and, hopefully, help disc golf become even more prominent for the people around here who really support outdoor recreational activities.

Michael Deeter, #68364

Biography/Candidate Statement: I've been playing disc golf for nearly 10 years. I've been the state coordinator for the past 4 years. I'm currently the president of the Cedar Rapids Metro Disc Golf Club. I make every attempt to be objective and transparent is all disc golf matters. My goal in being a state coordinator is to make every attempt to encourage tournament directors to work together to provide great disc golf experiences for all Iowa events.  

Kentucky

Derek Dunn, #89530

Biography/Candidate Statement: Hello, Thank you for taking the time to read about me before voting. I have lived in Brandenburg my whole life watching this state grow has been a great sight to see. I am hoping to continue on Lewis great work he has been doing here over the past two years. Currently i have been doing a weekly post showing all the local events in the area trying to get more and more people out to leagues or traveling to play some new ones. I love being organized and having good clarity so everyone always knows what is going on locally. Also i appreciate feedback from my events to even weekly post i am always want to improve on it.

My future plans if i am Elected on as a State Coordinator is to get more baskets on schools,community centers and churches to get people joining the sport that never have seen it before. Plus rewarding the players in Kentucky who do travel the most and is the backbone of the competitive players by competing in a bracket at the end of the season for additional prizes.   

Professional Experience: Currently a Auditor at Parker Hannifin in Louisville, Kentucky i have been there close to two years now looking to become a lead in the future.

Disc Golf Experience: I started playing in 2009 my uncle Jerry Honaker from Richmond, KY he thought me how to play at Shillito in Lexington then later that year played in a Ace Race event. I started playing Competitively in 2016 as a MA3 rated 777 learning the game and getting better. In 2018 i started hosting some smaller events learning the tournament director side of the game i am enjoying it so much giving back to the community. In 2019 me and Tony Daniel of Ekron,KY hosted The Gauntlet presented by Remax Integrity B-Tier which had 69 players with a Pro purse of $2,574 also donating $3,302 to the Angel Tree during this event.

Now rated 882 playing MA2 with 6 wins (1 being a A-Tier!) in MA3. I am looking forward to see what the future holds in playing and hosting events.

Maine

Daniel Stefanilo, #79846

Biography/Candidate Statement: My name is Dan Stefanilo. I am excited at the opportunity to be elected and represent the great state of Maine as a PDGA State Coordinator. I believe that no matter the successful candidate, Maine will flourish because of all the Mainers who are willing to put in the time to grow this amazing sport. Over the past couple years, our state has exploded on the disc golf scene. My goals, if I am selected as the successful candidate would be to grow the number of PDGA memberships in Maine, promote our tournaments and players through new medias, and find new and inventive ways for players from around the world to participate in our Maine events. I would be honored to receive your vote for PDGA State Coordinator. 

Professional Experience: I am a Middle School Teacher at a Special Purpose Private School in Maine. Each day is a new challenge, and I truly enjoy being busy and on the tips of my toes. I am also the Varsity Pitching Coach at Cheverus High School in Portland, ME. If I'm not spending time with my beautiful family, or at work, you can find me on the disc golf course, or growing the sport in some capacity.

Disc Golf Experience: I absolutely love disc golf. I have been playing disc golf since the early 2000's. My best friend got me playing in an annual object golf tounament at Ft. McClary in Kittery, ME. I have been hooked ever since. I've played tournaments in the Maine Players Tour, PDGA, and NEFA. My home course is Woodland Valley Disc Golf in Limerick, Maine.

Over the past couple of years I have made it my goal to grow the sport I love in as many ways as possible. That has taken many forms; including getting the next generation involved, promoting the state of Maine in Winter Team Challenge, becoming a commissioner of the New England Winter Team Challenge (WTC), and running a successful league at my home course.

First and foremost, I have passed the love of this game onto the next generation, as my five year old son has not looked back since picking up his first disc. He makes sure that any time I go to play, hes right by my side. I wouldn't have it any other way. I have also started a Juniors division for the local league that I run. 

For the past 4 years I have run a match play league at my local course. The year is broken into three sections and each section ends with a finals where all the participants get placed into a bracket with handicaps. It ends up being a day full of food and friends. We started with 13 players in the first winter, when I took over full time and we have over 55 players in league, this summer.

Last summer, I got the opportunity to help TD my first tournament. I learned a lot from the people supporting me during that time. I am running my first solo tournament, a 4 player team scramble at the end of the summer of 2020. It's a benefit tournament for the local WTC team I play for. I'm excited to run my first PDGA in the summer of 2021.

I am the co-captain of my local WTC team. I help schedule dates that work for our team, I scout other teams, collect money for dues, buy team gear, and try my best to keep the camaraderie of 23 players strong at all times.

In the fall of 2019 I took over the Team Maine Disc Golf Facebook page. It's a page that promotes the nine teams that play WTC in Maine. This was a huge success and was one of my favorite jobs in disc golf. I kept stats and wrote up articles about the teams for every weekend during the season.

This Spring, I ran a Quarantine Trick Shot Challenge Bracket during the Covid-19 Crisis. Players from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts submitted trick shots while under "Stay at Home" orders from their states. The Maine Disc Golf Scene voted on winners daily through the months of March and April.

I have many aspirations around how I can continue to grow the sport including a Maine TC Cup, running a successful A-Tier tournament, playing the MVP Open, and being the PDGA State Coordinator for Maine. I am excited for the opportunity to run for the state and sport that I love!

Maritime Provinces

Duncan Dixon, #14829

Biography/Candidate Statement: I am a 51 year old school teacher who loves to be outside enjoying life.  I have a beautiful wife named Heather who is a middle school principal, and 2 amazing boys ages 10 and 8.

Professional Experience: I started out with a career in Outdoor Education and Camping, which eventually culminated as he CEO of the Cumberland YMCA.  I decided to go back to school and get my Education degree.  I became a High school teacher.  I now teach some of the toughest students in our district as the Alternative Education Teacher.

Disc Golf Experience: I have been playing, teaching, and running disc golf events for 21 years.  I have built courses from British Columbua, to New Brunswick, including the USA.  I was a founding member of the Maritime Disc Golf Association, and am its current president.  I sat on the BCDSS board of directors for 5 years, and been the PDGA rep in BC and the Maritimes for a total of 10 years.  I run the largest B tier on the East Coast, and I have been one of the TD’s and organizers of the last 2 Canadian National Championships, these have been by far the largest and most successful PDGA events in Canadian history.  The second year out pacing the first.  I have participated in the PDGA World Championships and some of the biggest events in the USA.  Most of all I enjoy giving away disc golf discs to new players.  I estimate I have given away 50-100 discs a year for 20 years.

Maryland

Joseph Booth, #98153

Biography/Candidate Statement: I want to raise the overall awareness of the sport among amateur athletes, school systems, state and local governments here in Maryland.

Promotion of the sport and growing the sport among younger players is the mission I want to undertake as a State Coordinator.

Through building player relationships, building a network of support across the state in decision maker positions, use of the internet to communicate to people the cause, mission, goals of Disc Golf in Maryland and to build a reputation for high quality Disc Golf that fans across the state and beyond recognize as valuable, worth their time to come to our courses and compete in our events.

Ultimately, the long term goal is to educate the non-disc golf world on the fun that we have, build a grass roots program to develop top tier touring pros, have courses that players of all levels can have fun at, help course groundskeepers add signage, connect all of us together over the web and have a ton of fun!

Professional Experience: I have spent the bulk of my adult career working in digital media, marketing and promotion. For many years I owned a small photography business where I would produce portraits, wedding photos, corporate teams, photo books, event video and web pages.

About seven years ago I went back to school and learned about Information Systems. This education opened the door to my new career with the Center for New Media & Promotion within the U.S. Census Bureau. I work as a team member for the Web and New Media branch where I support the enterprise in publishing content to census.gov, ensure cross promotion of content across multiple web sites, work with teams of people (writers, graphic artists, digital video producers) and communicate across digital channels to reach 1 million site visitors per week.

I've had such a great time working with the amazing people at the U.S. Census Bureau and I love what I do - every single day.

You can see work that I do at https://census.gov.

Disc Golf Experience: I picked up the sport about 4 years ago and have had the amazing fortune to meet so many players in the central part of Maryland.

I play as frequently as I can at Woodsboro, Rockburn and Patapsco.

There is a PDGA League that I have played a few seasons of. However this last season I missed the session due to starting a project to build a 140 acre, 36 hole course here in New Market, Maryland.

I am a just barely over 900 rated player.

In the grand scheme of things I am still very new to the sport. I learn more about it all the time. I like to follow the pro coverage on Jomez Pro, play in a few tournaments per year and go on day trips to courses in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

I like to say hello to other players when I'm on the course and seeing a disc in the air always brings out that little kid voice inside... Wowwww.

I don't even mind it when I hit a tree. I love the sport, love the disc golfers code and love throwing discs.

Massachusetts

Lisa DiOrio, #120656

Biography/Candidate Statement: I am a newcomer to disc golf, but nonetheless, I believe that I am a strong candidate for the position of Massachusetts state coordinator because of my enthusiasm for the sport and my experience and skills in other areas of my life.

In my opinion, the potential for disc golf is huge. Some of the reasons are: one can play in a group or solo, play can be moderated for various fitness levels, there is a low cost to get started, and disc golf is easy to understand for the beginner but provides an ongoing challenge for more advanced players.  Contrast this with the small number of people who play disc golf in Massachusetts, and I believe there is a significant opportunity to create more awareness of the sport.

Further, I feel that disc golf is an excellent sport for women, but when I play on my local courses, women have represented less than 5% of the players.  As a woman in a STEM based career, I am keenly aware of the need for women role models.  One of my goals is to encourage more women to become active players - and having a woman in a state coordinator role could make a difference.

Outside of disc golf, I have a 25 year career as a martial artist.  I am a 6th degree black belt and senior member of a martial arts association where I have helped with various events including creating the first local kid’s tournament.  I am highly organized and have a strong work ethic, and my strong technical skills generally help me to get things done more efficiently online.

My overarching goal for this position is to help more people enjoy the sport as I do by creating a strong presence for disc golf in Massachusetts and assisting TD’s and clubs to make events and tournaments in Massachusetts more successful.

Professional Experience: I am a computer engineer and have held several roles professionally including software developer, tech writer, marketing director, chapter director for a networking group, and college professor.  I co-owned a karate school for 8 years where I helped with marketing and instruction.  I currently own and operate a digital marketing agency and also teach computer science and web development at Harvard Extension School and Tufts University.

I am an active volunteer normally getting involved with organizational tasks and running events.  One such role I have held for 10 years is to organize, run and manage a group of volunteers for a major charity auction that benefits a local food bank. 

More recently, I have become involved with a project to provide a wealth of information related to playing disc golf, firstcirclediscgolf.com, as a way to get players the information and inspiration to get on the course.

Disc Golf Experience: I have always been drawn to physical pursuits and disc golf is no exception.  Disc golf appeals physically to my love of movement and intellectually to my love of mathematics and physics.  As a martial artist, I have been fascinated to see how many principles from the martial arts translate to a solid throw. My martial arts study showed me how proper form can win over brute strength or size.  As a result, I am out on a local course every chance I get, fine tuning my form to challenge myself to throw further and with more accuracy.  I look forward to when group gatherings become sanctioned again so that I can test my skills in tournament play.

Michigan

Mark Stephens, #30042

Disc Golf Experience: PDGA State Coordinator 2014-2020; Founded Flint Town Flyerz Disc Golf Club & Black Ace Disc Golf; PDGA Member Since 2006

Mississippi

Mike Munn, #70774

Biography/Candidate Statement: I began playing disc golf in October of 2013. As my wife was pregnant with our first child, I was looking for an outlet for my overall health and a friend introduced me to Disc Golf. Organization and problem solving are some of my strongest attributes and I immediately became involved in my local club - the Hattiesburg Disc Golf Association. I found out I enjoyed the admin side of disc golf almost as much as playing. From there I ran my first event in 2016 and joined the BOD for the Southern Nationals Disc Golf Series. I continued to search for the next opportunity to grow and learn and responded to a Facebook request for the Assistant TD position for the Ledgestone Insurance Open. Over the last 4 years I have had the privilege to work closely with the LIS Open team as well as the PDGA staff during the 2019 Pro Worlds that has proven invaluable in my growth as an organizer. As disc golf grows in my home state of Mississippi, my approach is to continue to be a resource for the TDs that represent my state and any from the surrounding areas that need it. I will also maintain a positive outlet for information to players by being responsive and available to those that request it. Customer service is part of my day to day job and I will continue to put that as a focus if I am elected to a 2nd term as the State Coordinator for Mississippi.

Professional Experience: I began working with my father's small safety consulting business in 2003 out of high school alongside 2 of my brothers and my mother. Together we have grown the business into one of the most respected in our field in this area. I maintain the Transportation Division as the Transportation Director for the last 17 years. I work mitigating company's risk by helping them navigate the regulatory challenges that they face through compliance with DOT & FMCSA.

Disc Golf Experience:  

• Hattiesburg Disc Golf Association Treasurer - 2015-2016
• HDGA President - 2016-2020
• Southern Nationals Disc Golf Series Board Member 2016-Present
• Southern Nationals Doubles Championships TD 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• Big Rip Classic TD 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
• Mississippi PDGA State Coordinator 2018-Present
• Ledgestone Insurance Open Assistant TD & Director of Operations - 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
• 2019 Pro Worlds Director of Operations

Montana 

Brian Bjortomt, #28854

Nevada

Skot Meyer, #42274

New Jersey

Bill Ganley, #69183

Biography/Candidate Statement: 2013, my brother comes home from New Hampshire raving about this crazy game where you throw frisbees into metal baskets.  He puts the first few discs in my hands, we hit the course, laughing at each other and having a great time and the rest is history.

Disc golf has been such an important part of my life since.  It has helped relieve stress, met a lot of friends and even more acquaintances, created a promising career path and most importantly, has given me something to share with my entire family.  This sport has so many positives that I want to share with the world!  By continuing to build on a great foundation in NJ, the potential growth in our area is nearly limitless!

Professional Experience: Attended Penn State University 1999-2004 where I studied Kinesiology and joined the Strength and Conditioning Staff as one of the gym managers on campus. After a 2 year stint in personal training, I began my current 14+year stint in various roles of supply chain and retail management.

Currently I am the owner of Bria Disc Golf with a brand new brick and mortar location in Bayville NJ.

Disc Golf Experience: Since 2013, I have grown from a bright eyed newbie making their first putt to doing what I can to give that feeling to everyone I talk to.  I have traveled much of the east coast playing new courses with the bulk of my events played in NJ and PA.  The largest events played having been 2018 GBO and 2019 Amateur Worlds.

In 2018, I began Bria Disc Golf and ran our first non-sanctioned event that year and our first sanctioned event in April of 2019.  This year, our grand plans were altered, like everyone else, but we continue to look forward to the rest of this year and beyond.  I am excited about the opportunity for growth in our area and would love the opportunity to represent this great state and work with our great clubs, TDs and players!

New York

Bill Newman, #1603

Biography/Candidate Statement: I am seeking your vote to continue the work of being the New York State representative to the PDGA.

I pledge to continue to work with TDs, other volunteers, promoters, course operators, and players from all over the state to continue to grow and enhance the sport we all love.

I also promise to continue my efforts to help in the running of the NY State championships, and the continued work of the NYS Disc Golf Hall of Fame.

I am hoping to continue in my role as a source of information, resources, experience and guidance to all stake holders in our large, diverse, vibrant and growing community in NY State.

The last two years that I have served as the state rep. have been busy, sometimes intense and lately unprecedented.  I have helped to organize and finalize our state event schedules,  established a Facebook group for tournament directors, organizers and representatives of all state clubs, worked closely with the Hall Of Fame committee,  continually provided updates and information about PDGA issues, changes and information, and did all I could provided guidance and information about the state of disc golf in the time of Covid.

I am a retired attorney and high school teacher. I am a married father of two grown children and grandfather of one granddaughter.

I am a veteran of just over 40 years of disc golf play, PDGA membership, running events, playing events, regional organizing, volunteering, and general DG promotion.  I am the chairman  of the PDGA Environmental Committee, member of the PDGA Discipline Committee, former President of my local club, lead course maintainer of my local course, TD of local Throw Pink and other charity events. I am a proud member of Team Throw Pink and an Innova Ambassador. I have worked for the PDGA as a course rules Marshall at about 20 world championship (Pro/AM/Masters) events all around the country, for the past 14 years.

I hope to continue to support and serve our hard working state tournament directors, clubs, courses, promoters and all players. I look forward to having the opportunity to ensure the growth and success of disc golf all over NY state - I  hope I can count on your vote and I hope to see you soon on one our beautiful NY state courses!

North Dakota

Travis Hagen, #37554

Oklahoma

Jason Schwake, #25743

Biography/Candidate Statement: I have been active in the Oklahoma disc golf community since the mid 90’s.  I have been involved in all aspects of disc golf in Oklahoma from promotion, assisting, volunteering, and organizing events.

Professional Experience: I have been assisting our current state coordinator Devan Owens for the last 2 years helping coordinate the state schedule.  I am fully aware of the process of the state coordinator.

Disc Golf Experience:  

• Played Disc Golf since 1993
• Ran Multiple PDGA events
• Founding Member of Oklahoma Disc Golf Association
• Organized Workday, Fundraiser Events, and Several Tournaments
• I have been involved in disc golf for over 20 years.  Running events for the last 15.  I have volunteered, assisted, taught, and promoted disc golf for as long as I can remember.

Oregon

Madison Tomaino, #60798

Biography/Candidate Statement: Hi! I’m Madison Tomaino. I live in Portland, OR with my husband (Jesse) and our preschooler (Milo). For the past several years I’ve watched our Oregon State Coordinators do a great job facilitating PDGA events in our state. Now that there is a vacancy, I think my professional and disc golf experience would make me a great fit! I would encourage more sanctioned events in our state, and growth of different formats (X-tiers, flex starts, leagues, etc). My family and I are passionate about disc golf and our community, and I want to continue to see things grow!

Professional Experience: My education background is in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have worked in both private and public sector community mental health doing social work and psychotherapy. I have also had the privilege of working in our foster system and have a passion for working with children. My experience as a mental health professional has taught me great communication skills, collaborative problem solving, and organization. For the past 7 years I have worked for AT&T doing project management for the construction and engineering of cell towers. This position has required the management of up to 1500 projects simultaneously, and is a big part of why I think I would make a good state coordinator. I spend my professional days organizing data and charts, scheduling projects, and coordinating with subcontractors. I believe these skills would transfer well to the state coordinator position.

Disc Golf Experience: I am currently in my eighth year of competitive disc golf. I typically play 15-20 PDGA events per year and greatly enjoy sanctioned play. For the past 3 years, my husband and I have been tournament directors and run several events locally and around the United States. I really enjoy running tournaments, and would like to encourage and assist new TDs in running more events. I think we run very efficient and organized events and would love to see more events in our state!

South Carolina

Alan Beaver, #1213

Tennessee

Steve Cross, #38724

Biography/Candidate Statement: I am 61 years old and have 3 children and 7 grand children.  My wife and I have been married for 37 years.  I’ve been playing disc golf for about 15 years.  My two sons got me into it and their wives play and my wife plays so it is a family affair.  I’ve lived in Tennessee for most of my life (50 years).  My formative years were spent in East Tennessee and I’m a long-time resident of West Tennessee.  I was borh in West Virginia and lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for a few years in the late 70s.

I have had a lot of hobbies over the years but disc golf stuck.  I help a little locally with courses and such, but I tire fairly easily.  I contribute to local events financially as that is a good way for me to be involved.  I thought a position as Tennessee State Coordinator would be a great way to contribute to the game.  I’m eager to learn the position and earn the respect of Tennessee Disc Golfers.

Professional Experience: I’ve worked with computers in some fashion since college.  I’ve programmed and been in administrative capacity in Information Technology.  I’ve owned my own compuer shop.  I’m meticulous and pedantic about my bookkeeping so this should be right up my alley.

Disc Golf Experience: As I said, about 15 years.  My first tournament was the BG Amateur Championship in 2009.  I have traveled to Chattanooga and Nashville, as well as Kentucky, Mississippi, and Arkansas to play tournaments.

Texas (North)

A. Michael Hopper II, #55690

Biography/Candidate Statement: I am a hopeful returning state coordinator, hoping to improve on what we started on the previous term. I plan on working with the South Texas coordinator to create a shared working calendar so that all of Texas can be viewed in one place for those areas along the border. We have seen an increasing amount of events over the past two years, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, and hope to expand that throughout the state.

Professional Experience: I have worked at a level 1 trauma center for 14 years in which my images are used to determine treatment in a patient’s case. While working there I have been on several boards and groups to help the hospital move forward. I am also currently a YMCA board member at our local Y. 

Disc Golf Experience: I started playing disc golf back in 2002 and enjoyed it ever since. Since then I have helped design two courses, start a yearly fundraising event for a volunteer fire department, ran several charity events and helped start a club, while helping where I can for my home club. I am a returning state coordinator who added an online calendar for north Texas TD's to view to help make scheduling easier.

Utah

Dave Roper, #29903

Biography/Candidate Statement: I am seeking reelection as PDGA Utah State Coordinator to continue my opportunity to serve the disc golf community. My prior experience, ethics, and organizational skills make me an excellent choice. As State Coordinator, I have worked with TDs to help resolve dozens of scheduling conflicts. I would be honored to receive your vote for re-election and pledge to continue trying to best serve our players.

Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8lJwQPSN3Q

Professional Experience: As an engineer, I know accuracy is critical. I also excel at root cause analysis which helps me resolve Utah tournament scheduling conflicts with both in and out of state events.

Disc Golf Experience: I started playing competitive disc golf in 2006 in So Cal and have played at about a hundred different courses across the US. I moved to Utah in 2009 and have been involved in the Utah disc golf scene since. I ran the 2011 Creekside Open and 4 big events at Solitude (both Monster Energy's and both Mello Yello's). I've been the state coordinator since ~2014 and am now competing in the MP40 division at as many of the Utah events that I can. 

Virginia / District of Columbia

Bob Cannon, #26532

Biography/Candidate Statement: Since discovering Disc Golf in 2004, I have committed to being involved in maintaining our local courses, public and private, and promoting the sport of Disc Golf.  I have a good rapport with many of the Tournament Directors in Virginia and will strive to work closely with the clubs and TDs in our state and surrounding localities.  I have helped run the Virginia Women’s Disc Golf Series the past three years.  If re-elected I will continue to represent the PDGA in a professional manner and continue to encourage others to join our organization.

Professional Experience: 29 years with Department of Defense in Dahlgren, Virginia

Disc Golf Experience: I began playing Disc Golf in 2004.  In 2005 I became a member of the Spotsylvania Disc Golf Club (SDGC) and entered my first tournament.  In January 2006, I became a PDGA Official and have served as President of the SDGC since 2007.  Beginning in 2007, I have been the Tournament Director for the Loriella Challenge.  I played in the Amateur Worlds in 2007 and 2008.  In 2009, I started playing in the Professional Masters Division.  I have played the Pro Worlds in the Masters division in Charlotte and Pittsburgh.  I finshied 7th in the Pro Masters 50+ Division in 2019 in Vermont.  I co-hosted a Women’s Global Event in 2016 and 2018.  I was a member of the 2019 United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships Organizing Committee which was help in Spotsylvania.  I have been a member of the Innova Amassador Team since April 2015.  I am a current board member of the Virinina frisbee Hall of Fame.

West Virginia

Johhny Sias, #1700

Biography/Candidate Statement: If elected as state coordinator for WV, I will represent the PDGA in a positive light and professional manner.  Additionally, I will work with current and new tournament directors to schedule West Virginia's B and C tier PDGA disc golf events to the best of my ability.  When needed, I will serve as a liaison to the PDGA with scheduling and tour issues.  Besides the outlined duties of the state coordinator you can rest assure I will be forthright and honest with everyone while keeping open line of communication as needed.  Thank you in advance for your consideration and ultimate support. 

Professional Experience: 

• High School Diploma
• United States Armed Forces / Army
• Retired after nearly 40 years with J.H. Fletcher & Co. an industry leader in manufacturing of mining equipment
• Sufficient in computer use.
• Good honest communication skills.
• Hard worker.
• Ability to build just about anything. {With wood or steel.}    

Disc Golf Experience:

• PDGA member for 40 years.
• Either ran or helped run PDGA events, local non-sanctioned events, or Ice Bowl events since 1981.
• Designed over 40 courses, including the first course in WV and one of the first 75 courses in the world. Currently maintain two courses on my property. Except for a five-year span in the 90's while I was helping take care of my parents, I have competed in tournaments every year since 1978.
• Four-time PDGA Disc Golf World Champion.
• One-time World Putting Champion and one-time US Masters Champion.
• Inducted into the PDGA Hall of Fame in 2001 and the WV DG Hall of Fame in 2014.
• Perpetual member of Team Innova {Hall of Fame Team and Innova Ambassador}
• With the help of my wife Adele we tracked and issued PDGA memberships and renewals for 2 and a half years between 1984 to 1986. {And all without the help of computers I might add}

Wyoming

Zach Meeker, #42225

Biography/Candidate Statement: My name is Zach Meeker. I live in Cheyenne, WY and play disc golf through out the front range (WY and CO). I enjoy keeping up with the PDGA tournaments in our area, running and advising on local events and introducing the sport to others through positive interactions.

Professional Experience: I am an experienced IT Professional. Certified by Microsoft and SANS amongst others.

Disc Golf Experience: I am a PDGA 10 year member this year. I have played, directed and consulted on many PDGA sanctioned events in Wyoming over the past 10 years.