HARRISON, N.Y. (December 2, 2010) – Gene M. Bernstein of Sebonack Golf Club was elected to a one-year term as president of the Metropolitan Golf Association at the Association’s 113th Annual Meeting on Wednesday, December 1 at Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y. Bernstein is the MGA’s 59th president and will head a 22-member Executive Committee and serve as chairman of the Association’s charitable Foundation.

Bernstein, 63, became a member of the MGA Executive Committee in 2002, and served as Secretary in 2007 and 2008 and as Vice President since 2009. He has been an active member of The Met Golfer editorial committee over the entire period and has served on the board of The First Tee of Metropolitan New York. His goals as President include continuing to expand the initiatives of the MGA Foundation, which include the GOLFWORKS student intern program, The First Tee of Metropolitan New York, and a wide array of educational programs, as well as to enhance the awareness of the MGA and its Foundation’s services and programs among a greater percentage of club members and area golfers.

“I’ve had many great experiences during the 50 years that I have been involved with golf, but this is the best,” said Bernstein. “It is truly a great honor to be leading an organization that has done so much to preserve and promote this wonderful sport. The game of golf has brought so much pleasure to so many people, on and off the course. I am confident that the MGA will continue to protect what is best about the sport while evolving with the socio-cultural changes and challenges the sport faces.”

Bernstein earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in English Literature, a subject he taught for eight years as a professor at both the University of Notre Dame and the University of Arizona. He is the chairman and past president of Northville Industries, the petroleum marketing division of NIC Holding Corp., based in Melville, N.Y. Bernstein co-founded and served as the general chairman of the Northville Long Island Classic, a successful Champions Tour event that had a 21-year run ending in 2008 as the Commerce Bank Classic. The Northville Classic won the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association’s Bing Crosby Tournament Sponsor Award in 1996.

Bernstein currently serves on several boards, including those of Alfred University, the Institute for Student Achievement, the Nassau County Police Department Foundation, and the Conference of Governing Boards, which is comprised of 3,000 trustees of private colleges and universities in New York. He has received numerous awards and honors over the years, among them the 2010 Long Island Association Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award and the 2002 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Bernstein lives in Manhattan with his wife, Pam, and they have two daughters and two grandchildren. He succeeds Allan W. Small of Fairmount Country Club, who served two consecutive terms as MGA president from 2009-10.

“Gene has been a dedicated advocate of golf in the metropolitan area,” said Small. “Whether it involved a Champions Tour event or the MGA, his service to the game has been exemplary. I know he will lead with honor and keep the MGA moving forward.”

Also elected at the MGA Annual Meeting were Jeffrey R. Holzschuh of Winged Foot Golf Club as Vice President, and Stephen F. Boyd of Baltusrol Golf Club as Secretary/Treasurer. In addition, the MGA’s 22-member Executive Committee added one newly elected member, Jordan Ziegler of the Glen Oaks Club, and the MGA Foundation welcomed Stephen Worth of The Creek to its Board of Directors.

More than 260 club delegates, MGA committeemen, members of the press, and representatives of the local and national golf communities attended the MGA Annual Meeting & Dinner. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Association’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, to former MGA President Paul R. Dillon. The award recognized Dillon’s dedication to spreading golf’s values and traditions as an Association leader, coach and artist over the last 25 years. Also presented was the 2010 MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award to Joe Saladino of Huntington Country Club. Saladino finished on top of the Polo Golf MGA Player of the Year Points Standings for the second time in three years thanks to four Met Area victories and career-best finishes at the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur championships. An exceptionally large audience showed great respect and appreciation for the accomplishments of both Dillon and Saladino as each accepted their respective award. Click here for a photo gallery of the evening.

A complete list of the MGA Executive Committee and Officers for the 2011 operating year follows. For more information on the MGA Annual Meeting and the elected officers please contact Greg Midland at gmidland@mgagolf.org or 914-909-4850.

2011 MGA EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

                Gene M. Bernstein, Sebonack Golf ClubPresident

                Jeffrey R. Holzschuh, Winged Foot Golf Club      Vice President

                Stephen F. Boyd, Baltusrol Golf Club      Secretary / Treasurer

For members of the Executive Committee, the above Officers and:

                Philip T. Fabrizio - Knickerbocker Country Club

                Steven J. Green - Stanwich Club

                Brian C. Leftwich - Essex County Country Club

                James M. Litvack - Springdale Golf Club

                Tod D. Pike - Apawamis Club

                Christopher C. Quick - Blind Brook Club

                Ned Steiner - Mountain Ridge Country Club

                Michael J. Sullivan - Garden City Country Club

                H. Craig Treiber - Nassau Country Club

                Roger H. Tulcin - Quaker Ridge Golf Club

                Douglas Vergith - St. George’s Golf & Country Club

                Jordan Ziegler - Glen Oaks Club

And in accordance with Article V of the Constitution - four special members:

                President of the Long Island Golf Association (James Dunne)

                President of the New Jersey State Golf Association (John B. Murray) 

                President of the Westchester Golf Association (Robert Bluestone)

                President of the Women's Metropolitan Golf Association (Beth Post)

And the last three living past presidents of the Association shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.