Local Leadership Academy Tees Off

Ralph Stokes has long been a trusted advisor to Atlanta Falcons principal owner Arthur Blank. Stokes was the first Black president of the Georgia State Golf Association and a former running back for the Bear Bryant-coached Alabama Crimson Tide, and was among the SEC school’s first Black football players. He began spearheading the diversity and community initiatives for PGA TOUR Superstore, the golf and tennis retail behemoth acquired by Blank’s AMB Sports & Entertainment organization in 2010, and was one of Blank’s closest friends and associates.

So, when Stokes approached Blank about his vision for developing the PGA TOUR Superstore-sponsored First Tee Leadership Academy, a nearly weeklong event in Atlanta consisting of networking and relationship-building workshops for dozens of teenagers across the U.S., the Home Depot co-founder listened ever so intently.

“I have been blessed to know Arthur for over 30 years,” said Stokes, who in his earlier professional life cemented his legacy as a trailblazer in the corporate insurance industry by serving as Senior Vice President for CIGNA Health Care.

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“I’ve had a great degree of respect for him. When he bought the Superstore, it was in very poor financial shape and his money and his knowledge of retail saved the Superstore. We needed the money, but we clearly needed that knowledge of retail. His knowledge from his Home Depot days was imperative to guiding us.

“It’s been easy for me to go and have conversations with him. Like anything, a man as successful as Arthur asks you a lot of hard questions.”

The partnership between PGA TOUR Superstore/Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and First Tee, a PGA Tour-sponsored nonprofit organization that has provided educational programs to millions of youths, has existed for over a decade. But in September 2020, Blank’s PGA TOUR Superstore elevated its commitment by earmarking a new grant for First Tee to reach more at-risk youths across the country (including those in Montana where Blank has a significant footprint) and establish the First Tee Leadership Academy. Those eligible to apply for the

Academy needed to participate in a five-week Leadership Series that was hosted at PGA TOUR Superstores across the country this spring. Ultimately, 48 high school students, the majority of whom are rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors, across 27 different states were selected.

As the Atlanta-based program was Stokes’ brainchild, he had designs on the First Tee Leadership Academy expanding in scope and breadth while being grounded more in team leadership lessons, as opposed to primarily individual empowerment.

“When we first created this program four years ago, it was centered on some of the things I have learned,” explained Stokes, who before smashing barriers at the University of Alabama was one of the first Black football players at Montgomery’s Robert E. Lee High School, a powerhouse program that reeled off an undefeated state championship season in 1970.

“I learned how to work as a team and at the core of all teams you have to build a great degree of respect. Especially when you bring people who don’t know each other, you have to learn how to build respect for each other. We learned how to challenge young people, how to help them build respect for each other, how to create opportunities to use your gifts and talents and the other person to use their gifts and talents as well.”

After last year’s successful launch, the second iteration of the program, held June 17-21 this year, similarly fulfilled its mission of providing students insight into how successful teams operate by not only holding seminars but also rolling out a star-studded lineup of speakers, including WNBA legend Maya Moore – even as it encountered some logistical headwinds.

As the initial plan to house the dozens of participants at the Falcons’ training facility in Flowery Branch was eventually derailed due to ongoing construction, Stokes and the rest of First Tee’s brain trust had to quickly pivot to Georgia Tech serving as the headquarters. While perhaps not the optimal hub for the slate of activities, the urban setting was conducive to the group exploring Atlanta (for most students this was their first time in the city) and touring landmarks such as Skyline Park, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the College Football Hall of Fame.

Looking ahead to next year, the hope is to enroll 100 participants and keep a steady pipeline going through the years so that eventually alums of the program can come back and share how they benefited from the experience.

“I would love to grow this program with larger numbers,” said Stokes, who’s also currently the Vice Chairman for the TOUR Championship, held annually at historic East Lake Golf Club. “As Arthur always tells us, we’re not in transaction business, we’re in relationship business. We’re building those relationships. Because that’s the business we’re in.”

As one of the first Black members of Indian Hills Country Club in Marietta who made serious in-roads as an insurance executive throughout Metro Atlanta before assuming his current post for PGA TOUR Superstore, Stokes befriended innumerable members of the Jewish community, such as Blank and Bernie Marcus, through the years.

“We’ve all had a similar fight of being oppressed at times and fighting for opportunities,” noted Stokes. “I have built a lot of really good relationships with the Jewish community. I always felt comfortable working in partnership. The game of golf opened a lot of doors for me. The golf ball does not discriminate – it doesn’t matter if you’re male, female, African American, [or] white.”