From Loopers to Leaders
“ I was programmed from birth to lead , and that gives you the drive to achieve your full potential .” — Matthew Desch , VSGA member and CEO of Iridium Communications , Inc .
From Loopers to Leaders
“ I was programmed from birth to lead , and that gives you the drive to achieve your full potential .” — Matthew Desch , VSGA member and CEO of Iridium Communications , Inc .
One exemplary program alum with Virginia connections is Matthew Desch , who is the current CEO of Iridium Communications , Inc ., a publicly traded American company with headquarters in McLean .
Desch grew up in Dayton , Ohio , and was one of six children in his family with humble roots . The kids were encouraged to find
The Evans Scholarship program has provided full college tuition and housing for young caddies for almost 90 years .
summer jobs , so Desch followed an older brother into caddying at Dayton Country Club , where he worked for four summers .
His looping experience and participation as a recipient in the Chick Evans Scholarship program landed him at Ohio State University , where he earned his undergraduate degree and went on to work as a software developer with Bell Laboratories .
Desch later became president of Nortel ’ s wireless network division and CEO of Telecordia Technologies , before landing at Iridium , which operates a system of 66 active satellites used for worldwide voice and data communication . The company also supplies global communications capabilities for the U . S . Department of Defense .
The Ohio teen who once guided club golfers around the course , seeking optimal fairway and green positions , now directs a company with total assets valued at more than $ 3.2 billion , with 244 employees at operation centers in Leesburg and Tempe , Ariz .
Desch recalled in a 2013 story for the WGA ’ s Evans Scholars Magazine that when he was a teen , his parents gave their children the challenge to “ go out and make an impact .”
“ I was programmed from birth to lead , and that gives you the drive to achieve your full potential ,” said Desch , who has continued involvement with the WGA program as a director and foundation contributor . He ’ s also a VSGA member at Westwood Country Club .
GROWTH GOALS
“ Our mission of sending deserving caddies to college has become more critical than ever ,” Kaczkowski said . “ Our goal over the next few years is to increase the number of Evans Scholars in school , provide community living opportunities for all our students , grow the Evans Scholars Program from coast to coast , and expand support services , from caddie to college to career .”
The program ’ s annual scholarship costs are around $ 20 million , but the WGA ’ s Foundation is optimistic it can grow its annual number of scholars to 1,000by 2020 . Fortunately for student caddies , the Foundation is the sole beneficiary of the PGA Tour ’ s BMW Championship , which has raised more than $ 24.4 million for the program since 2007 .
WESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION
28 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY / J UNE 2018 vsga . org