NFJG Board Members

NFJG Board of Directors

Marla Anderson Smith

President

Marla Anderson Smith is currently a Vice President for Wachovia, NA in Jacksonville, Fl. She has spent 20 years in the banking industry specializing in providing financial solutions to commercial businesses. Before banking she was a professional golfer on the Futures Tour, winning one event, and attempting to qualify for her LPGA tour card. A graduate of Fletcher High School (1979) and a participant in Jacksonville junior golf Marla earned a full golf scholarship to Florida State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (1984). She was part of the NCAA National Championship team (1981) and won the State of Florida Collegiate Championship (1980). Her amateur golf career included participation in several prestigious amateur events including USGA Junior Girls Nationals, five USGA Women Amateurs, a US Women’s Open and a USGA Women’s Mid Amateur. She currently lives in Jacksonville with her husband and two daughters.

Bill Hughes
PGA Professional

Mr. Hughes has been with the TPC Network since September 1996, and has assumed the duties of General Manager at the TPC at Southwind and the TPC at River’s Bend. In 2003 he was transferred to TPC at Craig Ranch to oversee its opening and be the General Manager. Mr. Hughes was promoted to Regional Director, Operations in 2002 and is responsible for oversight of the TPC at Craig Ranch, TPC at Southwind, TPC at Sugarloaf and the TPC at Wakefield Plantation. Most recently he has taken on the task of General Manager at TPC Sawgrass.

Mr. Hughes turned professional in 1979, worked as a Head Professional at Shawnee Country Club in Lima, Ohio and later accepted the position of General Manager/Director of Golf at Country Acres Golf Club in Ottawa, Ohio. Mr. Hughes has been a member of the PGA of America since 1984 and a PGA Master Professional since 1995.

Ed Tucker

PGA Professional
Tournament & Events Chair

Ed Tucker, age 46, grew up at the Beaches; graduate of Fletcher High School, attended Florida Community College Jacksonville, Director of Golf and Sports Operations at Amelia Island Plantation 1992 – 2004; Director of Golf Sawgrass Country Club 2004 to present; PGA Member 22 years; currently resides in Fernandina Beach with his wife Shelia and two children, Lauren and Kyle.

David Leininger

PGA Professional and Junior Chair with Northern PGA Chapter

David Leininger was born and raised in Virginia Beach Virginia where he attended school at Old Dominion University. He moved to Jacksonville in 1993 and has been in the golf business for the last 10 years. David has served as both the Vice President and President of the Northern Chapter Assistants Association. This service helped him earn the honor of Assistant of the year in 2005. He was elected to PGA membership in September of 2007 and received the Northern Chapter Junior Golf Leader Award for 2008. He is proud to have been selected to join the NFJGA Board of directors as the Northern Chapter Representative.

Richard Whittaker

Scholarship Chair

Richard Whittaker has degrees from the University of Florida and the University of North Florida. He has worked for the Duval County Public Schools since the fall of 1971 as an Assistant Principal of Community Education, Assistant Principal for Student Services (twice),Physical Education Teacher, Head & Assistant Coach for middle school football, baseball, track& basketball. During most of the 13 year coaching at Stilwell Middle School Richard was the Assistant Athletic Director and was the Athletic Director for the last few years before moving back into administration as an Assistant Principal for Student Services. He and his wife of 34 years have 3 grown children. Richard began volunteering with the NFJG when his youngest son, Kyle now 22, started playing on the “Titleist Tour”, now Level 1. That eventually led to him becoming involved with the program as the Tournament Coordinator for Level 1 for the Summer and Winter events and later becoming a part of the Board. Richard’s capacity with the Board has been to be the liaison between the board and parents.

Mike Lynch

Public Relations Chair

Mike Lynch is currently the Vice President-Owner of Golf Marketing Concepts, Inc. in Jacksonville, FL after being the Director of Golf at Windsor Parke Golf Club from 1998 to 2005. He was elected to the PGA of America in 1992 where he has served on many different committees and held every office in the Northern Chapter PGA where he is currently serving as the Chapter Secretary. He was a Board of Directors Founding Member of “Florida’s First Coast of Golf” and on the search committee for hiring its Director. He was previously a Board Member and Rules Official for the PGA Tour Junior Golf Foundation and has returned as a Board Member for NFJG to serve as the Public Relations Chair. He and his wife, Laura, have 5 children, Michael Jr., Shannon, Christopher, Maggie Rose and John Paul.

Lorena Suri

Marketing Chair

Lorena Suri is a Marketing Communications and Creative Director in Jacksonville, her professional experience has focused in developing multidisciplinary marketing media, to drive greater value and help her clients renew and extend relationships; she works for a diverse business portfolio. Lorena is committed to philanthropic activities and community involvement, supporting local cultural activities and sports sponsorships. Before moving to Florida she worked for Kraft Foods in Westchester, NY. Prior to Kraft, she was an Art Director for DePlano Group, a full service agency in New York City.

Lorena is an avid golfer and plays at South Hampton Golf Club. She is a member of the Executive Women's Golf Association. She currently lives in Saint Augustine, with her husband Jagan and her two sons Julian, 18 and Devin, 13; who have been members of NFJG since 2001 when the family moved to Florida. She grew up in Mexico City and graduated from the School of Visual Arts. She holds a BFA with major in Graphic Design.

Bill Rodish

Bill Rodish is a Program Specialist for the St Johns County School District, working out of Allen D Nease High School in Ponte Vedra. Prior to this administrative appointment, he taught advanced marketing at Nease. Bill received a BS in Accounting from St Francis College in Brooklyn, NY after he earned an AAS in Business Administration from Rockland Community College in Suffern, NY. An talented catcher, he played baseball in high school, junior college and at the NCAA Division I level. A native New Yorker, who has also lived in Philadelphia, PA and Dallas, TX, Bill picked up golf when he attended Jacksonville University in the late 70’s. A former baseball and golf coach at Nease, he was exposed to NFJG only last year and loved the direction the tour was headed so he committed to serve on the committee for the end of year banquet. Bill’s family includes his wife, Terri, an entrepreneur with her own pet services business, his son Jack, the REAL golfer in the family, who plays on the NFJG Tour and was recently named to the Landrum Middle School golf team, stepson Jake, a senior at Nease High School and stepdaughter Sarah, who is studying physical therapy at Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Matt Borocz
Head Golf Professional

Matt Borocz started with the TPC Network in 1999 in the outside operations department at TPC Myrtle Beach. In 2002 he was promoted to Assistant Golf Professional. Matt had the opportunity to transfer to TPC Sawgrass in 2004 as an Assistant Golf Professional and promoted to Head Golf Professional in May 2007. Matt’s hometown is Strongsville, OH, which is just southwest of Cleveland, OH. Matt attended Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC and graduated in 2002 with a BSBA in Marketing/Specializing in Professional Golf Management. Matt has been a member of the PGA of America since 2004.

Pat Brennan

Pat Brennan spent his entire career with the IBM Corporation and has extensive experience in marketing and management while working with Fortune 500 clients at the executive level. Pat also has provided leadership in formulating marketing strategy, initiatives and contract negotiations. Other areas of expertise include organizational and strategic planning and cost analysis. Pat is an avid golfer who plays at Selva Marina Country Club where he was actively involved on the Board of Directors, serving as President for two years. Pat and his wife Claire live in Neptune Beach.