PDGA Staff
Executive Director
The Executive Director is hired and supervised by the PDGA Board of Directors. Joe Chargualaf has served as Executive Director of the PDGA since 2017. In this role he manages the day-to-day business of the PDGA and works with the Board of Directors to develop organizational goals. The Executive Director oversees all directorates, programs, services, and activities of the organization.
Reporting to the executive director are the following departments:
Headquarters Staff
The headquarters staff leads executive tasks, including collaboration and communication with other PDGA directorates to meet established tasks and timelines. The headquarters directorate is responsible for management of the PDGA headquarters office, the International Disc Golf Center, and PDGA accounting.
The headquarters staff also oversees and directs three operational committees responsible for critical PDGA tasks, including Technical Standards, Medical, and Disciplinary Committees.
Policy & Compliance
The Policy and Compliance department oversees the practices and procedures related to the governance of disc golf while also focusing on understanding and meeting external legal and regulatory requirements and driving internal standards and processes to ensure compliance.
Membership & Growth
The Membership and Growth team oversees membership and fulfillment programs. This team works continuously to assess and improve membership benefits and customer support.
This team also manages PDGA board of directors elections, annual awards, affiliate clubs, sports industry conferences, and grant programs. Membership and Growth also builds relationships with partner organizations like the World Flying Disc Federation, the Disc Golf Hall of Fame, and other groups aimed at growing disc golf worldwide. Likewise, Membership and Growth develops and oversees programs directly designed to grow the awareness and participation of disc golf within emerging markets and underserved demographics, including youth and education, international, seniors, women and girls, BIPOC, etc.
Operations
Operations includes both of the following departments: Support & Training and Competition.
Support & Training
The Support and Training team offers seven-day-a-week support to event directors and players. These services include support for event sanctioning, registration, waivers, insurance, day-of troubleshooting, scoring, post event reports, ratings, etc. EST also maintains effective communication platforms for TD/player feedback & questions.
This team also creates learning platforms to house training, education and best practices content. They also lead dedicated support for leagues, virtual events, and affiliated club programs designed to increase competitive opportunities for members, including: Women’s Global Event, PDGA Masters Tour, School Club League, and more.
Competition
The Competition team oversees the development, communications, planning, and execution of all Majors, Elite Series, and other premiere professional and amateur competitive events. This team also works with our partners at these events including the Disc Golf Pro Tour, local organizing committees, National Amatuer Disc Golf Tour, US Disc Golf, PDGA Europe, and other competition-related partners.
Competition procures and manages all on site PDGA assets, conducts detailed site visits before awarding bids and leading up to events to ensure compliance with PDGA competitive requirements and standards. They also coordinate the marshaling program for premier events. This directorate works with the Majors Committee and Pro Touring Players Committee to improve existing events and to create new ones.
Marketing and Media
The Marketing and Media team manages all aspects of marketing and media which includes creating engaging content for the website, social media, the PDGA Radio podcast, YouTube, DiscGolfer Magazine, and other platforms. This team manages PDGA branding, public relations, social media, and overall PDGA messaging.
Marketing and Media also facilitates communication with members and industry stakeholders, oversees partnership programs, and solicits sponsorships and advertisers.
Technology
The Technology team manages the full spectrum of technology solutions for the PDGA. This team designs and develops the next generation of web-based mobile and desktop applications for event directors, members, players and fans; including the PDGA digital scorecard, tournament manager, player ratings, ranking programs, algorithms, and emerging technologies. Technology also maintains the technology platforms that enable daily operations of the PDGA Staff.
