A Lasting
A new home and the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame were
highlights of Gib Palmer’s two-year run as VSGA President
I STINK AT PLAYING GOLF.
So how does a player with a 12 handicap
ever become President of the Virginia State
Golf Association? With a long list of accomplished golfers having led the VSGA over the
years, it may seem odd that I was elected to
this prestigious leadership position. Nearly
25 years ago, I wanted to get involved in golf,
and realizing that it wasn’t going to happen
due to my exemplary play, I decided to volunteer to work at tournaments. And that’s
how it all began.
I helped out at several tournaments, serving as a “spotter” and later as a Rules official. Then, one day I got a phone call from
David Norman, former Executive Director
of the VSGA, telling me that Norris Holt was
retiring as the Sectional Chairman of the
Richmond South Section. He asked me to
succeed Norris. I immediately accepted, and
that was my first “official” position with the
VSGA. Since then, I have served as a VSGA
Board Member, then Treasurer, Secretary,
Vice President, and finally, President.
As I look back on my term as President, I
do so with great appreciation for the wonderful opportunity that was presented to
me. The VSGA staff and Board members are
talented, experienced and dedicated to serv-
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ing golf in Virginia. It has been a privilege to
lead the organization for the past two years
and my hope is that I have contributed to
strengthening the VSGA.
“As I look back on my
term as President,
I do so with great
appreciation for
the wonderful
opportunity that was
presented to me.”
We accomplished several big things over
the past two years. The first order of business
was to find a new home for the VSGA. We
explored three different options—leasing
space, as we had always done; buying an
existing building and modifying it to suit our
needs; or building our own facility, designed
specifically for our future needs.
Executive Director Jamie Conkling and
Director of Finance and Administration
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 6
Natasha Triplett embarked on a mission
to investigate all the possibilities. In their
search, they found a lot in the Salisbury
subdivision of Midlothian, not two miles
from our current home at Independence
Golf Club. Then came many evening conference calls with the VSGA Executive
Committee and staff to discuss the viability
of purchasing the lot and designing and
building a new home.
Fortunately, Gary Beck, who was our
Treasurer, is a commercial real estate professional, and he was instrumental in guiding
us throughout the process. In May 2015, we
moved into our new headquarters building,
and I’m pleased to say that our project was
completed under budget! In hindsight, the
decision to purchase the lot and build the
new facility seems obvious, but it was not
always so. I’m proud of the role the staff and
Executive Committee played in reviewing
all the options, providing input and direction, and ultimately managing the design,
construction, and moving of our staff. And
I think the VSGA Board deserves credit for
supporting the project, a decision that will
benefit the VSGA for many years to come.
For the first time in the history of the VSGA,
we own our headquarters, and I think that’s
a good thing.
As part of our Long Range Plan proje