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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2015
Valero Texas Open to feature Carey Lohrenz, First Female F-14 Tomcat Pilot in the U.S. Navy as Keynote at Astellas-Sponsored Executive Women’s Day
San Antonio, TX – March 2, 2015 – As many of the world’s top PGA TOUR professionals prepare to showcase their skills at the 2015 Valero Texas Open, Carey Lohrenz, the U.S. Navy’s first female F-14 Tomcat Pilot will impart her knowledge and share her extraordinary experiences as the keynote speakers at the third annual Executive Women’s Day sponsored by Astellas Pharma US, Inc. This popular business forum will bring together influential women from the San Antonio area to participate in an engaging daylong event, focused on professional development, networking and health and wellness. Executive Women’s Day will be held on March 24 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa at TPC San Antonio.
More than 250 businesswomen are expected to attend the event, which includes presentations and panel discussions, networking sessions and a behind-the-scenes tournament tour. Highlights of the event held during the Valero Texas Open include:
| • | Keynote speaker: Carey Lohrenz, aviation pioneer and author |
| • | Moderator, Myra Arthur, Anchor & Reporter, KSAT 12 News |
| • | Cindy Jorgensen, Chief Financial Officer, SWBC |
| • | Jelynne LeBlanc Burley, Executive Vice President & Chief Delivery Officer, CPS Energy |
| • | Gretchen Miller, Executive Director-Client Solutions Content Marketing, Dell Inc. |
| • | Rosemary Kowalski, Chairman Emeritus, The RK Group |
Leadership and strategy expert Carey Lohrenz has experience in one of the world’s most challenging environments imaginable: in the cockpit at Mach 2. As the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy, having flown missions worldwide as a combat mission ready United States Navy pilot, Lohrenz us used to working in fast moving, dynamic environments, where inconsistent execution can generate catastrophic results.
“After flying worldwide missions as an F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot, I know firsthand what it’s like to work under extreme pressure in some of the most demanding and stressful environments imaginable,” Lohrenz said. “I have found there are many steps women can take to live well, work smart, and be fearless leaders wherever their workplace may be.”
Executive Women’s Day is part of the PGA TOUR’s Women’s Initiative and is designed to engage women in PGA TOUR tournament markets by creating a day of corporate dialogue and networking opportunities. This year, the TOUR and Astellas will support 23 Executive Women’s Day events in cities across the country, including San Antonio.
“We are pleased to partner with Astellas and the Valero Texas Open on a valuable opportunity to inspire and inform women to make connections, build relationships and keep their personal health up to par,” said Donna Fiedorowicz, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of Tournament Activation and Outreach. “We also are thrilled to see the success of Executive Women’s Day as a powerful way to engage the growing female PGA TOUR fan base with information that helps them stay strong, healthy and connected through discussion of health and well-being as well as broader professional development opportunities.”
“As a pharmaceutical company with an intense focus on cardiology, infectious disease, oncology, transplant and urology, Astellas is dedicated to improving the health of patients worldwide,” said Gary Kaiser, director of Marketing for Astellas Pharma US, Inc. “Our support of Executive Women’s Day events brings much needed awareness and assistance to female employees who may face challenges in prioritizing their health and well-being.”
Other tournament programming sponsored by Astellas includes:
| (1) | Putt for Charity Challenge, which will be located between the 10th and 18th holes at the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio from March 26-29 will encourage tournament spectators to test their skills while helping to raise additional funds for charity. Each person who participates will have three opportunities to putt and win prizes, and Astellas will donate $1 toward the tournament’s charitable mission for each participant, up to $5,000. |
| (2) | PGA TOUR Volunteer Challenge, which was created to recognize and show appreciate to more than 100,000 tournament volunteers annually who dedicate their time, passion and energy to help tournaments raise funds for local charities. At the conclusion of the Volunteer Challenge, one volunteer will be honored for his/her dedication and have the opportunity to present a check for $10,000 in his/her name to the tournament’s charitable mission. |
About Astellas
Astellas Pharma US, Inc., a U.S. affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to changing tomorrow by improving the health of people around the world through innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information about Astellas Pharma US, Inc., please visit www.astellas.us.
ABOUT VALERO
Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries (collectively, Valero), is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products, and sells its products primarily in the United States (U.S.), Canada, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Ireland and Latin America. Valero owns 15 petroleum refineries located in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million barrels per day. Valero is a joint venture member in Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLC, which owns two renewable diesel plants located in the U.S. Gulf Coast region with a combined production capacity of approximately 1.2 billion gallons per year, and Valero owns 12 ethanol plants located in the U.S. Mid-Continent region with a combined production capacity of approximately 1.6 billion gallons per year. Valero manages its operations through its Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol segments. Please visit investorvalero.com for more information.
ABOUT VALERO IN THE COMMUNITY
Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries (collectively, Valero), and the Valero Energy Foundation are committed to improving the quality of life in communities where Valero has major operations. In 2023, Valero, its employees and the foundation collectively generated more than $77 million in charitable support through direct/in-kind donations, fundraising and volunteerism. Valero employees logged more than 127,000 volunteer hours in 2023 for hundreds of projects in their communities. Valero provides funding to a variety of nonprofit agencies for programs and services supporting education, basic needs, health care and civic initiatives. Through the overwhelming support of sponsors, the foundation’s signature programs, the Valero Texas Open and Benefit for Children, generated more than $23 million raised in 2023 for charities across the United States.
ABOUT THE VALERO TEXAS OPEN
The Valero Texas Open is the sixth-oldest professional tournament in golf worldwide, the third-oldest on the PGA TOUR and the longest held in the same city. In 2022, the tournament celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Its list of champions includes some of the greatest names in golf history: Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino, Nick Price, Justin Leonard, Zach Johnson, Adam Scott, Jimmy Walker, Jordan Spieth and 2019, 2023 champion Corey Conners to name a few.
Since Valero became title sponsor in 2002, the tournament has become a leader in charitable fundraising among PGA TOUR events. The Valero Texas Open, together with its Benefit for Children and Champions fore Charity initiatives, has contributed more than $232 million to hundreds of worthy charities since inception. Please visit www.ValeroTexasOpen.com for more information.
Media Contacts
Stephanie Sage
Valero Texas Open
Director, Marketing & Community Relations
210.345.3839 office
Lee Patterson
Valero Texas Open
Director, Media Relations
704.913.1088 mobile
