Section Staff
Staff Bios
Alan Seamans
Alan Seamans is the CEO of the CNY PGA. Seamans joined the section in 2007 as Tournament Director before becoming its Executive Director in 2010. Seamans also is the President of PGA Reach CNY which is the fundraising arm of the CNY PGA.
Seamans, a native of Cortland, supervises a staff of 8 full- and part-time section employees and works in conjunction with the section’s Board of Directors. His administrative skills include working with community partners to promote the game of golf and elevate the stature of PGA Professionals.
Seamans, who became a PGA Professional in 2014, oversees the business operations of the section and the section’s foundation. Seamans, a 2003 graduate of Le Moyne College, also helped direct the section home-site acquisition and renovation of the CNY PGA headquarters in Jamesville.
Seamans’ vision and leadership has been integral to the development of CNY PGA programming. He is dedicated to the growth of the sport and is active in facilitating tournaments and player development initiatives on both the local and national levels. He was awarded the 2018 CNY PGA Horton Smith Award for outstanding and continuing contributions to professional education.
Seamans and his wife, Caitlin, reside in Syracuse with their three children.
Joe Tesori
Joe Tesori is the Executive Director of the PGA Reach CNY Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Central New York PGA. Tesori oversees the day to day operations of the foundation and will be responsible for managing all fundraising initiatives and events benefiting PGA Reach CNY. Tesori, a PGA Member, additionally works very closely with all section partners & sponsors.
Tesori graduated from Jamesville-DeWitt High School in 2004, Le Moyne College in 2008 and completed his masters degree at Cortland State in 2012. At Le Moyne, he was named Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year in his sophomore season and his junior season was a member of the first Dolphins team in program history to compete in the NCAA National Championship.
Tesori followed in the footsteps of his father, PGA hall of famer Joe Sr., into the coaching ranks. He coached the Cortland State Women’s Golf team for 8 seasons where he earned Empire 8 Coach of the Year honors in 2017-2018 and Northeast Women’s Conference coach of the year in 2019-20 . Tesori guided Cortland State to 8 school records in his 7 seasons along with the program’s first trip to the NCAA National Championship in 2014.
Tesori is also currently the assistant Men’s & Women’s golf coach at his alma mater, Le Moyne College.
The former owner of the Pro Shop at The Pompey Club, has a wealth of golf knowledge and takes great pride in being a PGA Professional.
Tesori, his wife Sarah and children Charles & Anthony and their dog Arnold reside in DeWitt.
Brittany Wowelko
Brittany Wowelko is the Director of Foundation Programs & Marketing for the CNY PGA. Wowelko oversees the section’s Junior Tour, Drive Chip and Putt programs, the section’s PGA Jr. League, Player’s Card sales, Women’s Golf Association and other player development initiatives. She also monitors the CNYPGA’s social media accounts, website and marketing.
A Niagara University graduate, Wowelko competed for 4 years on the women’s golf team. Most recently, Wowelko served as the assistant golf professional at Timber Banks Golf Club & Marina. Wowelko also spent time in the same role at The Cavalry Club and Lakeshore Yacht & CC.
Wowelko is the prior Women’s Golf Coach at Le Moyne College. As a former player with the CNY PGA Junior Tour, Wowelko has a great understanding of what’s needed to help the next generation of golfers and is committed to the idea of giving back to the golf community.
Wowelko resides in Chittenango with her husband Andrew , son Charlie and their dog Monte.
Dylan Plis
Dylan Plis is the Tournament Director for the CNY PGA. Plis oversees the sections Assistants Association events, Apogee Investment Management Championships, and Section events along with the Junior Tour.
Plis is also the Assistant Golf Coach at Le Moyne College for the Men’s and Women’s programs.
Plis, a graduate of West Genesee High School, competed for the Franklin Pierce men’s golf team for four years. He earned Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference honors twice and was the NE-10 Rookie of the Year. Dylan earned his college degree in Sports and Recreation Management and minored in Marketing.
Fran Piraino
Fran Piraino assists the Section with its digital content. Her duties include covering and photographing Central New York PGA Section tournaments and providing website stories as well as photo galleries from events. She also contributes to the Section’s social media presence by creating and posting content on its platforms.
Piraino is responsible for writing monthly PGA Magazine stories highlighting Section members. She also is writing the biographies of CNY PGA Hall of Fame members.
Piraino, a graduate of Le Moyne College, worked for more than 20 years with The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com as sports reporter covering varsity sports and bowling until 2009. Her byline (M.F. Piraino) has appeared in numerous local and national publications such as the Central New York Good Life Magazine, the CNY Golfer, the Syracuse New Times, the Auburn Citizen, the Utica Observer-Dispatch and Bowlers Journal International Magazine.
Piraino and her husband Bob reside in Syracuse.
Don Zorn
Don Zorn is the Development Director for PGA REACH Central New York, the fundraising arm of the Central New York Section of the PGA. Zorn is assisting the Section in its efforts to rebrand the CNY PGA Foundation and align the Foundation with the PGA of America’s PGA REACH programs. He is also leading the Section’s initiative to enhance the Foundation’s fundraising efforts which are designed to support PGA REACH objectives in Central New York.
Zorn joined the Section in 2020 with more than 30 years of management and partnership-building experience in corporate and community development. Prior to retiring in 2019, Zorn was the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Corporate Development at Upstate Medical University Foundation.
During his career at Upstate, Zorn coordinated several successful fundraising efforts as a Campaign Manager at Upstate including Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, Endowment and Upstate Cancer Center.
Zorn earned a law degree from Syracuse University.
Zorn and his wife, Ellen, reside in Cicero.
Casey Ware
U.S. Navy Veteran Casey Ware is the first PGA WORKS Fellow for the Central New York PGA Section.
Ware’s responsibilities during his Fellowship include promoting and expanding the initiatives of PGA REACH CNY.
Ware will be involved in securing new Foundation partners, increasing PGA HOPE participation, creating new events for the CNY PGA Women’s Association, expanding the PGA Jr. League and overseeing Drive, Chip and Putt local qualifiers.
Ware, who interned with the Section in the summer of 2023, is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BS in Physical Education. He is also a certified New York State teacher.
A former aviation machinist, Ware served four years of active duty in the U.S. Navy and three in active reserve. Ware received two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals (2016, 2019). He was named Sailor of the Year in 2016.
