October 16, 2015
New Park manager “Loves living in eastern Kentucky”….
By Catrina Vargo
Louisa, KY — Missy Kennedy has been appointed as interim park manager for Yatesville Lake State Park for 2015. Kennedy was appointed by the state when former manager, Mike Sullivan retired in December 2014.
Prior to making Eastern Kentucky her home, Kennedy was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. A 1996 graduate, majoring in Communications at the University of Cincinnati, she played golf on the women’s golf team for 4 years. During that time she worked at several public and private golf courses, and with the USGA, learning the golf business and honing her game. Kennedy said she realized not only did she love the game of golf but said, “I really enjoyed the customer service and business aspect of it. This was going to be a career for me.”
After graduation, she became an assistant professional at Hyde Park Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati for the next 13 years. She received the Assistant Professional of the Year award for Southern Ohio in 2000, and later became a PGA member.
“Becoming a PGA Member is a proud moment for me. The best way to describe it, is that it is like going to grad school.” Kennedy said some of the topics you study and test on include: Customer Relations, Business Planning and Tournament Operations, Merchandising and Inventory, and Food/Beverage Control, among others.
“The program is extremely time consuming and challenging, but it not only molds you into a golf professional but also as a manager/supervisor, with knowledge of how to run a business.
There aren’t a lot of female golf professionals, so that drove my desire to become a member” said Kennedy. In the state of Kentucky there are over 277 PGA Golf Professionals but only 11 are women.
Missy is married to Steve Kennedy, PGA Head Pro/Park Manager at Grayson Lake State Park, and they have one daughter, Morgan. “Eastern Kentucky has been so welcoming to our family and we love living in this area,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy hopes to continue as park manager after the interim period, but the state is required to post the job and she will have to re-apply. Since spring of 2011 Kennedy has been the PGA Head Golf Professional, overseeing the golf operations which include the volunteer program, golf outings, tournaments, teaching, merchandise, concession, and day to day operations.
Now, Kennedy will be overseeing not only the golf course operations, but also the campground and marina. “I am really excited to be working all over the park this year and learning more about Yatesville Lake State Park. I have some BIG shoes to fill with the retirement of Mike Sullivan in 2014,” she said.
Kennedy said she loved parks, and they are a huge part of Lawrence County. “I look forward to working with some great people throughout our park and Lawrence County!”
For more information on Yatesville Lake State Park, call park office at 606-673-1492, or golf course at 606-673-4300.
