Juliet Miner will officially become president of the CWGA on Jan. 1, and you could make a strong case that she’s the right person at the right time to take on the job.
After all, in 2016 the CWGA will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding, and the association faces its share of challenges, so a go-getter seems to be the order of the day.
And, by all indications, Miner fits that bill.
She’s high-energy and passionate about the game, playing 110-140 rounds of golf per year in addition to holding down a full-time job as a criminal defense attorney and being married for 27 years. She’s also upbeat about her new role and is ready and willing to volunteer the time and effort necessary to guide the CWGA team in the right direction.
“I am so enthusiastic about golf,” Miner said in a recent interview. “And I can’t say ‘no’.”
She later indicated that she can indeed say no, but seldom does if the cause is right. Which sounds ideal for someone heading up a volunteer board of directors and providing big-picture guidance for the association.
“She’s an avid, avid golfer; she just loves the game, and it shows,” said CGA executive director Ed Mate, who notes Miner has served on the board for CommonGround Golf Course, which is owned and operated by the CGA. “That’s fundamental. She really loves the game of golf. She’s bright and passionate, and the other thing is, she’s really forward-looking. (With her), you don’t just do things because that’s what you’ve done in the past. And Juliet always has a smile; she’s friendly and outgoing.”
Miner, a Colorado resident since 1983, joined the CWGA board at the beginning of 2012 — at the request of then-CWGA executive director Robin Jervey — and has been vice president the last two years as Joanie Ott was president. Now a 10.8 handicapper with four holes-in-one to her credit, Miner has competed in CWGA championships for more than two decades. She served as club president at Perry Park Country Club during the 1990s and now calls the Golf Club at Bear Dance and Plum Creek Golf Club her home courses. Over the years, she’s also been affiliated with clubs at Wellshire, Inverness, Patty Jewett and Lone Tree.
All of which should serve Miner well as she and the CWGA gear up for the association’s 100th anniversary.
“It’s an amazing privilege to be president during the centennial year,” said Miner, who will serve a two-year term. “We want to mark the achievements of the past and look to the future.”
When it comes to golf, the aforementioned is just a part of Miner’s resume. She grew up in Nevada, Iowa (population about 4,000-5,000 back then) where her dad taught her to play golf at age 14. “We would play golf until dark, then go play bridge until we went home,” she noted.
As an adult, she’s played golf all over the world — including in Abu Dhabi, Colombia, Mexico, Italy, Germany and Scotland. And her self-described “crowning achievement” was caddying for Stephanie Martin on the Ladies European Tour’s Italian Open and German Open circa 2000 as a birthday present to herself (she was serenaded with “happy birthday” on the putting grew at one event by LET players).
And Miner still enjoys being at tournaments, whether she’s competing, volunteering or spectating. In fact, earlier this year she served as the captain for the team representing the CWGA at the Girls Junior Americas Cup in Cheyenne, Wyo. (At left, she’s pictured at that event with PGA of America national secretary Suzy Whaley.)
“I’m a very happy person and I love my golf,” she said.
But while the game is definitely an important part of her life, Miner has very diverse interests. Besides law, she’s studied library science and Japanese. And in the early 1980s while going to law school at the University of Iowa she served in the Army Reserve, focusing on strategic intelligence.
“I’m interested in everything,” she noted.
Now, as the president-elect of the CWGA, which includes about 17,000 members, a big priority will be planning for the association’s centennial. But she also wants to emphasize the fun of the game — even the fun of volunteering in the golf realm (including for the CWGA — CLICK HERE).
Giving back to the game is certainly something Miner knows about. Besides serving on the CWGA and CommonGround boards in recent years, she’s been on the associaton’s Course Rating Committee. And last year, she was a hole captain (left) at the BMW Championship PGA Tour playoff event held at Cherry Hills Country Club.
The bottom line is, Miner is certainly well-versed when it comes to Colorado golf, which should serve her well over the coming two years — along with that go-getter attitude.
Note: Coming up next week, we’ll profile the new president-elect of the CGA.
