From Loopers to Leaders
“ I was programmed from birth to lead, and that gives you the drive to achieve your full potential.”— Matthew Desch, VSGA member and CEO of Iridium Communications, Inc.
From Loopers to Leaders
“ I was programmed from birth to lead, and that gives you the drive to achieve your full potential.”— Matthew Desch, VSGA member and CEO of Iridium Communications, Inc.
One exemplary program alum with Virginia connections is Matthew Desch, who is the current CEO of Iridium Communications, Inc., a publicly traded American company with headquarters in McLean.
Desch grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and was one of six children in his family with humble roots. The kids were encouraged to find
The Evans Scholarship program has provided full college tuition and housing for young caddies for almost 90 years.
summer jobs, so Desch followed an older brother into caddying at Dayton Country Club, where he worked for four summers.
His looping experience and participation as a recipient in the Chick Evans Scholarship program landed him at Ohio State University, where he earned his undergraduate degree and went on to work as a software developer with Bell Laboratories.
Desch later became president of Nortel’ s wireless network division and CEO of Telecordia Technologies, before landing at Iridium, which operates a system of 66 active satellites used for worldwide voice and data communication. The company also supplies global communications capabilities for the U. S. Department of Defense.
The Ohio teen who once guided club golfers around the course, seeking optimal fairway and green positions, now directs a company with total assets valued at more than $ 3.2 billion, with 244 employees at operation centers in Leesburg and Tempe, Ariz.
Desch recalled in a 2013 story for the WGA’ s Evans Scholars Magazine that when he was a teen, his parents gave their children the challenge to“ go out and make an impact.”
“ I was programmed from birth to lead, and that gives you the drive to achieve your full potential,” said Desch, who has continued involvement with the WGA program as a director and foundation contributor. He’ s also a VSGA member at Westwood Country Club.
GROWTH GOALS
“ Our mission of sending deserving caddies to college has become more critical than ever,” Kaczkowski said.“ Our goal over the next few years is to increase the number of Evans Scholars in school, provide community living opportunities for all our students, grow the Evans Scholars Program from coast to coast, and expand support services, from caddie to college to career.”
The program’ s annual scholarship costs are around $ 20 million, but the WGA’ s Foundation is optimistic it can grow its annual number of scholars to 1,000by 2020. Fortunately for student caddies, the Foundation is the sole beneficiary of the PGA Tour’ s BMW Championship, which has raised more than $ 24.4 million for the program since 2007.
WESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION
28 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY / J UNE 2018 vsga. org