Dr. Tara McKenna, Director of Golf Management at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, FL, possesses a comprehensive background in golf and hospitality management, supported by her academic journey, including earning her doctorate in Applied Learning Sciences at the University of Miami following a Master of Science in Exercise & Sport Science from the University of North Carolina Greensboro with a focus on Sport Psychology, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, from James Madison University. Holding certifications from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute and affiliations with the Club Managers Association of America, Class A Member of the PGA of America, and Life Member in the LPGA Teaching & Coaching Division, Tara's experience is both extensive and diverse. Her tenure as Program Director for PGA Golf Management at Florida Gulf Coast University since 2010 has been marked by significant achievements, including enrollment growth, recruitment of record-breaking cohorts, and impressive cohort retention rates. With a passion for teaching, Tara delivers a range of golf facility management, teaching and coaching, and the senior capstone courses at FGCU, earning accolades such as the Department Chair Excellence of the Year Award, the PGA’s Bill Strausbaugh Award for Association Mentoring Excellence and the Professional Development Award for PGA Association Education Excellence. Her commitment to teaching and student success underscores her sports and hospitality management expertise, making her an invaluable presence in the PGA Golf Management program, the PGA and the University.