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The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust Announces 2024 Board of Trustees

By January 5, 2024February 21st, 2024No Comments

During Chairwoman Tina Gregor’s leadership, the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust made notable progress in the previous year. This included the introduction of new initiatives such as the Service to Golf program across the GAP region and the establishment of partnerships that resulted in over $1.2 million in scholarship grants. Currently, over 3,750 young individuals have been beneficiaries of scholarships totaling over $26 million.

The Trust is pleased to welcome John Plower of Tavistock Country Club and James Denon of The Springhaven Club as the newest members of the Platt Board of Trustees. Both of these individuals have been elected to serve a one-year term and were recommended by the J. Wood Platt Nominating Committee, comprised of Mike Ayer, Chairman, Glenn Meyer, and William W. Jeremiah.  Subsequent to the nomination, the slate was approved by the GAP Executive Committee.

Plower is a Senior Managing Director within the Capital Markets Group at JLL (NYSE: JLL) where he focuses on investment advisory services for the industrial asset class. He has been in the commercial real estate industry for nearly twenty years. He earned a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. He lives in Haddonfield, NJ along with his wife, Lindsey and three children, Sadie (10), Jack (8) and Sean (6). He enjoys spending time with his family, attending the kids sporting events and is an avid Philadelphia sports fan. He is a proud member of Tavistock Country Club and is an alumni recipient of the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship. Alumnus.

Originally from Long Island, Jim’s love of golf began during his early caddie days at Hempstead Golf and Country Club (Metropolitan Golf Association). Growing up with the game, he was junior club champion and a recipient of the MGA Caddie Scholarship Fund. He attended Villanova University which brought him to the Philadelphia area. Today, Jim is a Vice President at PCS Retirement, where he has helped build their fiduciary-friendly retirement plan platform and contributed to the firm’s significant growth. He, and his wife Melissa, live in Wallingford, where he has been an active member at The Springhaven Club for over 20 years. He’s a longtime member and former Chair of the golf committee, has served on their Board of Governors, as well as several other committees. Vacation plans usually revolve around golf, with the Coachella Valley and Scotland being favored destinations. Jim is a lifelong proponent of caddie programs and a longtime supporter of the J. Wood Platt Scholarship Trust. He believes in its mission and is thrilled to serve the Trust to make a greater impact to its success for the next generation.

Retiring from the Board are Thomas L. Spano of Llanerch Country Club (Served since 2016, Vice Chair since 2019) and William W. Jeremiah of Bidermann Golf Club (Served since 2012).

In addition, Jeffery R. Mitazk, of Stonewall, is the new Vice Chair, Robert M. Aiken, of St. Davids Golf Club, is the new Secretary, and Timothy T. Corcoran, of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, is the new Treasurer.

Officers:

Chairwoman

Mrs. Tina Gregor
Huntingdon Valley Country Club

Vice-Chairman

Mr. Jeffrey R. Mitzak
Stonewall

Secretary

Mr. Robert M. Aiken
St. Davids Golf Club

Treasurer

Mr. Timothy T. Corcoran
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club

Trustees:

Mr. Powell W. Arms
Philadelphia Cricket Club

Mr. Todd R. Baron
Pine Valley Golf Club

Mr. James Denon
The Springhaven Club

Mr. Nick Francani
Fieldstone Golf Club 

Mr. Edward T. Ellis
Chester Valley Golf Club

Mr. Damon P. Heller
Bent Creek Country Club

Mr. David A. Ix
Merion Golf Club

Mr. William E. Lynch, Jr.
Merion Golf Club

Mr. Brad McFadden
Overbrook Golf Club

Mrs. Shelby Noll
Lancaster Country Club

Mr. John Plower
Tavistock Country Club

Mr. Erik O. Strid
Philadelphia Country Club

Ex-Officio Representatives:

Mr. Ken Phillips, Golf Association of Philadelphia
Lancaster Country Club

Mr. Jim Smith, Jr., PGA of Philadelphia
Philadelphia Cricket Club

Mrs. Sue Harrigan, WGAP
Sandy Run Country Club

J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust

The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created in 1958 and is the charitable arm of GAP (Golf Association of Philadelphia). The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust’s mission is to financially aid and empower qualified caddies and those working in golf operations in the pursuit of higher education. Along with aiding scholars financially, J. Wood Platt’s EMPOWER program strengthens scholarship investment dollars by providing exceptional benefits and leadership training through access to the wide network of J. Wood Platt donors and alumni. To date, more than 3,700 young men and women have received $25 million in aid from the Trust.

JWP

JWP