Orlando Peace, PGA, Director of Community Golf, has been impacting the lives of youth for over 30 years. Prior to moving to Aquidneck Island in 2016 he was a mentor, a coach, a paraprofessional and worked with a wide range of youth, including at-risk kids in New London, Connecticut. He was inspired to bring golf to life for youth that wouldn’t otherwise have access to the game, and in 2021 was hired to do so by FabNewport as an extension of their experiential learning offerings. Through Orlando’s vision, commitment, and three-year success with FabGolf, FabNewport was awarded Rhode Island’s only First Tee chapter, located in Middletown and made possible with the generous donation of space by Sean Napolitano, owner of A1 Roofing and Construction. With 150 chapters in the United States, the First Tee is a national youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character and empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with life skills curriculum, First Tee chapters create active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry into everything they do in life.

Orlando has also collaborated with Green Valley Country Club to build accessible youth programs. With the support of PGA Head professional Gary Dorsi and owner Ron Raposa, Green Valley C.C. now hosts a PGA Jr. League site. PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth program of the PGA of America’s 501 (c)(3) foundation, PGA REACH. Through this inclusive program, Coach Orlando brings kids together to experience golf in a culture of belonging.

Orlando has a passion for the game of golf and all that it offers. Orlando has not only coached and introduced the technical aspects of golf to Aquidneck Island youth, but has developed programs which build character, instill essential life skills and life enhancing values, support career exploration, promote healthy choices, and help evolve kids into future leaders and good citizens within their communities. In May of 2024, Orlando became a PGA Golf Professional, joining a group of less than 196 African Americans out of 30,000 golf professionals in the world. He continues his quest to expand opportunities and access to the game of golf, and has joined the Newport County YMCA to do just that.

Shelby Hibbert is a YGolf Assistant Coach, working with a variety of programs including PGA Junior League, LPGA Girls Golf, and YGolf Ladies’ Nights.

She has worked as a golf coach in the greater Newport area for the last five years while attending Salve Regina University, where she completed both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Criminal Justice.

A multi-sport athlete, she has been playing golf since she was ten years old, along with soccer, basketball, and tennis.

Grace Acton is the Assistant Site Director for the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf – Newport County YMCA chapter.

She played NCAA Division III collegiate golf at Bates College, where she was a 2023 NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team selection and a 3-time NESCAC All-Academic Team selection.

Prior to joining the Newport YMCA team, she coached junior golf camps at Riverside Golf Course in Portland, ME and Quail Ridge Country Club in Acton, MA, and volunteered in family-based STEM education programs at the Lewiston, ME elementary schools.