“It is a lifelong dream come true,” Burton said. “To represent golf at the highest levels is just a wonderful opportunity for me. I have loved golf my whole life and to now be a member of the USGA Executive Committee is just a tremendous thrill.”
“We are very excited to have Dan serve on the USGA Executive Committee,” GAP President Richard P. Meehan, Jr. added. “As president of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, Dan was a very effective leader in promoting the game, expanding our tournament schedule and supporting our member clubs. Dan encouraged all of us on the Executive Committee and staff to try and raise the bar on the quality of the Association’s services. We look forward to supporting Dan in his new role with the USGA.”
Burton, of Lititz, Pa., has been a member of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Executive Committee for 10 years. From 2001-02, he served as secretary before becoming vice president in 2003. Burton fulfilled a three-year term as the Association’s president from 2006-08. He is currently the Immediate Past President and will leave the Golf Association of Philadelphia board this October.
“I look back on my time at the Golf Association of Philadelphia as the happiest times of my life. I loved every minute, even when things were not going perfect,” Burton, 60, said. “It was a joy to me to be involved and have a chance to make things better for all the players in Philadelphia.”
From 1996-2004, Burton was a member of the Pennsylvania State Golf Association’s Executive Committee. He believes that his experiences on both boards have prepared him for his upcoming tenure on the USGA Executive Committee.
“I think the time I spent at Pennsylvania and GAP, coupled with my 18 years on club boards, gives me a great background in all the constituencies and issues that surround the game,” Burton said. “I am on the board of Franklin and Marshall College, and the main principle we try to teach is constructive debate — best idea wins. I tried to instill that in both associations and adopt a culture of continuous improvement. We live in dynamic time and especially in golf, we need to always be looking to find ways to better connect people to the game.”
As a USGA Executive Committee member, Burton intends to be a “positive force.”
“I hope to make a difference in some small way so that when I leave I can say that my being there was a positive for golf and the Executive Committee,” he said. “Time will tell what opportunities I will have, but I look forward to working hard at whatever they ask me to do with the attitude that I represent millions of people who love the game and want the game to prosper and be a force of good in our communities.”
Burton will be sworn-in at the USGA’s Annual Meeting in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. on Feb. 6, 2010. A graduate of Florida Southern College, where he captained the golf team, Burton is a managing director for RBC Capital Markets.
