We encourage you to get to know the additional members of our valuable Board of Directors below, the incredible team that keeps us on mission and on task. We are forever thankful for their service.
Michael McGrath
“Of all the wonderful charities I have had the opportunity to be involved with, I was awestruck at the dedication and love that Paul and Michelle show to each and every family the Foundation reaches. When I saw firsthand what a positive impact could be made on these wonderful children, I knew I had to be involved in every event they held in Jacksonville. It’s an honor to serve on the Board as the Foundation continues to grow and reach families throughout every city the Tour visits.”
Michael McGrath is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of McGrath Gibson Injury & Family Law where he focuses his legal practice in the areas of Plaintiff’s Personal Injury and Wrongful Death. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina and holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV “Preeminent” Rating for the highest ethical standards and legal ability. After leaving college golf, Michael entered the PGA Professionals Program and served as the Director of Junior Golf Instruction at Orange Park Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida. He played competitively on several regional and national professional golf tours until he began law school. During his career as an Attorney, Michael has maintained a connection to the world of golf by participating in top amateur events, following the professional tours, and supporting PGA Tour Partner charities. In 2017, he and his wife Melanie founded Launch Golf, a management and instruction-based player development team that assists junior golfers, college golf programs, and aspiring PGA Tour players. Michael is a Level Two Trackman Certified Instructor and is Head of Player Development. Michael and wife Melanie have 2 children, Courtland (7) and Chloe (11).
Dottie Pepper
“I am honored to be asked by Paul and Michelle to be part of the Tesori Family Foundation because the emphasis is on just that— the family. The spirit and love that flows through every part of their lives is contagious and I hope to be able to help them continue to build on that joy and energy.”
Dottie Pepper is a past LPGA player and current CBS golf analyst. On TOUR Dottie brought home 17 victories including 2 major championships and then announced retirement from LPGA Tour in 2004. Dottie transitioned into lead LPGA analyst for The Golf Channel from 2004 to 2009, on-course commentator/ analyst for NBC Sports for LPGA, Champions, PGA Tour, PGA and USGA events from 2004 to 2012 and a regular contributing columnist for Sports Illustrated Golf Plus from 2005 to 2012. From there, Dottie held several honors including Assistant Captain for the 2013 United States Solheim Cup team, member of the PGA of America Board of Directors, member of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, member of the Women’s Leadership Advisory Council, Independent Board Member Northeastern New York PGA, ESPN golf analyst/reporter and contributing writer to ESPN.com and ESPNW.com. In addition, Dottie has co-authored several books focusing on golf.
Tanya McConnell
“I feel immensely blessed and honored to join the Tesori Family Foundation. I am in awe of Michelle, Paul and Isaiah’s servant leadership and their unwavering commitment to spreading love and kindness. I am excited to serve alongside them, helping to further the Tesori Family Foundation’s mission and make a meaningful difference in the community. Their family is gifted to serve and they inspire us all!”
Tanya McConnell brings experience in both professional and philanthropic arenas to the Tesori Family Foundation. As the Executive Director of the 20/20 Hearing Foundation for a decade, Tanya was instrumental in advocating for and supporting children with hearing loss. Her commitment to this cause is personal and profound, with her work leading to significant legislative changes such as “Jack’s Law” in Georgia, ensuring private insurance coverage for children’s hearing aids.
Her professional journey includes a tenure at Levi Strauss & Co., where she held various roles in Retail Marketing for both Levi’s and Dockers brands. Tanya left Levi’s to be a full time mom to 3 beautiful children. When her kids were in elementary school, Tanya became a teacher at Mount Pisgah Christian school. This role revealed Tanya’s passion for education and nurturing young minds.
Beyond her professional achievements, Tanya has been actively involved in community service. She has worked with Camp Sunshine, Starkey Hearing Foundation on global hearing missions, and the Lionheart School as a Job Coach, making a positive impact in the lives of others, especially those with special needs.
Tanya lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida with her husband, Matt, and is a proud mom to Madison, Jack and Will.
Clay Ballard
“I was truly honored with Paul and Michelle asked me to be on the Board of Directors for the Foundation. In my opinion, there is no better charity to be involved with than the Tesori Family Foundation. They make such a positive impact on many children’s lives. Our company, Top Speed Golf, chose the foundation to be our main charity because we knew nearly every dollar we gave went directly to helping the children.”
Clay Ballard in 2015 Clay Co-Founded Top Speed Golf, one of the largest golf instruction websites in the world. His golf instructional courses are aimed to help regular golfers improve their game as fast as possible. His videos have over 200,000,000 views, with over 675,000 subscribers on YouTube. He specializes in creating courses that focus in fast improvement. One example is Clay’s “20 Minute Distance Fix“. The 20MDF course has helped over 6,000 verified golfers gain 20+ yards of distance in less than 3 weeks. To learn about Clay’s “Top Speed Golf System”, “20 Minute Distance Fix”, “20 Minute Shallow Fix”, and more, you can visit http://www.topspeedgolf.com. You can also watch many of Clay’s free videos on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and most other Social Media channels. Clay and his wife Jessica have 2 children, Rhett (5), and Wyatt (1 Month).
Kim Burchell
“I met Paul, Michelle, and their precious son Isaiah, at an event First Citizens hosted during the Wyndham Golf Tournament in Greensboro, NC. We honored the Tesori Foundation at our event and several of us volunteered at their All-Star Kids Clinic the next day. I was honored when Michelle asked me to be on the board and look forward to being a part of such a fantastic organization.”
Kim Burchell is an Area Executive for First Citizens Bank in The Triad of North Carolina. She has over 30 years of banking experience leading sales teams to success. She is very active in her community working with organizations such as Forsyth Humane Society and previously worked with organizations that help adults with developmental disabilities. Kim is married to Mike Burchell and lives in Winston Salem. They are true “golf” buddies which is their primary hobby and their favorite thing to do together.
Seth Stone
“I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the Tesori Family Foundation. As I have gotten to know Paul, Michelle, and Isaiah, I love that the Tesori’s are showing that all people matter and are special. Plus, Isaiah is my guy!”
Seth Stone serves as Campus Pastor of The Church of Eleven22 – Baymeadows. He has served at churches in metro Atlanta (GA), Manhattan (NY), and now Jacksonville. Through church, he met Paul and Michelle and has been honored to participate in many TFF events since 2019. He resides in St. Johns County, FL, with his wife and son, and he plays golf as frequently as his schedule allows.
Kirk Irvin
“When asked to be on the BOD for TFF, I did not hesitate to say YES. What Paul and Michelle do for communities around the country is amazing. I see it first-hand when I volunteer at their events and the impact that they make in our local community is amazing. I am honored to be part of the TFF family and excited to help more people around the country.”
Kirk is a graduate of Flagler College and went on to work for The First Tee of St. John’s County after graduation. He fell in love with helping junior golfers, especially golfers with special needs, through passionately teaching students from Florida School for the Deaf & Blind and the Special Olympics. While working with The First Tee, Kirk began a career with GNC, purchasing his first store in 2012 in Jacksonville, FL. Since then he has expanded to five locations throughout North Florida.
After leaving The First Tee, Kirk joined their board of directors and helped with the merger of two chapters here in north Florida. He has also served on the board of directors for the St. Augustine Amateur, a local tournament that features an international field of the most accomplished collegiate, junior, and mid-amateur players around the world.
When not working, you can most likely find Kirk on the golf course playing with friends at St. John’s Golf and Country Club. He is married to his amazing wife (Britain). They are the proud parents of three dogs and live in Nocatee.
Charles Woodward
“I’m truly honored to serve on the board of directors and look forward to meeting the rest of the Tesori Foundation family!”
Charles Woodward was born in North Carolina, but lived in Rochester, NY for 9 ½ years and lived in MD for 24 years. He made Jacksonville home in the Fall of 2017 with his wife, Amy, and their 2 daughters, age 19 and 21.
Professionally, golf has been a passion of his since he was 3 years old. He spent 5 years as an Assistant Golf Professional before Charles was blessed with the opportunity to work in sales as a Territory Manager at Softspikes. In 2005, he was promoted to help with PGA Tour Operations. In 2010, he became an Independent Contractor and acquired Softspikes as his first client. Over Charles’ 18 year tenure on Tour, his clients have included; Softspikes, KBS Golf Shafts, Stitch Golf, Oofos, Blue Lizard Sunscreen, Precision Pro, Whiskers Shoe Laces and McElroy Customs. 2024 will be his 19th year on Tour.
Andy Buckley
‘I was humbled and thrilled when Paul and Michelle asked me to be a part of The Tesori Family Foundation. I’m honored and very much looking forward to helping them continue the great work they’ve been doing for years, helping countless families and putting smiles on so many beautiful faces. Thanks and Here We Go!’
Andy Buckley had packed in his dream of an acting career and was 4 years into his new career as a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch in Los Angeles, when his phone rang in early 2006. It was Allison Jones, casting director for The Office, suggesting he audition for the show, as Dunder Mifflin’s CFO. He did and as luck would have it, they hired him!
Andy continued his practice at Merrill Lynch during his time on ‘The Office,’ eventually leaving Merrill in 2013. Playing David Wallace on ‘The Office’ led to many other regular and recurring roles on shows like ‘VEEP,’ ‘Shameless,’ the Bravo comedy ‘Odd Mom Out,’ and most recently the HBO comedy ‘Avenue 5’ and the Netflix action comedy, ‘FUBAR,’ where he gets to go toe to toe with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He’s played supporting roles in a number of hit movies including ‘Jurassic World,’ ‘The Other Guys,’ ‘Bridesmaids,’‘ Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked,’ and most recently in ‘Bombshell,’ with Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie.
Needless to say, Andy is pretty glad he picked up the phone when Allison Jones called 14 years ago!
He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Nancy and their two sons.