Founder & Vice Chairman
Betsy King spent 28 years playing on the LPGA tour. She won 34 tournaments including 6 major championships. Elected to the LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fames in 1995, Betsy played on 5 U.S. Solheim Cup teams and was the victorious captain of the 2007 U.S. team. She retired from the LPGA tour in August of 2005 and began Golf Fore Africa in 2007 following a trip to Africa with World Vision in October of 2006. Betsy has been involved with a number of charities including the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, Habitat For Humanity and World Vision.
Chairman of the Board
Chris Hardy currently serves as a WGA Board member for the Captains Golf Club in Brewster, MA and the Marketing Chair for the Tonto Verde Golf Community in AZ. Chris earned her undergraduate degree at Carnegie Mellon University and holds an MBA in marketing from the Wharton Graduate School. As the former Marketing Director of SmithKline Pharmaceuticals and Scott Paper, along with 12 years as a Marketing Research Consultant, Chris brings extensive marketing experience to Golf Fore Africa. Chris has been a donor and volunteer with Golf Fore Africa for over ten years, working with the Pro Am Golf events and as a table sponsor for the Strong Women Strong World luncheons.
Treasurer
Robert J. Fink is a past Golf Fore Africa board member from 2008-2010, and has provided planning, financial, and fundraising assistance since then. He served as Treasurer from 2008 to 2010 and as the head of Financial Services from 2010-2016, during which time he was responsible for overseeing the financial accounting and compliance to IRS rules and regulations. He has worked with Golf Fore Africa’s CPA and Auditor in developing the annual 990’s submitted to the IRS and state of AZ. He has helped develop the annual budget, fundraising campaigns, and written polices and procedures for Golf Fore Africa. Bob served as Rank Captain in the Marine Corps. Bob’s professional experience has come from thirty years at Miller Brewing Co. in all facets of executive operations.
Board Member 2016
John G. King serves on the Governance Center Board of Advisors of the American Hospital Association and on the Board of AHA SmartMarket. John serves as a Director of Commonwealth Governance Foundation. He is an Independent Director of the University of Iowa Health Alliance. John is a trustee emeritus of Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon and received its Distinguished Service Award in 2013. John received an A.B. degree from Dartmouth College in 1961 and an MHA degree from the University of Minnesota in 1963. John and his spouse, Jane, live in Scottsdale, Arizona and Davenport, Iowa.
Board Member 2017
Bill Raleigh’s career was in computers and technology. He was with IBM for 11 years in software and systems engineering positions and at Intel for 21 years. At Intel Bill served in a variety of Senior Management positions including Director of Sales for the Asia Pacific Region and Worldwide Director of Marketing for the Server Group. Locally he served as treasurer for his homeowner’s association and as a school volunteer. He graduated magna cum laude from Northern Arizona University and did graduate work at Marist College. Bill and his wife Diane are the proud parents of three children and eight grandchildren. They are passionate about Golf Fore Africa’s mission and have supported it through volunteer activity and annual contributions for several years.
Secretary
Carol Ann Petren is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston College and received her J.D. and L.L.M. degrees from the University of Missouri School of Law. Carol has board experience with Assoc. of Corp. Counsel and Equal Justice Works and is currently Vice Chairman of the Lupus Foundation of America, a member of the Legends Tour Global Advisory Board and on the Board of Directors of Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, AZ. She has many years of work experience in domestic and international legal and public affairs with CIGNA, MCI, Sears and 18 years of litigation defense and insurance experience in Washington D.C. Carol traveled to Africa with GFA in May 2015, inspiring her involvement and passion with Golf Fore Africa.
Board Member 2009-Present
Wendy Posillico has spent most of her career committed to teaching and coaching. Wendy, an LPGA Teaching Professional, has played on the Futures Tour, Canadian Tour, as well as the Cactus Tour. Prior to committing to professional golf, Wendy earned a BS in Education from the University of Vermont and further pursued her passion for teaching by earning a Masters Degree in Special Education from New York University in 1996. In October of 2007 she traveled to Africa with Betsy King, World Vision, and other LPGA players. She returned to Africa in June of 2017 to dedicate a well to the villagers of Mudeu. In 2016 Wendy became a Bullet Proof and High Performance Coach.
Board Member 2017-Present
Aaron Stead is a business leader and avid golfer who balances community involvement and executive roles at high-growth start-ups. He is very passionate about all aspects of the game of golf. Aaron is an accomplished amateur player and co-founder of the Capital Canyon Club in Prescott, Arizona. He’s been a Friend of Golf for Africa for many years. Aaron resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife Nicole and daughter Piper. As a business leader, Aaron has helped software businesses accelerate growth. Aaron is currently Chief Revenue Officer at Booker, a SaaS business management platform. Prior to Booker, he served as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at InfusionSoft, where he ushered the company to more than 10x growth in both revenue (from $10M to $110M) and size (from 50 employees to more than 650). He brings extensive experience in every aspect of business operations including sales, marketing, strategic business development, partner programs, and customer loyalty and retention. Aaron has an M.B.A. from the Ken Blanchard College of Business at Grand Canyon University and a B.A. in Business Administration and Communication from Arizona State University.
AMBASSADOR for Golf Fore Africa
Born in Memphis, TN. Raised in Edmond, OK. Graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Communications – 2009. Turned pro 2009. Full status – Ladies European Tour – 2012. LPGA Symetra Tour- 2010-2014, 2016-17. Earned full LPGA status 2015 season, conditional 2016. Traveled to Zambia with Golf Fore Africa in Dec 2015. 2 Symetra Tour wins, 2 Cactus Tour wins, 2014 Colorado Womens Open winner.