Prominent Business Leaders Join The First Tee of Orange County Board of Directors

    ANAHEIM, CA, July 21, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The First Tee of Orange County (TFTOC), an organization dedicated to teaching local youth ages 7 to 18 life skills and healthy habits through golf, has added three members to its growing Board of Directors: Gary Bridge, account manager and sales representative at First American Title, Colin Higgins, associate at Snell & Wilmer and Melissa Davis Lowe, partner at Shulman Hodges & Bastian.

"As our organization continues to expand its local footprint, The First Tee of Orange County is impacting more young lives - something that would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our skilled and enthusiastic board," said Tim Casey, board president, The First Tee of Orange County. "The additions of Gary, Colin and Melissa come at a time of significant growth for our organization, and I am confident they will further support The First Tee of Orange County by applying leadership skills, business expertise and proven ideas."

Bridge, Higgins and Lowe all possess expansive business and nonprofit backgrounds to support TFTOC.

• A resident of Laguna Niguel, Gary Bridge earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Vanguard University and is a sales representative for real estate and lender accounts at First American Title in Santa Ana. In addition to his support of TFTOC, Bridge also serves as president of the First American Golf Association, chairman of the Semper Fi Golf Classic and has been involved with Children's Ministries for 20 years.

• An associate at Costa Mesa-based Snell & Wilmer, Aliso Viejo resident Colin Higgins focuses his practice on business litigation in state and federal courts, and in administrative and ADR proceedings. He attended University of California, Berkeley where he earned bachelor's degrees in history and political science and later earned a law degree from Loyola Law School. Outside of work, Higgins is an Emerging Leaders council member with Orange County United Way and a supervising attorney at University of California, Irvine School of Law's Pro Bono Program.

• Melissa Davis Lowe is a partner of Shulman Hodges & Bastian's Bankruptcy and Reorganization department in Irvine where she covers all aspects of bankruptcy law, including representation of creditors and trustees. Lowe earned a bachelor's degree in finance from The University of Arizona and a law degree from Loyola Law School. She also is an active community member and has held positions with the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, serving as a former president, and the California Bankruptcy Forum. She resides in Lake Forest.

About the First Tee of Orange County
The First Tee of Orange County (TFTOC) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization with a mission to impact the lives of young people through the game of golf. TFTOC educates and motivates local youth through character-building programs aimed at promoting healthy choices and instilling important values necessary to be successful in planning for the future, managing feelings, communicating with others and problem-solving.

Based in Anaheim, California, the Orange County affiliate localizes the national work of The First Tee organization, which has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 7.6 million young people in the United States and internationally. The program focuses on Nine Core Values -- confidence, responsibility, respect, honesty, judgment, perseverance, sportsmanship, integrity, and courtesy -- at every class level. For more information, visit the chapter's website or connect with TFTOC on Facebook.

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