GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — PGA Master Professional Don Rea Jr. was elected the 44th President of the PGA of America today at the Association’s 108th Annual Meeting at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rea will serve a two-year term, representing the more than 31,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals.

Succeeding Rea as Vice President is Nathan Charnes, PGA, the General Manager and Director of Golf of WingHaven Country Club in O’Fallon, Missouri, and a member of the Gateway PGA Section.

About PGA of America Vice President Nathan Charnes, PGA
PGA of America Vice President Nathan Charnes, PGA, is a second-generation PGA Golf Professional from southern Indiana. He played college golf at the University of Evansville, graduating in 2001, then passed the Playing Ability Test (PAT) and became a PGA of America Member while spending a short period working in the Indiana and Kentucky sections. In 2004, Charnes and his wife, Eva, moved to St. Louis, where he became PGA Head Professional at WingHaven Country Club in O’Fallon, Missouri, ascending to General Manager and Director of Golf in 2011.

For the past 20 years, Charnes has been involved extensively with the PGA of America, both locally and nationally. At the local level, he served as the Education Chairman for the Gateway PGA Section, which led to him serving on the Gateway PGA Board of Directors from 2011-18.

His national involvement grew when then-PGA of America President Allen Wronowski asked Charnes to join the National PGA Membership Committee, one of five national committees on which he has served. He was later elected to the PGA of America Board of Directors as District 7 Director (Gateway, Midwest and South Central PGA Sections), serving from 2019-21.

Charnes is a seven-time Gateway PGA Section Award recipient, including the Section’s 2012 and 2022 PGA Golf Professional of the Year. He played a critical role with the creation of the PGA of America REACH Foundation, which originated in the Gateway Section while Charnes was serving as an Officer; he was recently selected to serve as a Life Trustee for PGA REACH Gateway.

For a full bio of PGA of America Vice President Nathan Charnes, click here.

About the PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 31,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com.