Michael Pius, PGA
Senior Program Director
Michael joined The First Tee of Washington, D.C. in the Spring of 2012. Michael is originally from the Washington, D.C. area and has worked at a number of area golf courses, including Congressional Country Club, Westfields Golf Club and Hidden Creek Country Club. Michael graduated from Penn State University’s PGA Golf Management Program and is a Class A PGA Professional. He has received his Masters Degree in Sport and Leisure Service Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Michael has over ten years of experience teaching the golf swing and loves to share his knowledge with the juniors of The First Tee of Washington, D.C.
Michael resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife, Marie.
Coaches:
Mark House - coming soon
Vernon Nelson
Vernon graduated from Knoxville College with a B.S in Physical Education and U.D.C. with a Masters in Counseling Psychology. Prior to joining the Capital city Golf School and the First Tee of Washington D.C. in 2006, he was a teacher and coach within the DC Public Schools for 36 years. In addition, he has worked with Paul Berry’s Hook a Kid on Golf (1997-2006) and served as a High School golf Association Coordinator (2004) and the Open Fairway Coordinator (2007). Vernon was inducted into the DC Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007.
His many accomplishments include being nominated twice for the Golf Coach of the year award by the National High School Coaches Association, serving as the Nation Capitol Junior Golf Association Tournament Director and volunteering as a Marshal at the Melwood Open on the Nationwide Golf Tour. Vernon received the Real Man award for community service in 2011.
Nyles Smith - coming soon
George Dill
George is a true Washingtonian, a product of D.C. public schools who worked for the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks. George has been a First Tee Coach since the Chapter’s inception in 1999.
John Garner
John attended Eastern High School in Washington and graduated from D.C. Teachers College and George Washington University. He taught in the D.C. public school system for 34 years. During that time, he coached virtually every sport the system offered, from football and basketball to skiing and golf. He joined The First Tee of Washington D.C. in 2002.
Ron McPherson - coming soon
Mike Alston - coming soon
Ted Vactor
Ted is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears. He played college football at the University of Nebraska.
In 1999 Ted was inducted to the Washington-Greene County Chapter of the
Pennsylvania Hall of Fame and in 2000 he was inducted in to the
Nebraska Hall of Fame. Vactor also served as the head football coach at the University of the District of Columbia from 1977 to 1982.
Butch Duvall
Butch started playing golf at age 9. He was the junior golf champion in perspective age groups 1965 to 1972 in the Middle Atlantic Region and Captain of the golf team at McKinley Technical High School. From 1971 to 1973, Butch attended the Washington Technical Institution of Washigton DC. He worked three years in the Middle Atlantic Golf program under PGA Professional, Lee Elder, at Langston Golf Course in Washington, DC. He served as the Lead Instructor with the Open Fairways Golf Program from 2005 to 2007. Butch has also worked as a Laboratory Technician and an Instructor in the Civil Engineering Department at Howard University from 1988 to 2012.
Interns:
Clare Connolly
Clare is currently a sophomore at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida; she is also a member of the Saint Leo University’s Women’s golf team. Clare started playing golf at age 5 over at Chevy Chase Club, where she currently still plays today. Clare graduated high school from Bethesda-Chevy Chase over in Bethesda, MD and participated on the high school’s golf team. At the end of the golf season in her senior year Clare was ranked the 3rd best girls high school golfer in the state of Maryland. Clare is currently studying Sports Business in school and hopes to stay in the golf business after college.
Jake Truex
Jake is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University where he is studying business in their 5 year co-op program. There he participates in chess club, entrepreneurs club, finance and investing club, basketball, intramural soccer and is currently on the club football team which ranked 10th in the country last year. Jake graduated from Langley High School in McLean, Virginia where he was a football captain and played baseball as well as being the President of the National Business Honor Society and Vice President of the Future Business Leaders of America. He also coached baseball for 13-15 year olds for 2 years and plans to continue coaching after college.
