The PGA of America on Saturday "approved a five-year contract extension" for CEO PETE BEVACQUA at its annual meeting in San Diego. Bevacqua was given a three-year contract when named to the position last year (GOLFWEEK.com, 11/24). Bevacqua said, “It’s been such a wonderful year; so exciting for me, as I said to the delegates today. Certainly for me, from a professional point-of-view, the most exciting year I’ve had. To think that I know I’ll be doing this for at least five more years and serving our 27,000 PGA professionals and being a part of this organization, for me it’s absolutely a dream come true” (“Golf Central,” Golf Channel, 11/23).
EXECS: Omnicom Sports Managing Dir TOM MCGOVERN has been named President of the division (Omnicom)....WWE Senior VP/Global Sales & Partnership Marketing MICHAEL PINE has left the company "less than seven months after he was named" to the position. Meanwhile, NFL Giants VP/Business Development DOUG SMOYER is leaving the team after six years "to join the NFL league offices with the same title." Smoyer will report to Senior VP/Sponsorship & Partnership Management RENIE ANDERSON. ESPN Senior Dir of Advertiser Insights JULIE PERLISH also is joining the NFL as VP/Consumer Insights & Research (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/25 issue)....The Braves named former MLB Rangers and Indians GM JOHN HART Senior Advisor/Baseball Operations. Hart "spent the past 12 seasons with the Rangers, eight as senior advisor after four as GM." He will continue to serve as an MLB Network studio analyst (AJC.com, 11/22)....Raycom Media Exec VP & COO WAYNE DAUGHERTY will retire Dec. 31 after 44 years in the TV industry (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 11/22)....Univ. of Pennsylvania AD STEVE BILSKY will retire on June 30 after nearly 20 years at the school (Penn)....Henderson State Univ. named Central Missouri Senior Associate AD/External Operations SHAWN JONES AD beginning in January (HSU)....Mount Holyoke College named Stanford Senior Associate AD/External Relations CHRISTINE HUTCHINS VP/Marketing & Communications (Mount Holyoke)....The Southern Nevada Sports HOF named ROB PORTARO Exec Dir. Portaro previously served as the HOF's Chair in '10 and '11, and begins his two-year appointment on Dec. 1 (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 11/22)....Puma named SOLANGE KNOWLES Art Dir & Creative Consultant. Knowles is the younger sister of singer BEYONCE (AFP, 11/22).
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