My name is Rick Williams and I’m excited to announce my candidacy for the 2024 ERMGC Board of Directors.  I’m a long-time member of ERMGC and I try to play in most of our tourneys, NCGA Qualifiers, and the occasional Club travel events.  I’m also serving as Captain of our Club’s Thursday Team in the NCGA Team Match Play program. Election to the Board would give me the opportunity to give back to ERMGC for the many rewards I’ve reaped from active membership. 

I’ve been golfing for over 50 years but have never sniffed a single-digit handicap.  Countless frustrations have been mitigated by the occasional miracle shot (sound familiar?).   What keeps me playing is the camaraderie, the singular challenge of “self vs course”, and the unique framework of golf’s handicap system that theoretically would enable a mid-high handicapper like me to compete effectively against a pro in net competitions.

Despite my deficiencies in swinging a golf club, I offer the prerequisite qualifications needed to serve on the Board of Directors, which include, but are not limited to: computer literacy, organizational skills, and prior experience serving on boards.  Availability will not be a problem for me as I retired in 2022 after a long career as a wildlife biologist, primarily working on large scale water and energy projects throughout the western U.S.  During that time, I served for over a decade on the Executive Board of my professional society including an elected term as President serving over 700 scientists throughout California, Nevada, and Hawaii.  I also served for three years on the International Council of that professional society.  These experiences have taught me that the primary role of any Board member is to serve the needs of his constituents and I promise to take that responsibility seriously if elected to the ERMGC Board of Directors.  This includes providing timely and courteous responses to all inquiries as well as proper consideration of all member ideas for improving club tournaments and overall operations.

A related qualification that lends itself to serving on the ERMGC Board of Directors is that I have considerable experience as an event coordinator.  I’ve served on Planning Committees for numerous professional conferences with as many as 2,000 attendees, organized several small golf tournaments, and have served as a Course Marshall for the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament at Edgewood in Lake Tahoe.  My “brush with greatness” experience

 includes once sitting at a blackjack table in Mesquite, Nevada next to Arnold Palmer (he did not like to lose!).

In conclusion, I would be honored to serve on the ERMGC Board of Directors and I thank you in advance for your consideration and support in the upcoming election.