Through the PGA WORKS Fellowship program, Tajma Brown, 24, of Wilmington, Delaware, is blazing new trails for workforce diversification in the game of golf.
Brown is one of three people (Jessica Asbury in the Carolinas PGA Section; Christina Paulsen in the New Jersey PGA Section) to serve in the Fellowship program, which has a goal to spread to a total of eight Sections in 2018—and eventually to all 41 PGA Sections nationwide.
Over the past year, she has served as a Fellow for the Middle Atlantic PGA Section, spending the majority of her time working on PGA REACH programming and the Section’s foundational activities.
The PGA WORKS Fellowship is a program of PGA REACH, the 501(c)3 charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The Fellowship aspires to be the most valuable entry-level employment opportunity for individuals from diverse backgrounds to garner experience in various facets of the golf industry.
“We must be drivers for change, not just in golf, but society as well,” said PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua. “Many people turn to sports as inspiration for acceptance, and it is therefore essential that diversity and inclusion are part of our core, as we work to fulfill our mission of serving our Members and growing the game.”
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RELATED ARTICLE:Indeed, it is mission critical in terms of growing participation in golf and ensuring PGA Members’ livelihoods. Under the idea of, “If you can see it, you can be it,” the PGA must diversify who works in the golf industry, if it’s going to expand who plays the game or elects a career in the business of golf. For years, the golf industry has focused on player development, but there’s been little focus on evolving the composition of its workforce. If the golf industry hopes to engage America’s diverse consumers in the sport, those consumers need to see others who look like them delivering the product.
“I think everything needs to be diversified,” said Brown. “I believe that it should be an equal opportunity everywhere we go in life—and that includes our sports.”
A Hampton University graduate with a Masters in Sports Management from West Virginia University, Brown is garnering lifelong experiences and professional exposure to the golf industry, along with corporate America, through a game she had never previously played.
“As a kid, I grew up around basketball, football, a little bit of baseball, but never golf,” Brown said.
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In her fellowship, Brown assists with PGA Jr. League, junior golf tournaments and helps with the foundational elements of the Junior Golf Alumni Association. She has also taken an active role in the communications and promotional initiatives of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section, such as assisting with the restructuring of the junior golf platform on the Section’s website; writing articles for the monthly newsletter; and creating content for social media. Brown is currently focused on the organizational structure for several 2018 junior golf events, as well as a college golf seminar scheduled for the spring that will potentially help students learn how to earn golf scholarships. This work has introduced Brown to how special the game of golf truly is and its ability to change the lives of the people that play it.
“I believe that to tackle the issue of diversity and inclusion in golf, it must start with the marketing and promotion of programs that already exist,” Brown said.
The PGA WORKS Fellowship is a 12-month paid opportunity funded by PGA REACH. PGA WORKS Fellows work in PGA Section offices with a focus on foundation programming— where their role is consistent with the mission and purpose of PGA REACH and the host PGA Section’s foundation. PGA WORKS Fellowship candidates apply through their host PGA Section and must be graduates of any undergraduate or graduate degree program within the past 12 months. Eligible Fellows are passionate about diversity and inclusion in the game and business of golf; willing to consider a career in the golf industry; and believe in the mission of PGA REACH.
PGA WORKS Fellowship Program Aims to
Diversify the Workforce of the Golf Industry
The next phase of the Fellowship will include five additional opportunities—bringing the total to eight Fellows in the following PGA Sections: Middle Atlantic, Carolinas, Michigan, New Jersey, Gateway, Northern Ohio, Southern Ohio and South Florida—with the eventual goal of a Fellow serving in all 41 PGA Sections.
“You just want to do what you love, and I love working in sports,” Brown said. “In five years, I see myself working with a task force at the PGA to help bring more women and other minority groups into the game. I feel like I was made for this position.”
