Page 16 - GBC English Fall 2020

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Golf Business Canada
nous peoples, persons with disabilities, people in visible minority groups, and/or persons who identify as members of the LGBTQI2S+ community. There was an open call in June to both PGA of Canada Professionals and individuals from outside the organization interested in taking part to get involved.
“We’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response to the call for applications,” said PGA of Canada CEO, Kevin Thistle. “Our goal from the onset was to bring together a diverse group of individuals with vary- ing perspectives and experiences. We look forward to listening, learning and working together with the task force to enact positive change for our association and industry as a whole. There’s work to do and we’re prepared to do it.”
There is a belief from the task force that golf has the opportunity to act as a powerful catalyst for change and they are committed to being part of the solution. We look forward to hearing more from this task force in the coming months as they determine their next steps.
GOLF 20/20 DIVERSITY TASK FORCE
Of particular interest for Thistle and others within the Canadian golf industry is the Golf 20/20 Diversity Task Force first established by the World Golf Foundation, based in St. Augustine, FL.
Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation, says he also has ongoing discussions with Golf Canada CEO, Laurence Applebaum and Jeff Calderwood, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada and executive director of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.
Through those eyes, Mona gets a better picture of the Canadian market as it relates to diversity and inclusion. “You take Toronto as an example, a very diverse culture, and both Jeff and Kevin were explaining a lot of things to me that we have to think about, because culture is so diverse,” said Mona. “For instance, supplier diversity. They have people coming into their offices with different nationalities that are providing them with various goods and services. As an organization, they don’t even think about it because it’s emblematic of the environment in which they have overall.”
“We don’t necessarily have that. We have certain metro areas, such as Washington, D.C., or New York City, and other areas that are very