Hyler Nominated As President of USGA


James B. Hyler Jr. of Raleigh, N.C., has been nominated to serve a one-year term as president of the United States Golf Association by the USGA Nominating Committee. The election of officers and the 15-member USGA Executive Committee will take place February 6, 2010, at the USGA's Annual Meeting in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

As president, Hyler will lead the Association's professional staff and nearly 1,400 volunteers who serve on more than 30 committees.

"I am deeply honored to have been nominated to be president of the United States Golf Association," said Hyler. "I love the game of golf and greatly respect its rich history and traditions. To serve the game in this capacity is a special experience, and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity. I look forward to working with Executive Director David Fay and the talented staff, volunteers and Executive Committee to carry out the Association's core mission in the most efficient and professional way possible."

Hyler is in his sixth year as a member of the USGA Executive Committee, a term that has included three years as a USGA vice president.

A retired banking executive, Hyler is a 1970 graduate of Virginia Tech. He served as chairman of the President's Council for the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Open Championships at Pinehurst and was also instrumental in launching a new chapter of The First Tee in Raleigh.

In addition to his golf-related activities, Hyler is involved in a range of business and civic organizations. He is a member of the board of directors of several companies, including Progress Energy, an investor-owned utility, and also works in a consulting capacity with a private company.

Hyler is a past chair and continues to serve on the board of trustees of Rex Healthcare and the University of North Carolina Healthcare System as well as the board of directors of the North Carolina Chamber. He has also served on many other boards and was chairman of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Raleigh Durham Airport Authority. He is past chairman of two state government fiscal reform committees, positions he held at the request of the governor of North Carolina.

Hyler currently chairs three USGA committees: Championship, Commercial and Compensation. He also serves on the Finance, International Team Selection, Investment Advisory and Management Committees.

Four other current members of the Executive Committee have also been nominated to serve as officers. They are: Cameron Jay Rains of San Diego, Calif., and Glen D. Nager of Washington, D.C., as vice presidents; Thomas J. O'Toole Jr. of St. Louis, Mo., as secretary; and John Kim of New York, N.Y., as treasurer.

The other seven current members of the Executive Committee nominated to continue their service are: Christie Austin of Cherry Hills Village, Colo.; Pat Kaufman of Fort Washington, Md.; Brigid Shanley Lamb of Mendham, N.J.; Christopher A. Liedel of Vienna, Va.; Gene McClure of Atlanta, Ga.; Steve Smyers of Lakeland, Fla.; and Geoffrey Yang of Menlo Park, Calif.

There are three newly nominated members of the Executive Committee for 2010: Daniel Burton of Lititz, Pa.; William Katz of Essex Fells, N.J.; and James B. Williams of Orinda, Calif.

Burton, a graduate of Florida Southern College, where he captained the golf team, is a managing director for RBC Capital Markets and the vice chairman of the board of trustees of Franklin and Marshall College. He served as president of the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) from 2005 to 2008 and was a member of the GAP Executive Committee from 1997 through 2008. In addition, Burton won the 1994 Pennsylvania Mid-Amateur Championship.

Katz is chairman of Visible World, an advanced media technology network that enables the dynamic creation and distribution of video on television and other digital platforms. Katz retired in 2004 as president and chief executive officer of BBDO New York (the flagship office of BBDO Worldwide), the third-largest global advertising agency network. He currently serves on the USGA Communications Committee.

Williams is a partner at TPG Capital (formerly known as Texas Pacific Group), one of the largest private equity firms in the world, and serves on the boards of several public and private companies. He received BS and MBA degrees from the University of Southern California. As a collegiate golfer, he was honored as USC's Outstanding Scholar-Athlete and named to the All Pac-8 Conference golf team. Williams competed in the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

Joseph W. Anthony of Minneapolis, Minn., president of the Minneapolis law firm of Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A., has been chosen as the Association's general counsel for a second consecutive year.

Three current members of the Executive Committee will retire at the 2010 Annual Meeting: James T. Bunch of Denver, Colo.; Irving Fish of Wayzata, Minn.; and James F. Vernon of Pasadena, Calif., who will have completed two years of service as president of the USGA.