That conversation led me to become the
Assistant Director of the Program on the heels of his promotion to Director. For 9 years, I was able to work alongside Jeff and take advantage of his mentorship. I was also able to watch him grow as a professional but more importantly a husband, father and friend. This is the part of the article for which I want people to remember. I watched Jeff serve his family as a man should. He has clearly loved his wife, Amy, since their first date in Jackson, Tennessee. He does everything possible for his two girls, Emily and Lauren. Many of the things he does with and for them have come at the expense of his own interests and hobbies, but he would not have it any other way. It is this loving person that I had the opportunity to be around each day. This is a man that many students, graduates, and colleagues have never seen. I have seen this man invite students over for Thanksgiving Dinner when they couldn’t go home or had nowhere else to go. I have seen him help students in ways people would not believe whether that meant late telephone calls
about internship, tutoring in a difficult subject or simply a shoulder to cry on in a difficult moment. I was blown away in my 9 years with him as he always turned every discussion into, “Ok, that is all good Adam, but how does that help the student? How does that make sure we are preparing them for their future?” I began to find this question somewhat frustrating to answer when I would arrive in the office with a “good” idea only to find out if it did not benefit the students, it wasn’t a good idea.
In the Fall of 2017, Jeff was awarded a PGA National Award. This massive accomplishment is something I was not surprised to see happen as I had a front row seat to his service. I was sitting in my office at the University of Colorado Colorado Spring PGA Golf Management when he called to tell me about the award. When told me we won the award, he quickly changed the subject away from himself and let me know that while this award is special, it does not compare to another professional accomplishment. “What are you talking about,” I asked as he went into detail about my professional accomplishments. “You becoming the Director of the program there in Colorado and hopefully here at
Mississippi State one day will be one of my greatest accomplishments.” I could not believe what I was hearing. In a moment where it should be all about him and his award, he deflected the attention away from him. This is who he truly is and always has been. He cares for others in a manner in which is hard to explain unless you have experienced it yourself.
The Golf House of Kentucky is lucky to have Jeff Adkerson as their Executive Director. He has left the PGA Golf Management Program at Mississippi State University better than he found it and I can only hope to build on what he laid. We miss him here but know he is serving the golf community in Kentucky as only he can, as a completely selfless and caring leader. Good Luck in your new position, Jeff.
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