Carene Kunkler, chairwoman of the Church Finance Committee, worked as the Vice President of product supply at Lens Crafters in Cincinnati, Ohio, for a time. She increased sales and profits while also developing key branded lens products. In 2003, she was named Optical Woman of the Year. Away from work, Carene Kunkler enjoys watching women’s professional golf, skiing, and practicing yoga.
Yoga is a spiritual practice that emphasizes mental and physical health through breath control, meditation, and body posture. The practice has grown in popularity over the years and is now considered one of the most popular forms of exercise worldwide. In the United States, it is practiced by over 34 million people because of its numerous physical benefits, such as increased flexibility and strength.
Hot Yoga is a popular yoga practice that is effective at increasing flexibility. As the name suggests, hot Yoga is typically practiced in temperatures ranging from 29.5 to 40.5 degrees Celsius. This high temperature increases blood flow to the muscles, making them more elastic and improving physical performance. Hot yoga styles include Bikram, Forrest, and Baptiste.
Additionally, Yin yoga, a slower variation of Yoga, is a yoga practice that enhances flexibility. This type of Yoga requires practitioners to hold poses for three to five minutes to achieve a deep stretch in the connective tissues. These postures loosen the muscles while stretching the body.
An accomplished marketing leader with an MBA from Michigan State University, Carene Kunkler handled brand management for Procter & Gamble from 1979 to 1987. While serving as brand manager for Pert shampoo, Carene Kunkler oversaw branding and marketing for Pert Plus.
Hair care product companies began developing single-bottle shampoo and conditioner combinations in the 1970s. However, these early “2-in-1” formulas did little to condition hair. They may have aided in combing wet hair, but their benefits disappeared as soon as hair dried.
Procter & Gamble solved this problem in 1987 under the brand name Pert Plus. By trading the long-chain cationic polymers of early 2-in-1 products for a silicone conditioning agent that provided lasting moisturizing and detangling properties, it delivered lasting moisturizing and detangling properties.
The widespread success of this silicone-based formula is well-documented. Not only did Pert Plus find remarkable success in the marketplace, but countless other hair care products have used and continue to use silicone agents for conditioning purposes.
Over the course of nine years as vice president of product supply with LensCrafters in Cincinnati, experienced executive leader Carene Kunkler effectively managed a wide range of operations at approximately 600 stores located throughout Canada and the United States. Carene Kunkler is an avid follower of women’s golf, particularly the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Anna Davis, just 16 years of age, won the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). She finished her championship round at Georgia Pines with a 3-under 69, capping off a relatively comfortable victory; the high school sophomore was the only golfer to finish the tournament under par, at -1. The 2022 event was just the third staging of the tournament, but Davis now ranks as the youngest winner of the ANWA.
Davis was two strokes behind leader Latanna Stone entering the final round, having played 36 holes. Davis produced the second-best score of the day, resulting in Stone starting the 18th hole tied with Davis. Stone, a junior at Louisiana State University, had an opportunity to send the event to a playoff, but her final putt missed left.
It was Davis’ first ANWA appearance. Following the victory, she advanced to No. 2 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Davis had previously won the 2021 Girls Junior PGA Championship and competed in the 2021 Junior Solheim Cup.
For a long time, men dominated the game of golf. However, things changed with the establishment of the Women’s Professional Golf Association (WPGA) and later the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Since then, many women have played golf professionally, with many enjoying long and illustrious careers. Two such women are JoAnne Carner and Nancy Lopez.
JoAnne Carner was born JoAnne Gunderson in Kirkland, Washington, in 1939. She had a decades-long career and numerous wins, including 43 on the LPGA Tour after becoming a member in 1970. She held the record for the most United States Golf Association (USGA) championship wins by a female, beginning with the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 1956, coming behind only male golfers Tiger Woods and Bob Jones.
Carner began playing golf at a young age and showed great talent, going on to play for Arizona State University. As an amateur, she won five U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships between 1957 and 1968, the 1969 LPGA Tour Burdine’s Invitational, and two U.S. Women’s Open Championships in 1971 and 1976. Her amateur status ended in 1970 when she joined the LPGA.
Even in her later years, Carner continues to compete in tournaments. In 2018 at the age of 79, she played at the maiden U.S. Women’s Senior Open, shooting her age in the tournament. She shot her age again in the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open at the age of 82, making her the fifth golfer in USGA championship history to shoot their age more than once.
Fellow former professional golfer Nancy Lopez achieved similarly impressive feats during her career, winning 48 tournaments. Born in 1957 in Torrance, California, Lopez discovered her talent for golf at the age of 8 after being given a set of golf clubs from her father. Lopez won her first tournament, the California State Golf Championships, and the first of three New Mexico Women’s Amateurs at the ages of 9 and 12, respectively.
As an amateur, Lopez won the U.S. Girl’s Junior Championship in 1972 and 1974, came in second at the 1975 U.S. Women’s Open while in high school, and won the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championship in 1976 while at the University of Tulsa. In the same year, the university named her an all-American and the Female Athlete of the Year. In 1977, she joined the LPGA, won five consecutive tournaments the subsequent year and nine tournaments total, including her first LPGA Championship.
Lopez went on to win her second and third LPGA Championships in 1985 and 1989. In 1979, she won eight tournaments. In 1987, the LGPA inducted Lopez into its Hall of Fame, making her its youngest member. Lopez became a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, retiring that same year. Although Lopez no longer plays professionally, she sponsors tournaments, such as the Nancy Lopez Hospice Golf Classic.
Carner and Lopez helped boost the popularity of women’s golf. With their numerous wins and achievements, they have made their mark on the world of professional women’s golf and golf in general.
