Jon Mays: New ED of the MGA

On September 22, the Minnesota Golf Association announced Jon Mays as its newly hired executive director and chief operating officer. Mays, 34, is the seventh executive director in the association's 122-year history, succeeding Tom Ryan, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Mays will lead the MGA staff in serving the association's 90,000 associate members, more than 400 member golf clubs and 14 allied golf industry associations.

“My family and I are thrilled to be stepping into a role that will allow me to serve the game and our members in my home state,” says Mays, adding, “Golf has played an important role in my life both personally and professionally, and I look forward to using this platform to enact change for other Minnesota golfers. I want to thank Ede [Rice] and the other members of the search committee for putting their faith in me to succeed Tom. Golf in Minnesota is in a better place because of his leadership, and I look forward to working with our experienced staff to carry on his legacy.”

Mays, who is a Bloomington native, returns to Minnesota after a five-year stint with the University of New Haven, first as an associate director of athletics before he was promoted to overseeing the department of athletics as its director. Under his leadership, the department received record levels of funding, the UNH Charger Athletics Fund flourished and the athletics center underwent key facility upgrades. In Mays' time, the Chargers football and basketball programs have achieved success on the field and court, including consecutive trips to the NCAA Playoffs and an appearance in the Elite Eight for the men's basketball team. While at New Haven, Mays was instrumental in establishing new men's and women's varsity golf programs in 2022.

“Succeeding a legacy leader like Tom Ryan is no small task,” says Ede Rice, MGA president. “We at the MGA are delighted to begin working with Jon. With his Minnesota roots and passion for golf, he has the perfect skill set and leadership experience to guide our talented staff into the future,” adds Rice.