Ed Mate
Executive Director/CEO
Ed is a Denver native who grew up playing at City Park Golf Course and caddying at Denver Country Club. He graduated from East High School in Denver and later attended the University of Colorado on a Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship. Ed earned his master’s degree from the University of Colorado in 1995.
He has worked in golf administration since first joining the CGA staff in 1985 and became executive director in 2000. Ed currently serves on the boards of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. He previously served on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, where he contributed to the Rules of Golf Modernization initiative, which led to a major rewrite of the code in 2019.
Ed has officiated at many national championships and tournaments, including the U.S. Open and The Masters.
Kim Bussey
Manager Administrative Services
Kim Bussey joined the CGA staff in January 2019 as the Manager of Administrative Services. After 32 years in the commercial insurance industry, she was ready for a change. When a friend told her about the opening at CGA, she knew it was the opportunity she had been looking for.
Kim is new to the game of golf as a player but loves being out on the course and caddying for her husband. She has been married to her high school sweetheart for 34 years and has two children. She is very excited about this new opportunity and looks forward to increasing her knowledge of golf.
Erin Gangloff
Chief Marketing Officer
Erin is a Colorado native who played golf for and graduated from Smoky Hill High School in Aurora. She then attended the University of Northern Colorado, where she played on the women’s varsity golf team and earned her B.A. in Journalism.
After graduating in 2005, Erin interned in Florida for the LPGA before working in promotions for Clear Channel. She was hired by the Colorado Golf Association in January 2007 as a P.J. Boatwright Intern and joined the staff full-time that September as the Eisenhower-Evans Scholarship Recruiter.
In 2011, she was named Director of Youth Programs, managing the CGA’s outreach programs, Evans Scholar oversight, and fundraising efforts. In 2019, she became the Managing Director of Programs, overseeing all CGA outreach programs and membership. In 2023, she was named Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing CGA communications, marketing, and membership.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her daughter!
Aaron Guereca
Managing Director of Club and Facility Services
Aaron is a Colorado native who grew up in North Denver. He started playing golf at the age of five and was involved in the First Tee program throughout his youth. He attended East High School and graduated in 2009. As a recipient of the Evans Scholarship, he attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where he earned his B.S. in Integrative Physiology.
In addition to working with First Tee, Aaron began his golf administration journey as a USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern with the Colorado Women’s Golf Association in 2016. He has since climbed the ranks to become the Managing Director of Club and Facility Services.
In his free time, he enjoys collecting shoes, playing all sports—especially golf—spending time with family and friends, and enjoying a nice cocktail every now and then. His claim to fame is playing with Craig Stadler and finishing third in the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in 2008.
Ashley Harrell
Chief Operating Officer
Ashley got her start with the CGA as a summer intern in 2014. She grew up in the small town of Kenmare, North Dakota, where she developed a love for golf on the local nine-hole course and enjoyed traveling with her family to play at a nearby sand-green course.
Ashley graduated from the University of Jamestown in 2016 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and minors in Early Childhood Development and Business Administration while competing on the women’s golf team. In 2021, she earned her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University.
A multi-sport athlete, Ashley is passionate about competition and deeply values the impact of sports. She enjoys playing golf with her husband, Kory, going to the park with her daughter, Kyndal, watching sunsets, and eating Crumbl cookies.
Lewis Harry
Director of Rules and Competitions
Lewis is a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and has been around the game of golf from an early age. He graduated in 2016 from the PGA Golf Management Program at New Mexico State University with a B.B.A. in Marketing and was elected to PGA Membership in 2018.
Before joining the CGA, Lewis spent time with the Philadelphia PGA Section as a PGM intern and later as a full-time staff member, serving as the Junior Tour Director in his final years with the section. In December 2021, he joined the CGA team as the Director of Rules and Competitions, where his main responsibilities include overseeing CGA Men’s Championships and USGA Qualifiers, as well as managing Rules of Golf education and digital content.
Hannah House
Manager of Member Engagement
Hannah House is from Raleigh, North Carolina, and comes from a long line of unexceptional golfers. She grew up as a competitive swimmer before becoming more interested in golf in high school, where she would occasionally skip class to play or watch golf.
Hannah continued her swimming career as a club athlete at the University of North Carolina, where she studied communication and exercise science. Her passion for a career in sports took her to a variety of places after graduation, including a stint with the CGA as a P.J. Boatwright Intern in 2021. Most recently, she lived in New Orleans, working as a Program Coordinator with First Tee – Greater New Orleans.
Outside of work, Hannah enjoys reading, hiking, and watching Carolina basketball!
Mark Kelbel
Director of Broadmoor Caddie & Leadership Academy
Mark grew up in Harbor Springs, Michigan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in Hospitality Management from Texas Tech.
Mark has received numerous awards in the golf world, including the 2015 Bill Strausbaugh Award for mentoring, the 2017 Colorado Golf Professional of the Year, and the 2017 Community Hero Award in Colorado Springs.
Before joining the CGA staff, Mark served as the Head Golf Professional at The Broadmoor from 2001 to 2019. He has since founded and served as the Chairman of Fearless Golf and is a board member of the PGA Reach Colorado Section.
Mark is a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan. In his free time, you’ll find him fly fishing, hiking, or pursuing his pilot’s license.
Aaron Kellough
Director of Creative Services
A Colorado native (born in Aspen), Aaron graduated from Colorado State University in 1990 with a B.A. in Speech Communication. He joined the CGA in 1998 and now has a desk and a red stapler in the CGA utility closet.
His Colorado golf media credentials include being a former golf talk show host in Denver (“In the Fairway” on 850 KOA and later “Chip Shots” on 950 THE FAN). His radio career began (and some say should have ended) when he won the 1998 regional Dick Vitale Sound-Alike Contest.
Aaron has played golf since he was 10 and was a member of the Columbine High School varsity team during his senior year. However, his love for the game far exceeds his actual ability to play it.
Aside from (or rather, in spite of) golf, Aaron is an accomplished dart player, pool player, and bowler. Over the years, he has earned more than 100 trophies and plaques in these three sports—compared to just one in golf: a CGA State Championship trophy!
Aaron and his wife, Kris, have two children who, more often than not, will beat him in golf.
Maddie Kern
Manager of Club and Facility Services
Maddie is a Colorado native who participated in many sports growing up and was even a State Champion in Women’s Basketball at Broomfield High School. She chose golf as her main sport heading into college and went on to compete in Women’s Golf at Regis University, where she earned a BS in Business Marketing.
After working as a CGA Tournament Operations Intern during the summer of her senior year, she decided to pursue a career in golf after college. She worked at Columbine Country Club as an Associate Golf Professional and at GOLFTEC as a Certified Personal Coach.
Now, as the Manager of Club and Facility Services, she serves Colorado and Wyoming in all things WHS and Course Rating. In her free time, you can find her enjoying everything Colorado has to offer, from the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains.
Kayla Kerns
Social Media & Video Content Manager
Kayla spent half of her childhood in St. Louis, Missouri, and the other half in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. She started golfing at the age of 14 on her high school golf team. Shortly after joining the team, she took her first job as a caddie at Big Foot Country Club in Fontana, Wisconsin. Her passion for the game of golf grew quickly.
With only three years of golf experience at the time, she qualified for the WIAA Division I Women’s State Golf Championship in the fall of 2018. She then earned the Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she studied Communications and Digital Media. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in May 2023.
In the summer of 2022, Kayla combined her media skills with her passion for golf as a Digital Communications Intern for the Western Golf Association. There, she gained experience capturing media content, creating graphics, writing press releases, and managing social media platforms for several junior, amateur, Korn Ferry Tour, and PGA Tour events.
Debbie Kolb
Director of Finance
Debbie joined the staff of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association in June 2016 and transitioned to the Colorado Golf Association as part of the integration in 2018. She took over as Manager of Finance in May 2018.
Debbie’s passion for golf began in the mid-1980s. She has been an active member of various women’s leagues in Arizona, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Colorado, holding multiple leadership positions along the way. She currently serves as President of the Colorado State Senior Golf Association and is a member of the Saddle Rock Ladies’ Golf Association, CommonGround Women’s Golf Association, and Aurora Working Women’s Association.
Debbie is grateful to be part of the CGA and to work with a dedicated team who share her love for the game of golf.
Jorge Lopez
Development Manager
Originally from Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, Mexico, Jorge moved to Colorado at the age of six and has called Denver home ever since. Currently a senior at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Jorge is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing.
Jorge honed their skills as a marketing and sales intern for a staffing agency before transitioning into a full-time role in business development. Now, as the Development Manager for the Colorado Golf Association, they focus on fundraising operations and content creation.
Beyond work, Jorge is passionate about classic Colorado activities like hiking and paddleboarding and enjoys showcasing their photography on Instagram.
Joe McCleary
Chief Business Officer
Joe is a certified golf course superintendent who grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Kansas State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado Denver.
As the Director of Business Operations, Joe oversees human resources, information technology, office infrastructure, and financial operations. He has been active nationally on many Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) committees and is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association. He also served as the superintendent at Saddle Rock Golf Course for 17 years and was a CGA volunteer for 14 years.
Kate Moore
Managing Director of Rules and Competitions
Kate Moore joined the staff of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association in January 2016 as the Manager of Tournament Administration and Member Programs. She came from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where she worked for the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) as the Member Programs Assistant. Kate first began with the EWGA in 2013 as a USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern.
Originally from Shepparton, Australia, Kate came to the U.S. on a women’s golf scholarship to the University of Cincinnati, where she majored in Health Sciences. She later completed a Master of Science in Sport Management from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she served as the graduate assistant for the women’s golf program.
She is excited to start a new chapter of her life in the beautiful state of Colorado.
Emily Olson
Director of Caddie Development
Emily grew up in Kansas City but moved to Denver in 2003 to attend the University of Denver. She was a member of the golf team all four years at DU and graduated in 2007 with a major in Communications.
After graduation, she worked in radio sales at Clear Channel for a year and a half. It didn’t take long for her to realize she missed being around the game of golf, and in 2009, she was hired by the CGA as a P.J. Boatwright Intern. Unfortunately, once her internship with the CGA ended, there were no openings on their staff, so she went on to work for the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, where she was in charge of hospitality sales.
After the Senior PGA Championship concluded, Emily worked for the City of Denver and The First Tee of Denver. In October 2011, a position with the CGA became available, and she was brought on as the Evans Scholar Recruiter.
George Petrie
Manager of Competitions
Originally from Rutland, England, George grew up playing competitive junior golf with his twin brother, competing in several junior national championships. He then attended Rutgers University, where he studied Political Science. During the summers while home in England, he gained his first experience in the golf industry by working in the R&A’s Player Services department at the 149th and 150th Open Championships.
After graduating from Rutgers in 2022, George completed a long-term internship with the USGA, specializing in Amateur Championships. Over the summer, he worked in the USGA office, assisting with pre-season administrative tasks before gaining hands-on experience by working on-site at four championships, focusing on championship operations and Rules. It was during this time that George first visited Denver, spending two weeks at the 2023 U.S. Amateur and meeting several CGA staff members.
George’s time with the USGA concluded in September, and after a short stint in Australia working at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, he moved to Colorado to begin his role with the CGA.
Cayla Regnery
Manager of Programs
Cayla, a Chicago, IL native, grew up playing golf at her local 9-hole course with her dad. She went on to play for the women’s basketball team at the University of Southern Indiana, where she earned her B.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education.
After college, Cayla pursued a career in teaching and worked as an elementary school teacher for six years. In her spare time, she rekindled her love for golf and built strong connections with the Evans Scholars Foundation.
Since moving to Colorado, Cayla enjoys hiking, skiing, and working on her short game.
Ryan D. Smith
Chief Development Officer,
CGF Executive Director
Ryan is a third-generation Colorado native and a proud graduate of Colorado State University’s College of Business. As the Chief Development Officer, he oversees the CGA’s marketing, communications, and fundraising efforts in support of the association’s community and member programming. Ryan also serves as the Director of Development for the Colorado Golf Foundation.
With more than 18 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, Ryan most recently served as the Director of Development and Communications for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.
Tim Wimsatt
Director of Education & Grants
Tim is originally from Owensboro, Kentucky—the barbecue capital of the world—and was a multi-sport all-state athlete in baseball and football. However, he also found time to visit the local municipal golf course near his childhood home, where he was first introduced to the game. After high school, he continued his athletic career at the University of Kentucky before transferring to Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he graduated in 2010 with a degree in History and Secondary Education.
Since 2010, Tim has taught five different high school subjects (U.S. History, World History, Government, Economics, and Sociology), pursued a coaching career in multiple states and two different countries, completed two master’s degrees—Teacher Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands (2016) and Educational Administration from Western Kentucky University (2019)—and served as both a middle and high school administrator. Through it all, his passion has remained working with young people to help them achieve their goals and aspirations. He is excited to continue that work with the CGA in this new role.
In his free time, Tim enjoys spending more time on the golf course, as well as camping, hiking, fishing, snowboarding, and relaxing while watching Colorado’s colorful sunsets.
