Club People on the Move: July 1-14

Recent industry hires and promotions include new General Managers at Redding (Pa.) Country Club and The Club at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga.; a new Director of Golf at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Fla.; Executive Chefs at Naples (Fla.) Grande Beach Resort and Blue Mound Golf & Country Club in Wauwatosa, Wis.; and the Director of Sales at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, Calif.

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/.

The Prairie Club in Valentine, Neb. named Rick Kimmes as General Manager. Kimmes was most recently Food & Beverage Director at The Edina (Minn.) Country Club.

Redding (Pa.) Country Club named Timothy G. Seifert, CCM as General Manager. Seifert was most recently Assistant General Manager at St. Clair Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Reynolds Lake Oconee promoted Jason Plazola to General Manager of The Club at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga. Plazola joined Reynolds in 2016 as Director of Food and Beverage and most recently served as the Director of Hospitality.

Four Seasons Resort Maui (Hawaii) at Wailea named Ben Shank as General Manager. Most recently serving as the General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia for the past five years where he led the property opening, Shank marks his return to Maui with over two decades of experience with the luxury hospitality brand. 

Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Fla. promoted Jeff Pratt, PGA to Director of Golf. He was previously Head Golf Professional. Prior to joining Suntree, Pratt was Head Golf Professional at Isleworth in Windermere, Fla.

The Oaks Club in Osprey, Fla. named Steven Kurtz, PGA as Director of Golf. Kurtz was most recently Director of Golf at Sand Valley Golf Resort in Nekoosa, Wis.

Collier’s Reserve Country Club in Naples, Fla. named Andrew Black as Director of Golf. Black was most recently Head Golf Professional at Burlingame Country Club in Hillsborough, Calif.

Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio named Jessie Hodge, PGA as Head Golf Professional. Hodge was most recently Director of Golf Operations at Alamo City Golf Trail in San Antonio, Texas.

Karl Bollnow, Head Golf Professional at Riverside Golf Club in North Riverside, Ill., has been named a member of the Western Golf Association’s Caddie Hall of Fame. To be eligible for the Caddie Hall of Fame, the nominee has to have been someone who caddied as a young person and used those experience to help them achieve success as an adult, someone who serves as a caddie advocate and helped improve the lives of caddies or someone who is a professional caddie who has used that role to help others. Bollnow, who marks his 50th year with Riverside Golf Club and his 25th as the club’s golf professional, was informed of the honor in June.

Naples (Fla.) Grande Beach Resort named Marcos Seville as Executive Chef. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., Seville has worked at the Arizona Biltmore, the Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa, The Peabody Orlando (now known as the Hyatt Regency Orlando), and the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia. 

Blue Mound Golf & Country Club in Wauwatosa, Wis. named Zach Espinosa as Executive Chef. Espinosa has held a variety of culinary leadership positions. During the pandemic, he traveled throughout the U.S. for White Lodging, helping to reopen Brush Creek Lodge in Saratoga, Wy. and The Marriott in Downtown Austin, Texas.

Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Gold Canyon, Ariz. hired Josh Nylin as Executive Chef. Nylin has more than 30 years of culinary experience and has worked in the country club setting for the past five years.

Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif. named Josh Bland as Food & Beverage Supervisor. Bland was most recently Food and Beverage Captain at Canyon Crest Country Club in Riverside, Calif.

The Landings Club in Savannah, Ga. named Gary Lorfano as Director of Membership, Marketing & Communications. Gary Lorfano has served The Landings Club as Marketing Strategist (a consulting arrangement) since December 2020. Prior to joining The Landings Club, Gary served the Heritage Golf group as Vice President of Marketing and Sales.

Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, Calif. named Lyon Lazare as Director of Sales. Lazare has 10-plus years of experience in the golf industry having most recently served as the Sales Director at Valencia Country Club where he oversaw membership sales, events, and food and beverage. Prior to Valencia CC, Lazare worked at Aliso Viejo Country Club, starting as the Membership Sales Coordinator before moving into the First Assistant Golf Professional position.

Wintergreen (Va.) Resort named Stacey Dawkins as Director of Lodging. Dawkins has been with Wintergreen since November 2020 as Director of Sales after 11 years at Greenville (S.C.) Golf Resort and Conference Center. Prior to her time in Greenville, Dawkins held director positions at three North Carolina properties, including the Biltmore in Asheville, the Pinehurst Resort featuring nine golf courses, and Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club Resorts in Southern Pines.