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Staff Directory

Ed Mate
Executive Director/CEO

Bio

Ashley Barnhart
Managing Director of Golf Operations

Bio

Kim Bussey
Manager of Administrative Services

Bio

Robert Duke
Director of Rules and Competitions

Bio

Matthew Walker
Manager of Programs

Bio

Erin Gangloff
Managing Director of Programs

Bio

Aaron Guereca
Manager of Club and Facility Services

Bio

Aaron Kellough
Director of Communications

Bio

Debbie Kolb
Manager of Finance

Bio

Joe McCleary
Chief Business Officer

Bio

Kate Moore
Director of Competitions

Bio

Emily Olson
Manager of Caddie Development

Bio

Ryan Smith
Chief Development Officer

Bio

Brent Vasa
Director of Junior Competitions

Bio


Ed Mate
Executive Director

Ed is a Denver native who grew up playing City Park Golf Course and caddying at Denver Country Club. He graduated from East High School in Denver and is a graduate of the University of Colorado where he attended college on a Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship. Ed received his Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado in 1995. Ed 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. Ed previously served on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee where he contributed to the Rules of Golf Modernization initiative which led to the major rewrite to the code in 2019. Ed has served as a Rules Official at many national championships and tournaments including the U.S. Open and The Masters.

Ashley Barnhart
Managing Director Golf Operations

Ashley got her start with the CGA as a summer intern in 2014. She grew up in small-town Kenmare, North Dakota where she learned to love golf on the local 9 hole course and enjoyed traveling to play the nearby sand green course with her family. Ashley graduated as a student-athlete from the University of Jamestown in Jamestown, ND in 2016 with a BA in Elementary Education and minors in Early Childhood Development and Business Administration. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Ashley is a multi-sport athlete who is passionate about competition and recognizes the true value of athletics. In her spare time, she enjoys coaching high school girls basketball, watching sunsets, running, and eating chocolate.

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, it was time for a change.  When a friend told her about the opening at CGA, she knew this was the change she was looking for.  Kim is new to the game of golf as a player but loves being out on the golf course and caddying for her husband.  Kim has been married to her high school sweetheart for 34 years and has 2 children.  She is very excited about this new opportunity and increasing her knowledge of golf.

Robert Duke
Director of Rules and Competitions

Robert Duke grew up in Nashville, Tennessee but has spent the last several years travelling throughout the country within the golf industry. He has resided and worked in Jacksonville, FL., Pebble Beach, CA., Chicago, IL., and now Denver, CO. Robert was lucky enough to realize early on that he had a passion for golf and he quickly established golf administration to be his avenue into the professional world.

Matthew Walker
Manager of Programs

Matthew Walker joined the staff as a USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern in December 2014. Originally from La Habra, California Matthew graduated in February 2015 with his Bachelor of Science degree in Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management from Johnson & Wales University in Denver.

Prior to working for the CGA, Matthew was a Program Coach at The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch where he provided class organization, instruction, and administrative support. He also worked in the golf shop at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. With the conclusion of his internship in February 2016, Matthew continues to work with the CGA as Program Manager.

Erin Gangloff
Director of Community Outreach

Erin is a Colorado native who played golf for and graduated from Smoky Hill HS 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, then she worked for Clear Channel in promotions. Erin was hired by the Colorado Golf Association in January of 2007 as a PJ Boatwright Intern and joined the staff full-time that September as the Eisenhower-Evans Scholarship Recruiter. In 2011, she was named the Director of Youth Programs managing the CGA’s outreach programs, Evans Scholar oversight and current fundraising efforts.

Aaron Guereca
Manager Club and Facilities Services

Aaron was formerly with the First Tee of Denver where he coordinated with the director of in school programming, executed assigned lesson plans to the golf participants, communicated with co-workers to efficiently complete tasks, managed material inventory, supervised and upheld the first tee’s core values.

He was also responsible for the physical safety of golf participants ages four through eighteen during golf instruction, facilitating pre-planned lessons, supervised instructors and junior coaches, communicated with the executive office, co-managed facility maintenance, participated in weekly job training, and provided customer service to parents of participants.

Aaron Kellough

Director of Communications

A Colorado native (born in Aspen), Aaron graduated from Colorado State University in 1990 with a BA 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 then “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 his senior year. His love for the game, however, 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. He has earned over 100 trophies and plaques over the years in these three sports, and has only earned ONE trophy in golf…a CGA State Championship trophy! Aaron has two children who will beat him in golf more often than not, and once they graduate to middle school in a couple of years, he plans on letting them play with more than 4 clubs in their bag.

Debbie Kolb
Managing of Administrative Services

Debbie joined the staff  of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association in June 2016 as bookkeeper/admin assistant. Debbie has had her own bookkeeping/consulting business since 1989, and she spent the last 20 years in the medical transcription field working both as an independent contractor and as an employee for several transcription services. Golf became her passion in the mid-80’s, and she has been a member of and held various office positions for women’s leagues in Arizona, Mississippi, South Carolina, and now Colorado.

She is President of the Saddle Rock Ladies Golf Association and has also been Vice President and Tournament Chairman since joining Saddle Rock in 2008. Debbie received her BS from Meredith College in Business Administration and Computer Sciences and spent the first part of her career working as a secretary/admin assistant. She is very excited to be a member of the CGA staff and involved with the sport she loves.

Joe McCleary

Joe is a certified golf course superintendent. He 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 provides oversight for human resources, information technology, office infrastructure, financial operations, CommonGround Golf Course operations, course rating and handicapping services, GHIN software/customer support, and club and facility training and education. Joe has been active nationally on many Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) committees, is a past President of the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association, superintendent at Saddle Rock Golf Course for 17 years, and was a CGA volunteer for 14 years.

Kate Moore
Director of Competitions

Kate Moore joined the staff of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association in  January 2016 as the Manager, Tournament Administration and Member Programs. Kate 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 the USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern.

Originally from Shepparton, Australia Kate came to the US on a women’s golf scholarship to the University of Cincinnati where she majored in Health Sciences. She has also completed a Master’s of Science in Sport Management from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she was the graduate assistant for the women’s golf program. She is excited to start a new chapter in her life, in the beautiful state of Colorado.

Emily Olson
Managing of Caddie Development

Emily grew up in Kansas City but came out 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 Communications Major. After graduation, she worked in radio sales for a year and a half at Clear Channel. It didn’t take her long to realize she missed being around the game of golf and in 2009 she was hired by the CGA as their P.J. Boatwright Intern. Unfortunately once her internship was done with the CGA they did not have an opening on their staff for her so she went and worked on the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, where she was in charge of Hospitality Sales. Once the Senior PGA Championship was completed, Emily went to work for the City of Denver and The First Tee of Denver. In October of 2011, a position with the CGA opened up and Emily was brought on as The Evans Scholar Recruiter.

Ryan D. Smith
Chief Development Officer

Ryan is a 3rd generation Colorado native and proud Colorado State University graduate of the College of Business. As the Chief Development Officer, Ryan 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. Ryan brings more than 18 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, having served most recently as the Director of Development and Communications for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.

Brent Vasa

Brent grew up in small town Holyoke, Colorado. He learned the game of golf from his dad playing on the local 9 hole course, his passion grew for golf when he attended a Junior Golf Clinic in Sterling, Colorado. Brent started playing competitive golf when he was in 6th grade.  After high school Brent joined the Marine Corps and was discharged honorably in 2016. After the service Brent attended the Golf Academy of America – Orlando and graduated with and Associates in Golf Complex Operations and Management. While attending college Brent worked at Arnold Palmer’s Bayhill Club and Lodge. In 2018 Brent was hired for the 2018 to be the USGA Boatwright for the JGAC, after his internship Brent was hired as the Program Specialist with The First Tee Green Valley Ranch.