Sandy Cross
I am the PGA of America’s Chief People Officer
I am shaking up the world of golf
I am a champion of inclusion
I am an athlete
I am a leader and mentor
I am a wife and a dog lover
I am a giver
I am PGA of America proud
Why are Professional Sports Organizations Relocating to Frisco? Sandy Cross, Chief People Officer of the PGA of America, says “It’s all about people and partnerships.”
Frisco's central location in the U.S., just 25 miles from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport—paired with a strong business climate—are definitely atop the leaderboard, but for Sandy Cross, it's the people and the partnerships that make all the difference. As Chief People Officer, Sandy leads all initiatives involving the PGA of America's most important asset—its people. While the PGA of America expects to bring much of its staff when it takes up residence in 2022, Frisco's highly educated and diverse workforce was a key factor in selecting the site for its new headquarters.
"Relocating our organization to Frisco is a huge opportunity for us," says Sandy. "The multicultural population, the superhub airport, along with the city, community and private organizations that have come alongside us during this process, will allow us to continue and expand our focus on the diversity of our staff and membership. The availability of highly educated and skilled potential talent was a huge plus in selecting Frisco. It is an exciting time to be part of the PGA of America."
Sandy's role focuses on enhancing the PGA's culture in impactful ways, fostering innovation, creativity and collaboration across its multi-generational team. One of her many roles is managing the PGA's Inclusion and Diversity department, which she developed, implemented and oversees.
Under Sandy's leadership, the PGA's inclusion programming drives not only the game of golf, but an industry workforce and a supply chain that aspires to become more reflective of the diversity of America. She led the PGA's groundbreaking "Connecting with Her" strategic initiative to drive more women consumers to PGA Professional-staffed facilities nationwide, and she also fostered the PGA's four-year participation in the women-focused espnW and U.S. Department of State Global Sports Mentoring Program.
"My number one priority is to serve the people of the PGA, including our 29,000 PGA Professionals, and promote an inclusive game and collaborative work environments through a variety of innovative programs. By creating these types of environments, we hope to encourage high levels of consumer and staff engagement and retention," says Sandy.
The PGA of America becomes the seventh professional sports organization to be headquartered in Frisco. When the new PGA of America headquarters and PGA of America Member educational facilities open in 2022, they will anchor a 600-acre mixed-use development as part of a public-private partnership that includes the City of Frisco, its economic and community development corporations, the Frisco Independent School District, and Omni Stillwater Woods.
"Partnerships with the City of Frisco, along with our corporate partners and other sports organizations in the city, enhance our efforts to diversify our membership, the industry's workforce and supply chain, and thereby create a lifetime love for the game of golf in people from every walk of life," says Sandy. "In particular, the partnership with the Frisco Independent School District creates numerous opportunities to introduce the sport and its many career paths, including PGA of America membership, to new generations. Our new headquarters will impact the future of the game and the lives of our current and future PGA Members for generations to come.
The development will feature two championship golf courses, a short course, and practice areas totaling 45 holes; a clubhouse; Class AA office space and PGA Member Education Center; a 500+-room Omni resort and 127,000 SF conference center; a technologically advanced retail village; parks and open space; and several miles of trails.
The golf courses are expected to open in summer 2022, with the hotel, convention center and other facilities expected to open within the same timeframe. Once open, the development will host 26 championships in Frisco between 2023 and 2034, including the PGA Championship, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
World-class, people-first organizations like the PGA of America are hitting a hole in one in Frisco, Texas.