The International Association of Golf Administrators announced recently that it is honoring Mary Pomroy and Kevin Heaney as recipients of the 2024 IAGA Distinguished Service Award.
The presentation of this award will take place on Nov. 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 recognize Mary and Kevin for their tremendous leadership and remarkable impact on the game at the associations they served, as well as to our IAGA community and the broader golf industry,” said Matt Vanderpool, the Immediate Past President of the IAGA and Chief Executive Officer of Georgia State Golf Association.
Vanderpool led the IAGA Awards Committee through the process of identifying our recipients in 2024. “Mary and Kevin have shown exceptional dedication to elevating the important role that golf associations play in advancing the game, and we look forward to honoring them and highlighting their incredible contributions.”
Mary Pomroy
Pomroy served the Arizona golf community for nearly 30 years with the Junior Golf Association of Arizona, AZ Golf, but most prominently with the Arizona Women’s Golf Association (AWGA) where she served as their Executive Director from 1999 until 2019. Under her leadership, the AWGA was a leader across the country in the promotion, growth, and administration of women’s golf.
Pomroy was instrumental beyond the Arizona golf community by co-founding the Women’s Golf Alliance, an organization that brought together leading organizations in the women’s game to share best practices and collaborate as an industry to facilitate increased women’s participation. In addition, Pomroy served on the IAGA Board of Directors and led the organization as its President in 2019.
She finished out her career in 2019 by helping to facilitate the successful merger of the AWGA and the AZ Golf, a move which brought together the leadership and the staff of both associations to more powerfully serve the game and the golfers of Arizona.
“I can’t tell you how honored I feel to be receiving the Distinguished Service Award from the IAGA. To know I have the respect of those who came after me has a very special meaning” said Pomroy.
Pomroy continues her involvement in golf as a board member for the Junior Golf Association of Arizona Foundation. In retirement, she is enjoying spending more time with her husband, Steve and enjoying a new relocation to Alabama.
Kevin Heaney
Heaney has been a highly 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 last 17 years until his retirement in March 2023.
Heaney’s leadership saw the SCGA grow to an all-time high of 196,000 members across 1,500 clubs. He expanded the SCGA and SCGA Foundation staff significantly and created new departments focusing on public affairs, membership development, and technology. He also played a crucial role in unifying the SCGA with the Public Links Golf Association and the Women’s Southern California Golf Association.
“I am extremely honored to be chosen for this award. It is particularly gratifying knowing that it comes from colleagues who I was privileged to work alongside through my many years in the golf industry” said Heaney.
Heaney’s contributions to the golf community extend beyond the SCGA. Heaney, a Past President of the IAGA, was instrumental in the strategic planning and the organization. He worked closely with the USGA on initiatives that benefited local golf associations across the country and was a mentor and strategist during some of the most critical times in the history of American golf associations.
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 exemplifies true professionalism and possesses many of the following characteristics: leadership, innovation and creativity, mentorship, sharing and promoting an exchange of information, collaborative excellence, exemplary communication skills, and dedicated service to the industry.
