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Sankofa Youth Golf Association Team
Get to Know Us
Founder and President
Tano Malentin
Tano Malentin is the Founder and President of Sankofa Youth Golf Association. He has more than 25 years of management experience in the golf industry from golf operations and Food & Beverage Operations to Agronomy. During those years he has managed different types of courses ranging from municipalities, public, semi-private and private courses under different management groups including American Golf Corporation, one of the most successful golf management company in the United States back in the early 90s and late 2000s. In 2013 he was asked to join another management company as COO where he oversaw over 30 courses in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, New York, and Pennsylvania. Very quickly that company became one of the top 20 management company in the United States with over one thousand employees and over $75 million in annual sales. His marketing and operational expertise have redesigned how golf operations are managed. Several of his operational practices and approach are still being used successfully by hundred if not thousands of golf professionals.
n 2017 Tano joined NBC Sports NEXT as Senior Area Sales Manager consulting with courses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Mexico, and Hawaii. During his tenure he advised courses on best practices to be efficient operationally and maximize revenue.
Tano is a family and spiritual person who has always presented himself with levelheadedness and grace. He has the moral compass and character that allow him to put the needs of others ahead of himself. He is a unique individual who has in his DNA to serve people.
Tano is known in the golf industry as an innovator, a passionate about Junior golf and his generosity and unmatched dedication towards growing the game of golf through various Junior Golf Programs and associations on a local and national level such as Orlando Minority youth Golf Association (OMYGA) in Orlando, Florida
where he was recognized as an outstanding leader for three consecutive years and the First Tee of Greater Seattle in Seattle, Washington where he also serves as a staff coach. His efforts have helped mold and build hundreds of juniors to become outstanding adults and citizens.
Tano is also an accomplished golfer, golf Coach and golf Instructor currently coaching Jean-Romaric Djezou, the number one professional golfer in Ivory Coast.
Administrative and Communication Manager
Barbara Christelle Adjoa Konan
Barbara Christelle Adjoa Konan is a dynamic, driven and methodical young Ivorian professional. Throughout her professional career, Barbara has used her passion and skill set to thrive in various Administrative and Hiring Management roles within reputable companies. Sankofa Youth Golf Association is pleased to have her fill such an important position on our team. Barbara is passionate about her career and loves her duties as it pertains to administration and communication. This passion always accompanies her and all she does. In her extra-professional time Barbara participates in activities such as sport, specifically golf, which she admits she loves to practice as much as possible.
Coach Jean-Claude N’da
Director of Programs for Sankofa Youth Golf Association
Jean-Claude has more than 35 years in golf as a professional golfer and a teacher. Jean-Claude is very passionate about growing the game of golf in Ivory Coast. He was also the Founder of an NGO called Golf Pour Tous (Golf For All) to help provide access to underprivileged youth in Ivory Coast. He has helped started many youth programs in villages without any resources or equipment and now joins Sankofa Youth Golf Association. He brings a wealth of experience and local knowledge to SYGA. He has one goal in mind, help grow the game of golf in Ivory Coast and Africa.
Coach Jean-Romaric Djezou
Number one professional golfer
in Ivory Coast.
He is a very accomplished golfer who learned the game of golf from his father, Jean-Claude N’da, the Program Director. He started playing golf when he was six years old and has grown to become the best player in Ivory Coast. When he was not competing which was most of the time due to lack of professional events he would coach with his dad. He is also the student of Coach Tano Malentin, the Founder and President of SYGA. Jean-Romaric wants to be the role model of the youth in Ivory Coast. He joined SYGA because he wants more youth to learn the game of golf.