Joe Steranka was named The PGA of America's Chief Executive Officer in 2005, and is a 28-year veteran of the sports industry, the last 20 with The PGA. He has adopted the phrase, "Think global and act local," in guiding The PGA and the golf industry both domestically and around the world in his two decades of work and service.

Since his start in 1988, Steranka has directed the expansion of The PGA's events, media assets and industry marketing and research programs, including two of the game's most significant international tournaments, the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup; one of golf's most popular Web sites, PGA.com; golf's leading player development initiative, Play Golf America; and the industry's leading monthly measurement tool, PGA PerformanceTrak.

Recently, Steranka has steered the golf industry's government relations and diversity efforts and is leading a global alliance of international PGAs to grow the game and business of golf worldwide. He also championed a new branding initiative which celebrates the expertise of The PGA of America's 28,000 men and women golf Professionals, who make The PGA the world's largest working sports organization.

As the stature of The PGA and its members have grown, so too has the golf industry. In 2005, golf produced a direct economic impact of $76 billion on the United States economy, generating 2 million jobs with $61 billion in total wages, and raising more than $3.5 billion annually for charity.

In his role as chief executive, Steranka also serves on the Board of Directors for Children's Healthcare Charity, Inc., which operates the PGA Tour's Honda Classic; the Environmental Institute for Golf's Advisory Council; the Board of Directors of the World Golf Foundation; and the Selection Committee for the World Golf Hall of Fame. He is also a National Trustee for The First Tee and Chairman of Golf 20/20, an industry council dedicated to sustaining the future vitality of the game.

Steranka began his love affair with the sports industry with the NBA's Washington Bullets and Cleveland Cavaliers. In 1983, he joined renowned sports management firm ProServ. Through his efforts with legendary sports agents Donald Dell and David Falk, Steranka created public relations and marketing programs for leading sports celebrities, including Michael Jordan, Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe.

A 1979 journalism graduate of the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism at West Virginia University, Steranka and his wife, Joann, make their home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.