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You have been in this position for more than three months now. Do you feel settled in?

For the most part. I’m just trying to catch up to the little changes that are different from my other job, but there are so many similarities. The biggest difference is when I worked in Omaha I worked for a nonprofit organization, so we were the management company, whereas now I am employed by the management company, so it’s a little bit different.

But as far as the tournament itself, they are so similar and there are not a lot of big differences. It’s just the learning curve and the changes into a new community that have probably been the biggest challenges so far.

How did you land this position?

Bruno Event Team reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in pursuing this. They had an opening over here and I saw it as a new challenge.

The golf industry is a small industry, especially golf tournament directors, and I had a relationship with John Marovich, (vice president of golf) at Bruno Event Team, and he knew of me, and people had recommended my name to him so he just called me up and said that they had this opportunity, and if I was interested to just give him a holler. I wasn’t really looking at the time, but I was at a point in my career where I was probably ready for a new challenge. It took me quite a while (to make the decision).

It was a difficult decision, picking up the family and moving. We had a lot of really good things going on in Omaha, so it was a tough decision, but I was just ready for the challenge.

How did your experience at the Cox Classic in Omaha help prepare you for this position?

Probably just the day-to-day experiences. I don’t know if there is any one specific instance that I can point out. I think it’s just all of the experience that I had throughout the eight years, dealing with volunteers, board members, sponsors, title sponsors, dealing with the club and the PGA tour. I think it’s just a collection of all of those things.

What is your main goal for this year’s Charity Classic?

I would really like to make it more of a community-oriented event. I think a lot of people view it as just a golf tournament; it comes in and it’s just a couple-day golf tournament and then it’s gone. But I would really like people within the community to view it as a community event. I think there is a lot more there for the community to enjoy than just golf.

I want the average fan, or someone who doesn’t enjoy golf, to be interested in coming out to the event and not just viewing it as golf.

What do you feel is the best part of your job?

Probably knowing that what I am doing and what I love to do is actually impacting charities that need the money. I think it’s knowing that I’m working hard day in and day out, and that the ultimate goal is to give as much money to charity as possible. It’s a good feeling to know that.

Are you an avid golfer?

I enjoy golfing, but I don’t get to golf as much as I would like to. Usually I am so busy at golf season that I don’t get to play a lot. But actually coming into this year, it might be a little different because (the Cox Classic) was always in August, so I was always so busy during the summer, and now this event is at the end of May, so hopefully during the summer I’ll get to spend a little more time golfing.

Does managing a golf tournament make the sport less fun as a hobby?

It does. Usually when you have some free time you just want to get away from golf, but it also allows you to go out with friends and sponsors and actually enjoy it in that aspect, too. In fact, my wife gets mad at me every now and then because I say I’m going golfing and she says, “Oh, aren’t you working today?” and I say, “Yes I am.”

When you were growing up,did you imagine yourself getting into the golf business?

No, not really. I did see myself in the sports industry. It was something I always wanted to do. So, I probably grew up seeing myself in football or basketball as a general manager.

I never grew up playing golf and never would have guessed that I would have been in golf, but I wouldn’t change it for anything now.