Recent industry hires and promotions include new General Managers at Bay Creek in Cape Charles, Va.; Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo.; and Pottawattomie Country Club in Michigan City, Ind.; Club Manager at Atlanta Athletic Club in John’s Creek, Ga.; Clubhouse Manager at Indian Valley Country Club in Telford, Pa.; and Executive Chef at North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh, N.C.
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Here are some of the recent new hires and promotions announced by club and resort properties and other companies in the club industry. Announcements and photos for this regular People on the Move report can be submitted at https://clubandresortbusiness.com/submit-industry-news/.
Bay Creek in Cape Charles, Va. named Robert Ewing as General Manager. Ewing most recently served as General Manager of Heritage Shores Club in Bridgeville, Del.
Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo. named Brian Straight CCM,CCE as General Manager/COO. Straight was most recently Interim General Manager at Scorpion Bay Marina in Peoria, Ariz.
The Pottawattomie Country Club in Michigan City, Ind. named Matt Wooldridge as General Manager. Wooldridge was previously Director of Food and Beverage and Golf Services at Savannah Lakes Village in McCormick, S.C.
The Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport, Conn. named Mario DiPreta as General Manager. DiPreta was previously the Chief Executive Officer & General Manager of The West Side Tennis Club & Forest Hills Stadium in Forest Hills, N.Y.
Martis Camp Club in Truckee, Calif. named Colin O’Hanlon, CCM as General Manager. O’Hanlon was previously General Manager at Shooting Star Jackson Hole (Wy.).
Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. named Gordon Digby, CCM, PGA as General Manager/Chief Operating Officer. Digby was most recently General Manager/COO at Metairie (La.) Country Club.
Great Hills Country Club in Austin, Texas named Gaith Alkadi as General Manager/COO. Alkadi was most recently General Manager at Carolina Trace Country Club in Sanford, N.C.
Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin Sabot, Va. named Eric Rule as General Manager/Chief Operating Officer. Rule was most recently General Manager of Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minn. and spent 27 years as General Manager of Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.
Catamount Ranch & Club in Steamboat Springs, Colo. named Mark Lampe as PGA General Manager and Director of Golf. Lampe was most recently Head Golf Professional at Snowmass Club in Snowmass Village, Colo.
The Fox Club in Palm City, Fla. named Tim Yavello as General Manager. Yavello was most recently General Manager of Smoke Rise Country Club in Stone Mountain, Ga.
Lake Charles (La.) Country Club named Kit Thomson, PGA as General Manager. Thomson was most recently General Manager at Sulphur Springs (Texas) Country Club.
Ozaukee Country Club in Mequon, Wis. named Will Norem as General Manager. Norem was most recently Assistant General Manager at Country Club of Buffalo in Williamsville, N.Y.
ClubCorp named Dan Robinson as General Manager of the Ken Garff Scholarship Club at Utah, located at the University of Utah’s Ken Garff Red Zone at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Robinson was most recently Director of Premium for the Utah Jazz.
Glen Ridge (N.J.) Country Club named Christopher Selser as General Manager/Chief Operations Officer. Selser was most recently General Manager at Colonia (N.J.) Country Club.
Gaston Country Club in Gastonia, N.C. named Travis Smith as General Manager. Smith was most recently General Manager/COO at Limestone Springs Golf Club in Oneonta, Ala.
Escondido Golf and Lake Club in Horseshoe Bay, Texas named Dan DuBreuil as General Manager/COO. DuBreuil was most recently President/General Manager of Linville (N.C.) Resorts.
The Buffalo (N.Y.) Club promoted Matthew Werth, CCM to General Manager. Werth was most recently Director Of Operations at the club.
The Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead, Mass. named Jared Chorney as General Manager. Chorney was most recently General Manager at Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Country Club.
Manufacturers Golf and Country Club in Fort Washington, Pa. named Christopher Boyenga as Clubhouse Manager. Boyenga was most recently Sommelier/Director of Beverage at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa.
The Atlanta Athletic Club in John’s Creek, Ga. named Audra Lucas as Club Manager. Lucas was most recently Clubhouse Manager at Sailfish Point Country Club in Stuart, Fla., and previously served as Food & Beverage Director at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. and as Food & Beverage Manager at The Polo Club of Boca Raton (Fla.).
Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. named Matt Dossey, CCM as Assistant General Manager. Dossey was most recently General Manager/COO at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn.
Indian Valley Country Club in Telford, Pa. promoted Kaitlyn Muir to Clubhouse Manager. Muir was most recently Banquet and Catering Manager at the club.
The Palmetto Bluff Club in Bluffton, S.C. named Ted Coleman as the Moreland Clubhouse Manager. Coleman was most recently Food & Beverage Director at Berkeley Hall Club in Bluffton, S.C.
The Lander (Wy.) Golf Course named Greg Stimpson as Director of Golf. A certified Chuck Cook Golf instructor and is certified Neuro-Transformational Results coach, Stimpson is currently the Head Golf Coach/Director of Instruction at Central Wyoming College.
The Whiteface Club and Resort in Lake Placid, N.Y. named Perry Babcoc, PGA as Head Golf Professional. Babcoc, the former Assistant Golf Professional, takes over for J. Peter Martin who announced his retirement in 2021.
The Sonnenalp Club in Vail, Colo. named Kirby Lee, PGA as Head Golf Professional. Lee was most recently Head Golf Professional at Winchester Country Club in Meadow Vista, Calif.
Seven Oaks Country Club in Bakersfield, Calif. named Bradley J. Streza as PGA Specialized Head Golf Professional. Streza was most recently PGA Head Golf Professional at The Polo Fields Golf & Country Club in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Hunter’s Green Golf & Country Club in Tampa, Fla. named Paul Ferrier as Head Golf Professional. Ferrier was most recently First Assistant Golf Professional at Tampa (Fla.) Palms Country Club.
Singing Hills Golf Resort at Sycuan in El Cajon, Calif. named Craig Kimmel as Director of Agronomy. Kimmel joins Singing Hills with more than 30 years of experience in the golf industry, previously, as Superintendent at Redhill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. named Jonathan Heywood as Golf Course Superintendent. Heywood was most recently Golf Course Superintendent at Morris County Golf Club in Morristown, N.J.
Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Fla. named Hercilio Cabieses as Head Pickleball Professional. Cabieses was most recently President at Asociación Deportiva de Pickleball Perú.
Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wis. named Nelly Buleje as Director of Food and Beverage. Buleje was most recently Grand Geneva’s Executive Chef.
Gulf Harbour Yacht & Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla. named James Vazquez as Food & Beverage Director. Vazquez was most recently Clubhouse Manager at Hackensack Golf Club in Oradell, N.J.
North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh, N.C. named Ryan Cavanaugh as Executive Chef. After 10 years as Executive Chef and four years as Executive Sous Chef at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., Cavanaugh takes over the lead kitchen position at North Ridge in March.
Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. named Andrew Morse as Executive Chef. Morse was most recently Chef De Cuisine at The Polo Club of Boca Raton (Fla.).
Stone Briar Country Club in Frisco, Texas named Todd Phillips as Executive Chef. Phillips was most recently Executive Chef at J.R.’s Steakhouse win Colleyville, Texas.
Wee Burn Country Club in Darien, Conn. named Matthew O’Connor CEC, WCEC as Director of Food, Beverage and Culinary Operations. O’Connor is currently Executive Chef at Bonnie Briar Country Club in Larchmont, N.Y.
The Club at Kingsmill Resort promoted Chris Rucker to Vice President of Membership Sales.
Mizner Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. named Mackenzie Lalov as Membership Director. Lalov was most recently Clubhouse Manager at Willoughby Golf Club in Stuart, Fla.
The Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. named Margaret Bidwell as Director of Finance. Bidwell has been a Financial Analyst/Accounting Manager at McConnell Golf and Controller at Country Club of Asheville (N.C.).
Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. named Carla Hallman as Human Resources Manager. Hallman was most recently Human Resources Coordinator at CFA Institute, also in in Charlottesville, Va.
Members of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America elected Kevin P. Breen, CGCS at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos, Calif., to a one-year term as President of the GCSAA. He is the 86th president in the association’s history. Breen served as Vice President of the association in 2021 and has been a member of the association’s Board of Directors since 2015. A 31-year member of GCSAA, Breen is also a Past President of both the Sierra Nevada GCSA and the California GCSA. Other elected officers were Kevin P. Sunderman, CGCS, Director of Grounds at Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club in St. Petersburg, Fla., as Vice President, and Jeff L. White, CGCS and Superintendent at Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills, Kan.; as Secretary/Treasurer. Board members Douglas D. Dykstra, CGCS, Golf Course Superintendent at White Mountain Country Club in Pinetop, Ariz., and Marc E. Weston, CGCS and Superintendent at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, Conn., were elected to serve again, while Steven J. Hammon, Superintendent at Traverse City (Mich.) Country Club, was newly elected to the board. T.A. Barker, CGCS and Superintendent at Fore Lakes Golf Course in Taylorsville, Utah; and Paul L. Carter, CGCS and Superintendent at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Harrison, Tenn., continue their service on the board. Mark F. Jordan, CGCS, Natural Resources Leader at Westfield Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio, will serve as Immediate Past President, while John R. Fulling Jr., CGCS, Grounds and Facilities Manager at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Country Club, retired from board service.
Supplier News
Denehy Club Thinking Partners named Patrick Finlen as Executive Vice President. Finlen has been in the club industry with 36 years and ascended through the ranks at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. During his tenure from 2002 until 2019, he served as the club’s Director of Golf Course Maintenance Operations, Director of Golf, and was named General Manager in 2013.
Strategic Club Solutions named Michelle Cocita as People Strategy Specialist and Project Manager; Cyndi Nicholson as Membership Specialist and Project Manager; and Tara MacDonald as Executive Assistant. Cocita brings 15 years of hospitality experience to SCS, including tenure with The Walt Disney Company, talent recruitment and development at Charlotte Country Club, and volunteerism focused on student development and programming. Nicholson brings 15 years of hospitality experience with private clubs, specializing in membership program development, member relations, and service standards at yacht and country clubs throughout the Midwest. MacDonald brings 13 years of hospitality and administrative professional experience in various industries ranging from private city and country clubs, small businesses, and niche retail markets. She has a working knowledge of membership and event sales, internal and external marketing, public relations, and member and employee satisfaction.
Troon named Dominique Gray, CCM as Director of Business Development. Gray, the Co-Founder at Race 4 Achievement Inc., was previously Assistant General Manager at Eastpointe Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. and Director of Operations at The Texas Tech Club in Lubbock, Texas.
Troon named Bonnie Malcolm as Director, Sales & Marketing. Malcolm most recently served as Marketing Communications Manager at Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Ron Jaworski Golf named Steve Marini as Director of Operations. Marini was most recently Vice President of Golf Operations RJG/GM Blue Heron Pines Golf Club & Seven Tap-Tavern in Galloway, N.J.
AquaFuse by CMF Global, Inc. named Joseph Fernandez as President. Fernandez joined CMF Global in 2006 as Executive Vice President.
Kelly McCammon, Founder and CEO of the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation, was named as a new member of the NextLinks Board of Directors. In addition to McCammon, the NextLinks Board includes golf course designer Agustín Pizá, Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, former CIO of the Dallas Cowboys, Pete Walsh, World Golf Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez, former Commissioner of the LPGA Charlie Mechem and several other distinguished business and sports leaders.
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