Annual Golf Tournament

Mike graduated from Willingham High School in Macon, the first football coach and athletic director was his friend and mentor the late, legendary coach Billy Henderson.
He began supporting the Champion’s Foundation over 30 years ago in honor of Coach Henderson. Mike graduated in 1966 with honors from the UGA College of Business. As
a proud alumnus, he later served the college as A practitioner and “Executive in Residence”. He was the recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award in
1995. He and Mrs. Cheek have been major financial contributors to the University and the athletic programs, both as founding members of the UGA President’s Club, along with being Silver Circle donors to athletics and members of the Magill and Hedges Society. He is also a proud member of the Quarterback Club of Athens and a 40 plus
year member of the Gridiron Society.

He enjoyed a long successful 40 plus year career in the corporate business world with leading global companies such as the Coca Cola Co. and Brown-Forman Beverages, where he retired as president of their Global Spirits division in 2005. He received numerous awards including being selected as the Spirits Industry Executive of the Year in 1995. In addition, he later served on five corporate boards, and is still active on two.  Mike has been a dedicated golfer for over 60 years, and is currently a member of the Athens Country Club and Scotland’s Royal Dornoch Golf Club, one of the world’s top ten courses. In addition to the enjoyment of playing, he contributed to the growth of the game, first, as a member of the Atlanta Classic Foundation, which has hosted a PGA event in Atlanta for over 30 years.
As a former member of Louisville, KY’s Valhalla Golf Club, he served as Vice Chairman of the 1996 and 2000 PGA
Championships, along with the 2008 Ryder Cup, all played at Valhalla.

Mike is married to the former Runell Short of Macon for 59 years, they have two daughters, Kelly Johnson and Andrea
Cheek both of Athens along with four grandchildren, the youngest a freshman at UGA. He is a man of strong faith,
who loves Jesus Christ. He is currently a member of Athens First United Methodist Church.