Emma Elliott has succeeded Greg Higham as Chair of GolfWA – becoming the first woman elected to the role in the process.
Following Greg’s decision not to seek re-election at the 2024 AGM, Emma (pictured above) was unanimously elected by fellow Directors at GolfWA’s March board meeting. Greg also agreed to serve as Deputy Chair until the next AGM, when his 11-year tenure as a GolfWA Director will end.
The current CEO of the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA) not-for-profit membership association, Emma has been a GolfWA Director since 2020. A keen golfer, Emma has been a member of Hamersley Ladies Golf Club for the past four years.
“I am honoured to have been elected into the role,” Emma told GolfWA. “It is not something I take lightly and the leadership of Greg Higham during my tenure has been exemplary. I thank Greg and the Board for their confidence and I’m excited for the journey that lies ahead.
“Since joining the Board, I have witnessed many positive GolfWA initiatives that allow clubs to grow the game locally, promote diversity, inclusion and the many health and wellbeing benefits of golf while breaking down perceptions and barriers to entry. It is an exciting time for golf in Western Australia.”
On her aspirations for her time as Chair, Emma added: “Over the past four years, golf has been blessed with a renewed level of interest, with all forms of the game growing. My ambitions are centred around continuing to foster, promote and advance the game of golf, in all its forms, in Western Australia.”
Higham ends tenure on a high
For various reasons, golf in WA has boomed during Greg Higham’s tenure as GolfWA Chair – a role he took up in 2017 having joined the GolfWA Board three years earlier.
Amongst GolfWA’s many successes during his time as Chair, Greg says he’s particularly proud of the Board’s commitment to achieving gender balance and the burgeoning relationship the organisation enjoys with its affiliated clubs, the other States and Golf Australia.
“A change to our Constitution enabled us to achieve our goal of gender balance as well as recruiting highly skilled and experienced Board Members capable of significantly contributing to the transformations we were seeking. I believe that the GolfWA Board has, as a consequence, become one that experienced Directors will aspire to.
“Our relationships with our Members Clubs has, I believe, never been better. This has been achieved largely through active engagement with them through our Club Health program and the introduction of our Regional Club Support Officers.
“This has enabled our Members to put names to faces and I’m confident they are now more aware of our role and how we can support them and deliver the services they need to grow and thrive.”
On Emma’s election, Royal Perth member Greg added: “I am delighted that Emma has accepted the role. She has the skill, experience and worldliness to perform the role with aplomb and to the benefit of GolfWA and its members.
“The future of golf in WA is extremely bright, as I know the momentum of previous years will continue under Emma’s leadership.”
One of Greg Higham’s last tasks as GolfWA Chair was to induct Stephen Leaney into the WA Golf Hall of Champions
Gary Thomas, GolfWA Chief Executive, welcomed Emma into the role while offering a glowing assessment of Greg’s contribution to the organisation’s recent successes.
“I’m delighted to welcome Emma into the role and very excited to work with her and the rest of the Board to shape the future direction of golf in WA. Emma’s contribution since joining the Board has been first-class and I have no doubt she will excel as Chair of GolfWA.
“I extend my sincere thanks to Greg for his commitment to GolfWA and to golf in WA for the past 10 years. It has been a pleasure working with him so closely in this time and I’m very pleased he has opted to continue on as Deputy Chair for the next year.”
