New Board Archives - First Tee

New Ambassador – Meet Jason Luehrs

(New Ambassador – Meet Jason Luehrs Published 05/12/2026) First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to welcome our newest Board Ambassador – Jason Luehrs. We asked Jason a few questions to get to know him.

Can you give us a brief background about your personal and professional life?

“I have spent most of my life in various regions of the Bay Area, having grown up in the East Bay, moving to the South Bay after going to Fresno for college, where I first picked up a club and started my golfing journey. With a business degree in hand, I have had the good fortune of working with a lot of good people over the years helping to build and grow a number of private companies, and have been able to continue my career as a consultant doing similar work. I enjoy being active and in addition to golfing, I regularly play soccer, go hiking, and try to keep up with my young son and dog.”

Why FTSV?

“As I evaluated where I wanted to invest my time and energy for new endeavors, I wanted golf to be a part of it. As I learned about FTSV and how the organization approaches teaching life skills and golf skills, it aligned with many of my views about the game of golf and its intertwining lessons of both personal and professional life. I also really enjoy the community aspect that FTSV embodies and the involvement opportunities it provides.”

What are you looking forward to as an Ambassador?

“I am really looking forward to having an impact on so many young lives. Being an ambassador will allow me to share some of my stories and lessons I have learned along the way, while also giving me an opportunity to share more about FTSV with my network all through my passion of golf.”

All board members, staff, coaches and instructors see themselves as Mentors. Do you have any memorable mentors?

“As I have progressed through various endeavors in my life, I have consistently had someone that I could seek out for guidance and to act as a sounding board, but early in my professional career I was fortunate to find a mentor that I have trusted for many years. The mentorship has grown and evolved into a friendship that I truly value, but I still find myself seeking them out for that same guidance and sounding board that was the root of the relationship.”

Volunteer your time and talent as a board member, like Jason Luehrs.

Coaching, Cultivating Donors, Event or Campaign Fundraising, Representing FTSV at outside events or working on special projects with the CEO. Get Started – Join Us!

Meet New Board Ambassador: Justin Hill

First Tee – Silicon Valley’s board recently elected Justin Hill to our Board of Ambassadors.

After relocating from Manhattan to Silicon Valley, Justin was drawn to First Tee’s mission to promote youth development through golf and integrating the game of golf with life skills.

Justin was relatively late to golf, choosing to play more traditional team sports in his youth, but as he grew older, he began to appreciate the physical and psychological aspects of the game, the camaraderie among the players, and lessons learned from golf that translate off the course.

Justin is thrilled to assist First Tee – Silicon Valley attract more local youth to the game of golf, especially players with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Justin has 14 years of banking experience spanning roles in relationship management, underwriting, and portfolio management held at Truist, RBC Capital Markets, and Capital One. Justin is currently an underwriter at Capital One where he makes debt and equity investments in multi-family affordable housing developments across the U.S. He received his undergraduate Business degree from the University of Oregon and earned his MBA from George Washington University. Justin lives in Cupertino with his wife and two children, Morgan and Porter.

LinkedIn: Justin Hill

Justin is a great addition to our Board of Ambassadors. Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community at events, help raise funds, and expand FTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Click here to meet all our Board Members. Contact Judy Deaton if you have interest in learning more about a volunteer Board opportunity.

Published: 01-09-2025

Meet New FTSV Board Director: Shawn Fox

First Tee – Silicon Valley recently elected Shawn Fox to our Board of Directors.

Shawn started golfing when Tiger did. His grandfather, who he still plays with, introduced him to the game. He went on to compete in college and other golf tournaments. He shared that golf taught him so many lessons and created so many marquee moments in his life. Shawn lives in Redwood City and plays at Baylands Golf Links (FTSV class course location). He is excited to shift his time to philanthropic endeavors and support a non-profit that he relates to with the character-building mission through a sport he loves. In addition to joining the FTSV Board of Directors, Shawn will also be joining our volunteer coaching staff.

Professionally, Shawn is a solution-oriented leader with more than 18 years of experience driving transformative growth and maximizing performance across diverse organizations. His recent positions were Head of Business Planning at Tesla and Director, Strategy and Commercial Performance at Anheuser-Busch InBev. Shawn graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology, Management and earned his MBA at Columbia Business School.

LinkedIN: Shawn Fox

Shawn is a great addition to our FTSV Board of Directors. Director responsibilities include voting, providing planning, performance, legal and financial oversight, and raising sufficient funds to ensure FTSV’s success. Click Here to meet all our Board of Directors and learn more.

Contact Judy Dixon if you have interest in learning more about our volunteer Board opportunities as a Director or Ambassador.

Published: 11-8-2024

Meet New FTSV Board Director: Maximilian von Poelnitz

First Tee – Silicon Valley recently elected Maximilian (Max) von Poelnitz to our Board of Directors.

Max saw the FTSV banner at Baylands Golf Links (FTSV course class location) and said to himself – “It’s time to get involved.” He moved here 4 years ago and used to do lots of volunteering. The idea of golf to teach children larger life skills felt like a good fit. In addition to joining the FTSV Board of Directors, Max will also be joining our volunteer coaching staff.

Professionally, Max is a climate and food tech investor excited by innovation in personal nutrition, electrification and B2B bio tech. He is currently Managing Director at Ajinomoto CVC and Investor at numerous companies. He has over 15 years of experience across North America and Asia. Max has built numerous start-ups, founded a venture capital firm, invested as a CVC, and joined as an LP in Loyal VC. He received his BA in History from Wake Forest University and earned his MBA at INSEAD.

LinkedIN: Maximilian von Poelnitz

Max is a great addition to our FTSV Board of Directors. Director responsibilities include voting, providing planning, performance, legal and financial oversight, and raising sufficient funds to ensure FTSV’s success. Click Here to meet all our Board of Directors and learn more.

Contact Judy Dixon if you have interest in learning more about our volunteer Board opportunities as a Director or Ambassador.

Published: 11-8-2024