Former Long-Time Duke Energy Executive and LPGA Board Member Adds to Impressive Collection Sharing Annika’s Vision for Growing the Game Globally
The ANNIKA Foundation – golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam’s charitable organization – has named Roberta Bowman the newest member of its recently expanded Board of Directors.
Bowman is a retired executive from Duke Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the U.S. Over her 27-year tenure, she served as Chief Communications Officer, President of Duke Energy Foundation, and retired as the company’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. She also recently completed six years of service on the LPGA Board of Directors, serving as Board Chair in 2016-17.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross North Carolina, Echo Health Ventures and provides advisory work to some of the world’s leading companies through her consulting firm, Bowman Strategic Advisors, LLC.
Founded just over a decade ago, the ANNIKA Foundation provides opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition.
“Roberta’s wealth of business, golf and fundraising knowledge will benefit the Foundation as we map out our course for the next decade,” says Annika. “We’re excited to add someone with her depth of corporate experience to our team.”
Bowman joins recent appointees Suzy Whaley (Vice President of the PGA of America), Anne Broholm (CEO of AHEAD), Jim Nugent (Founder & Publisher of Global Golf Post) and Barry Hyde (Executive Vice President of Wasserman) on the board.
They are complemented by holdovers Annika, Jay Brennan (Partner at GrayRobinson), Charlie Mechem, Jr. (Commissioner Emeritus of the LPGA), Dan Dutton (Chairman of Stimson Lumber Company), The Hon. Tom Ridge (Ridge Global), Dave Bockorny (Chairman of The Bockorny Group) and Mike McGee (Managing Director of ANNIKA).
The board will provide mission-based leadership and strategic governance to the Foundation team, including approval of the annual budget and material business decisions.
Each year, the ANNIKA Foundation conducts five major golf events for juniors on four continents: the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex, ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills in China, ANNIKA Invitational Europe, ANNIKA Cup in Sweden and ANNIKA Invitational Latin America in Argentina. They are complemented by the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M and the ANNIKA Award presented by 3M, which is annually bestowed to the most outstanding female Division I golfer.
Since the inaugural Foundation tournament – the 2009 ANNIKA Invitational USA – 32 ANNIKA event alumnae have earned LPGA cards, with 500-plus playing at the collegiate level. And while the on-course action is important, off-course lessons pertaining to nutrition, fitness, the college application process and more are integral to tournaments’ “More than Golf” experiences.