Rick Burton named Chairman and CEO; Chad Parker named General Manager and Chief Operating Officer
ATLANTA (August 26, 2014) – The historic East Lake Golf Club has promoted two long-time executives, Rick Burton and Chad Parker, to new roles at the Club. Burton has been promoted to Chairman and CEO of the East Lake Golf Club and Parker has been promoted to General Manager and Chief Operating Officer. With more than 15 years of service each, Burton and Parker have been instrumental in transforming the East Lake Golf Club into the premier golf club it is today.
Burton will be focused on the strategic planning of the Club’s long-term projects, including the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, the culminating event in the Fed Ex Cup. Parker’s duties will include managing day-to-day operations of the Club, including its activities and the relationships between its members, guests, employees and community partners. Parker will report directly to Burton.
Burton, who has served as General Manager of the East Lake Golf Club for the past 15 years, is a PGA Master Professional with 43 years of experience in the golf industry. He served on the PGA Rules Committee for 30 years and has served as a Rules official for over 50 Major Championships, including 28 PGA Championships. He was also instrumental in the development of golf as a competition sport for Special Olympics. In 1992, Burton received the national Horton Smith Award for contributions to PGA education.
Parker started his career in the golf business as an Assistant Golf Professional at NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa, Alabama before moving to the East Lake Golf Club in 1996. In 1997, he was named Head Golf Professional and earlier this year was named Director of Golf. In those positions, he has served as host professional for 13 PGA TOUR events and three major amateur events, including the 101st United States Amateur in 2001. In 2013, he successfully completed the requirements for PGA Certification in General Management, an honor that places him among the top 3% of the 22,000 members of The PGA of America.
“This is a special milestone and recognition for both Chad and me,” said Burton. “I want to thank Tom Cousins for this great opportunity, and to congratulate Chad on reaching one of the pinnacles of golf. We pride ourselves on running one of the best golf clubs in the world, and it is especially meaningful because our work contributes directly to the larger East Lake community – one of the most remarkable urban revitalization stories in the United States.”
Located in Atlanta, the East Lake Golf Club is the home course of legendary golfer Bobby Jones and is the oldest golf course in the city of Atlanta. The Club is not only historic, but philanthropic as well. Proceeds from operations – more than $20 million to date – support the East Lake Foundation, which has helped transform one of the nation’s worst public housing projects into a thriving community. Additional information may be found at www.eastlakegolfclub.com.