On a sparkling Saturday night, thirty-four stories above downtown San Diego, 130 of the country’s most accomplished club managers and their guests enjoyed panoramic views of the city from the picture windows of the University Club Atop Symphony Towers. The stars were also out inside the impressive ClubCorp setting on February 9th, as the 2012 recipients of the Excellence in Club Management (ECM) awards, co-sponsored by Club & Resort Business and the McMahon Group, were honored during a special reception, dinner and ceremony held in conjunction with the Club Managers Association of America’s annual conference.
The annual awards are selected through nominations submitted on behalf of qualified candidates by other parties. A Selection Committee comprised of a peer group of club managers conducts the judging; the McMahon Group and Club & Resort Business are not involved in the selection of the award winners. Winners are selected solely on the basis of their achievements at the club they currently manage; “lifetime achievements” are not considered.
The 2012 group, which has five award winners because of a tie that resulted from the judging in one category, were presented with their ECM awards during this year’s event, which was sponsored by Bollinger Insurance, ClubCorp and Toro.
Winners of 2012 awards, which were presented by William P. McMahon, Sr., Chairman of the McMahon Group, and Frank Vain, President of the McMahon Group, included:
- The James H. Brewer Award (Country/Golf Clubs with 600 or More Full-Privilege Members)—Robert E. Jones, CCM, CCE, ECM, General Manager/COO, Desert Mountain Club, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz.
- The Mead Grady Award (Country/Golf Clubs with Fewer than 600 Full-Privilege Members)—Eric J. Dietz, CCM, PGA, ECM, General Manager/CEO, Lakewood Country Club, Rockville, Md., and Paul K. Skelton, CCM, ECM, General Manager/COO, The Country Club at DC Ranch, Scottsdale, Ariz.
- The Mel Rex Award (City, Athletic or Specialty/Non-Golf Club)—John P. Dorman, CCM, ECM, General Manager, The University Club of New York, New York, N.Y.
The recipient of the 2012 Rising Star Award, Michael A. Chase, Jr., CCM, ECM, Club Manager, The Loxahatchee Club, Jupiter, Fla., was not present to accept his award in San Diego, as he dutifully stayed in Florida to oversee an event at his club. His award was accepted by The Loxahatchee Club’s COO/General Manager, Kevin Carroll, CCM.
Many previous winners of the ECM award, which was established by the McMahon Group in 1997 and has been co-sponsored by Club & Resort Business since 2005, were also present and recognized at this year’s dinner, along with those who have served on the judging committee for the awards.
A full listing of judges and past winners, plus information on how to nominate candidates for recognition in future years, can be found at the special website for the ECM Awards program, www.clubmanageraward.com.
Presentations for ECM winners are also held at their individual clubs throughout the year, and in-depth articles detailing the achievements that led to their selection will appear in upcoming issues of Club & Resort Business.
C&RB’s “Idea Exchange” will be back in its regular space next month. If you have a great idea you’d like to share, send it to [email protected]
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