by
Dave Phipps
| Jul 14, 2020
Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming once said, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu." As simple as it sounds, it rings true in today’s climate. If golf doesn’t have a voice, how are the lawmakers going to understand how their actions are influencing an $84 billion industry? What we are all hearing in the news today is just a sliver of what really goes on in today’s politics. The news just seems to want to sensationalize all the controversial stories, thus turning people away from getting involved. The fact is, there is a lot of great work that is happening down the middle of the aisle and GCSAA has provided us with the opportunity to be part of the action.
In 2014, GCSAA embarked on the Grassroots Ambassador Program with a goal to match a GCSAA member with every congressional and senate member. As of today, we have filled 429 out of 535 positions!
In 2016, Michael Lee was hired as the government affairs manager and tasked with taking on the Grassroots Ambassador Program and filling the positions by the end of 2020. It seems like a daunting task, but Michael is up to the challenge.
Michael received his degree in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma in 2007. From there, he interned at Oklahoma State for Senator Inhofe’s office where he eventually worked his way to the state director and reported directly to Inhofe’s Chief of Staff. He worked there until 2015.
I asked Michael what he found most rewarding while working for Senator Inhofe. He felt it the ability to interact with such a wide range of industries and individuals. He was exposed to so much from across the state, dealing with such a wide range of issues. While there, he had established relationships, which to this day he is able to reach out to.
In 2016, Michael found his way to Kansas City but was still longing to work in government advocacy. That’s when he found the position at GCSAA. This gave him the opportunity to work with a wide range of individuals across the country, who happen to represent the game of golf which he loves. From the beginning, Michael earned the respect of my fellow field staff counterparts and began working along side us to fill the ambassador positions.
There was a steep learning curve at the beginning, but Michael quickly learned of the immense knowledge possessed by our members, and quickly began to glean everything he could. It soon became a two-way street and he was empowering Grassroots Ambassadors and showing them how to use their voice. He says what charges his batteries most is when he sees members make successful connections with congressional members or their staff and form a successful relationship.
When I asked Michael to site one thing that can demonstrate the fruits of his labor, he pointed out a recent issue where we need to get information out to the 50 plus member, House Appropriations Committee. He said we should have a very strong voice here because we have all but four of those ambassador parings complete. When we send a unified message to all those members of congress, they are bound to hear us.
Speaking to the Northwest region, I would like to thank all the members who have stepped up and volunteered for the Grassroots Ambassador Program. We have now filled every one of our 47 available positions — twice actually. This tells me that the Northwest members are willing to get engaged and make a difference.
Remember, Plato once said, “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."