April 29, 2009
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - It has been 48 seasons since the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
(UMES) fielded a men's golf team. That was 1961 and the last official team went out on top, capturing an NAIA District Championship
and capturing the CIAA title. Flash forward to the 2009-2010 season and the Hawks will field a men's golf team that will be
led by Jamila Johnson, the new head coach and first woman to coach men's golf at the school.
University President, Thelma B. Thompson, Ph.D., spoke at the press conference to introduce
Johnson and was elated about the emergence of the program. "I'm very excited this morning and happy about the maturing of
the other 50 percent of the golf dream that is taking place here at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, I should say
the realization of a dream. Yes, golf was here and went away for 48 long years, but hope was kept alive because I came and
was inspired by the appearance of the campus, that's what inspired me. I thought, `this place looks like a golf course, we
should have golf here.' And we went forward and you know what is here now and there is more to come because people see us
as teaching golf management and now we have a golf team."
Johnson is well qualified to lead the team. She is a former player at Jackson State University
where her team captured three Southwestern Athletic (SWAC) Conference Championships and was a two-time All-Conference selection.
Johnson was a four-year starter on the program a three-time captain and earned the "Lifetime Captain" award upon graduation.
She has been involved in the golf academy for 28 years, received numerous golfing awards, is
a recipient of the Golf Digest Junior Instructional School Scholarship, a two-time Detroit Public Schools Athletic League
Champion, is three-time Co-ed All-City a Co-ed City Medalist and has over 100 trophies and awards from various tournaments.
She is also a Hollywood Golf Lifetime Instructor.
Johnson will come on-board not only as the Head Men's Golf Coach but as an Academic Services
Coordinator for the UMES Golf Academy, overseeing the academic progress of the students in the program and helping to recruit
new students into the curriculum.
It's an honor to be the carrier of a vision,
something that started a long time ago and was such a great idea and an inspiration for what the University has today with
its Professional Golf Management Program. All the things that this university embodies, I am honored to be that vision bearer
for the UMES golf team and for the Professional Golf Management Program here at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore."
Coach Johnson has also a distinguished career in financial management having worked with Bank One (Chase) for the
past ten years where she increased customer service performance by 45 percent in a three-month period, is a national Retail
Management Development Program Associate and a Retail Education Trainer.
Her community service projects have also been numerous as Johnson is active with the Kingdom Outreach Christina
Center, is a Junior Achievement volunteer, has won four Spirit of Detroit City Council Awards and has worked as a junior police
cadet supervisor for challenged youth.
In 2007 she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications from American Intercontinental University and
earned a degree in computer science from Jackson State University in May 1998.
Johnson will begin selecting her team from current students, including those in the PGM Program, in preparation
for the non-traditional Fall 2009 season before the team competes in the traditional season during the Spring of 2010.
