The International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) today announced that it is honoring Mary Pomroy and Kevin Heaney with the 2024 IAGA Distinguished Service Award. The award presentation will take place on Monday, November 4, during the IAGA Annual Conference, sponsored by Golf Genius, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa in Monterey, California.

“The IAGA is thrilled to honor Mary and Kevin for their tremendous leadership and remarkable impact on the game in the associations they served, as well as our IAGA community and the golf industry at large,” said Matt Vanderpool, past IAGA President and CEO of the Georgia State Golf Association. Vanderpool led the IAGA Awards Committee in selecting our 2024 honorees. “Mary and Kevin have demonstrated exceptional commitment to highlighting the important role golf associations play in advancing the game, and we look forward to honoring them and highlighting their incredible contributions.”

Maria Pomroy
Mary Pomroy was involved in the Arizona golf community for nearly 30 years with the Junior Golf Association of Arizona, AZ Golf, but most importantly with the Arizona Women’s Golf Association (AWGA), where she served as Executive Director from 1999 to 2019. Under her leadership, the AWGA became a national leader in the promotion, growth and administration of women’s golf.

Pomroy has also been instrumental beyond the Arizona golf community by co-founding the Women’s Golf Alliance, an organization that brought together leading organizations in women’s golf to share best practices and work together as an industry to facilitate greater female participation. Additionally, Pomroy served on the IAGA Board of Directors and led the organization as its president in 2019.

She concluded her career in 2019 by supporting the successful merger of AWGA and AZ Golf, a move that brought together the leadership and staff of both associations to better serve the game and Arizona golfers.

“I can’t tell you how honored I feel to receive the IAGA Distinguished Service Award. Knowing that I have the respect of those who came after me has a very special meaning,” said Pomroy.

Pomroy remains involved in golf as a board member of the Junior Golf Association of Arizona Foundation. In retirement, she enjoys spending more time with her husband, Steve, and enjoying her new move to Alabama.

Kevin Heaney
Kevin Heaney has been an influential figure in the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) for nearly four decades. Heaney began his career with the SCGA in the mid-1980s as a tournament director and rose to become the organization’s executive director, a position he held for the past 17 years until his retirement in March 2023.

Under Heaney’s leadership, the SCGA grew to an all-time high of 196,000 members in 1,500 clubs. He significantly expanded the SCGA and SCGA Foundation staff and created new departments focused on public affairs, member development and technology. He also played a critical role in merging the SCGA with the Public Links Golf Association and the Women’s Southern California Golf Association.

“I am very honored to have been presented with this award, and it is especially gratifying that it comes from colleagues with whom I have had the privilege of working during my many years in the golf industry,” said Heaney.

Heaney’s contributions to the golf community extend beyond the SCGA. A past president of the IAGA, Heaney has been instrumental in strategic planning and organization, worked closely with the USGA on initiatives that benefited local golf associations across the country, and served as a mentor and strategist during some of the most critical times in the history of American golf associations.

About the IAGA Distinguished Service Award
The IAGA Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have made a positive impact on their golf community locally, regionally and/or nationally. The ideal candidate embodies true professionalism and possesses many of the following qualities: leadership, innovation and creativity, mentoring, sharing and facilitating an exchange of information, excellent collaboration, exemplary communication skills and a dedicated service to the industry.

About IAGA
Founded in 1968, the International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) is the industry organization whose mission is to advance the sport of golf and serve the golfer by representing and developing the sport’s leaders. The organization includes over 90 golf associations representing nearly 800 industry professionals and over 3 million golfers across North America. The IAGA provides educational and networking opportunities as well as business resources to promote its member organizations.