HBCU Golf: Diversity, Leaders Round Table at The Presidents Cup's 'Charlie Sifford Leadership Summit'

An HBCU president and other leadership will participate in a round-table discussion at The Presidents Cup's Charlie Sifford Leadership Summit.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Presidents Cup, in partnership with Bridgestone, Citi, Cognizant, and Nucor, will host the Charlie Sifford Leadership Summit, a thought leadership event to be held at the Knight Theatre on Wednesday, September 21, 2022.

“We are excited to put a meaningful punctuation mark on the end of a year-long celebration of Dr. Sifford’s legacy with the Charlie Sifford Leadership Summit,” said Presidents Cup Executive Director Adam Sperling. “The Leadership Summit is meant to bring together leaders and educators in the businesses of advancing diversity and opening new doorways to inclusion. I think the program we have in store for the attendees, inclusive of corporate partners, non-profits, HBCUs and community members, will be an opportunity to learn and form new inroads for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in and around the Charlotte community.”

Mar 3, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Cameron Champ hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Summit will highlight representatives from Bridgestone, Citi, Cognizant, and Nucor, as well as other leadership executives from the world of sport, and presidents and board members from HBCUs, with an in-depth discussion focused on DE&I efforts at the intersection of sport and corporate America, and the integral role HBCU programs can play in the growth and success of those efforts.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Presidents Cup to honor the legacy of Dr. Charlie Sifford and talk about the integral role HBCU programs can play in improving outcomes and opportunities for diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Michelle Thornhill, Director of U.S. Community Relations at Citi. “At Citi, we’re focused on helping provide HBCU students with useful tools on their path to professional success, so I look forward to this discussion.”

A bust of World Golf Hall of Fame member Charlie Sifford is on display at \"Forward Together,\" an interactive exhibit at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse that details the milestones of African Americans in golf. Sifford  Credit: © Garry Smits/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

“This Leadership Summit represents a critical opportunity to focus on the integral roles we can all play in improving outcomes and opportunities through greater diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Shameka Young, Vice President and Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Cognizant. “Cognizant is proud to join HBCU leadership and organizations committed to making impactful D&I efforts on and off the field.”

Throughout the course of 2022, the PGA TOUR has honored the legacy of Charlie Sifford – the first African American to play on TOUR – during what would have been his centennial. A Charlotte native, Sifford was also a four-time tournament winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member. In support of the PGA TOUR’s initiative to honor Sifford, the Presidents Cup will host the Leadership Summit, set to include:

Partner Panel: “DE&I at the Intersection of Sport and Corporate America”

Panelists:

• Ebonee Davis-Ifeobu, Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Bridgestone Americas
• Dan Krug, Vice President, Talent, Nucor Corporation
• Michelle Thornhill, Director, U.S. Community Relations, Citi
• Shameka Young, Vice President, Global Head, Diversity & Inclusion, Cognizant

The panel will be moderated by Marsha Oliver, Senior Vice President, Community & Inclusion, PGA TOUR.

President Clarence Armbrister; Courtesy: Congresswoman Alma Adams' office

Presidents Round Table: Champions of Communities

• Clarence Armbrister, President, Johnson C. Smith University
• Essence Winston, 96th Miss Johnson C. Smith University
• Shevrin Jones, Florida State Senator and Member of President Biden’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Thomas W. Dortch, Board member of FAMU and Clark-Atlanta University and Chair of the 100 Black Men of America

The panel will be Moderated by Alex Baldwin, President, Korn Ferry Tour & Chair of the PGA TOUR HBCU Task Force

Other VIP speakers expected to make appearances to the event include:

• Vi Alexander Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte
• Johno Harris, 2022 Presidents Cup Tournament Chairman
• Jay Monahan, PGA TOUR Commissioner

The Leadership Summit comes on the heels of a yearlong celebration of Charlie Sifford’s legacy, as Sifford would have turned 100 on June 2 of this year. In August, the Presidents Cup contested the Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup, with six top HBCU golf teams competing in a team competition at host Quail Hollow Club. Led by players from Alabama State University, Florida A&M University and Livingstone College, Team Charles Sifford, Jr., won the inaugural event, 12 to 6.

The 2022 Presidents Cup will be held at Quail Hollow Club, September 20-25. For more information about the Presidents Cup or to purchase tickets, please visit PresidentsCup.com.

About the Presidents Cup

The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that there is no purse or prize money. Players are not paid for their participation, but each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice. Since the event’s inception, more than $54.4 million has been raised for charity from event proceeds, as well as contributions made on behalf of the Presidents Cup, including a charitable donation of $5.3 million from the 2019 event alone.

Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thepresidentscup, Twitter and Instagram at @presidentscup and sign up for the Presidents Cup e-newsletter.

Citi, Cognizant and Rolex are the exclusive Global Partners of the Presidents Cup.

About Citi

Citi is a preeminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

About Cognizant

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) engineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we're improving everyday life. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.

About Rolex

An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise. Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture.

Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization.

The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history, Rolex has registered over 500 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.

About Bridgestone Americas

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tires and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Bridgestone Americas employs more than 45,000 people across its worldwide operations. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.

About Nucor

Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel and steel products, with operating facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel racking; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; precision castings; steel fasteners; metal building systems; insulated metal panels; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and hot briquetted iron / direct reduced iron; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.