Mga Names Brian Mahoney New Executive Director

The Metropolitan Golf Association has named Brian R. Mahoney as the association's new executive director, effective February 1, 2017.

Mahoney has held the role of Managing Director, Rules, Competitions, and GHIN Services for the past two years and has been with the association for 16 seasons. Mahoney will succeed Jay Mottola who, after 34 years in the position, is preparing to step down. Mottola will remain active with the MGA and the MGA Foundation as a senior advisor.

"We are thrilled to name Brian as the new leader of the Association," MGA President Michael Sullivan said. "We underwent a comprehensive search process and were very impressed with the quality of applicants from across the country. Brian's experience, skillset, and knowledge of and passion for the game made him stand out as the top candidate for the position, and we are fully confident that he will continue Jay's leadership role in helping position the MGA as a leader among state and regional golf associations."

Mahoney, 37, first joined the MGA in May of 2001 and became a USGA P.J. Boatwright Jr. Intern while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He graduated in December of 2002 with a degree in Business Administration, and in 2003 was hired full-time with the MGA as an Assistant Tournament Director. In 2008, Mahoney took over for longtime Tournament Director Gene Westmoreland, serving as the Director of Rules and Competitions. He was promoted to Managing Director, Rules, Competitions, and GHIN Services in 2014.

"I am extremely proud and humbled for the opportunity to serve as the next executive director of this storied golf association," said Mahoney. "The MGA has been an integral part of my family's culture for more than 40 years, dating back to my grandfather Gerald T. Mahoney." Gerald Mahoney served as the executive director from 1980-1981 and later as the MGA's director of golf programs.

In his current role, Mahoney has been a member of the Association's senior management team, overseeing core and support functions, with additional leadership responsibilities in supervising the daily operations of the Championship and GHIN Departments. Through Mahoney's leadership, the MGA's prestigious Championship program has been enhanced and expanded, reaching a record number of participants. He has served as a key representative for the MGA in promoting member services to the MGA's more than 550 Member Clubs, and has been a liaison between the MGA and other golf associations.

Thanks to his proficiency in acting as the Official-In-Charge (OIC) for the Met Area's 18 USGA Sectional Qualifying Rounds, Mahoney has been appointed by the USGA to spearhead a task force to oversee the creation of their OIC Tournament Operations Best Practices pilot program. Mahoney has also volunteered as a Rules Official and Rules Committee member for numerous USGA national championships in the Met Area, and beyond.

"It's a very exciting time for our team here at the MGA, our volunteer leadership, and the entire Met Area golfing community, as we all work together toward the goal of seeing the game continue to grow and prosper," Mahoney continued.

Mahoney, who grew up in the greater Milwaukee area, resides in Stamford, Conn., with his wife Kelly and their two children.