The TGA is comprised of several diverse departments and sub-departments, but they all work together as a cohesive, results-driven team with a passion for providing elevated customer service and experiences.
It takes an incredible amount of support, planning and execution to keep all the moving parts (and people) working in unison. Fortunately, the TGA has two multi-tasking marvels: Membership Services Administrator Kristen Klein and Director of Office Administration Dayna McMellon.
Each of them has a gift for keeping everything running smoothly in a demanding environment.
Kristen was born in California, but she doesn’t really consider the Golden State home. That’s because when she was growing up, the family moved every two years due to her father being an in-demand women’s hospital administrator. By the time she finished high school, Kristen had lived in eight different states.
Kristen was introduced to the game of golf at an early age and quickly developed into a talented player. She grew to love the thrill of tournament golf, and over the years has either played in or attempted to qualify for every USGA national championship for which she was eligible except the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball.
Her love of the game also led to a long and diversified career in the industry. Kristen has worked at such places as Innisbrook Golf Resort, Brassie Golf, a golf course design and management company founded by World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, and Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., where she was the assistant coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams.
Kristen joined the TGA in February 2019. In addition to her role as Membership Services Administrator, Kristen also handles front desk duties and is often the initial contact for members who call or email. Having an extensive background in the game means Kristen can speak many “golf languages,” an important trait when it comes to deftly fielding a wide range of questions.
“I like to think of myself as the gatekeeper,” Kristen said. “If I can’t help someone directly, I always make it a point to assure members their questions or concerns will be answered before I connect them to the appropriate department.”
In addition to a wealth of golf knowledge, Kristen also brings a great deal of empathy to her job. She knows just how important golf is to people and feels that shared passion for the game comes through when dealing with customers.
“Even though they don’t see me, people have come to trust that they will get correct answers in a timely manner,” Kristen said. “The lines might be busy when I try to transfer a call, but I always tell people someone will answer their question and to be patient. We’re here for you.”
As a gifted athlete growing up in Garland, golf wasn’t exactly Dayna’s favorite sport. She appreciated the physical and mental skills required to excel at the game, but when she would occasionally tee it up, she found that golf just moved too slow for her liking at the time.
Even if her clubs rarely saw daylight, golf would have a profound impact on her life in other ways. For example, her husband, Matt, has been the Head Golf Professional at Firewheel Golf Park in Garland for decades. One of her three children, son Garrett, caught the golf bug early and is now a top-ranked player at Sachse High School. Dayna also worked for four-plus years as Firewheel’s Tournament Manager, in a window between two different jobs in the insurance industry.
Dayna joined the TGA in February 2018. As the Director of Office Administration, Dayna ensures the association’s smooth operation by overseeing a broad range of functions and activities including handling purchase orders, coordinating calendars and vehicle assignments, internal communication, acting as an IT liaison and much more.
In short, Dayna is the office “go-to” person.
“I’m a jack of all trades,” Dayna said. “If there’s a problem and you can’t figure it out, just ‘ask Dayna,’ and I’ll find a solution to make it work.”
That goal-oriented mentality combined with an intricate understanding of multiple departments has served the TGA well. Borrowing a bit from the USPS creed, neither a prolonged deep freeze or even COVID-19 has stopped Dayna from making sure TGA staff have everything they need so they can focus on providing outstanding customer service to member clubs and individual members.
“I try and keep the wheels greased and turning so everything runs smoothly,” Dayna said. “Not to say there aren’t unexpected bumps in the road along the way, but we’ll find a solution to whatever problem pops up so we can get to where we need to be.”
