Recent industry hires and promotions include new General Managers at Stonetree Golf Club in Killeen, Texas and The Winter Club of Lake Forest (Ill.); a Clubhouse Manager at Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn.; a Head Golf Professional at French Lick (Ind.) Resort; a Food and Beverage Manager at Warwick (R.I.) Country Club; and an Executive Chef at Mariner Sands Country Club in Stuart, Fla.
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/.
Stonetree Golf Club in Killeen, Texas named Justin Dupuis as General Manager. Dupuis was most recently General Manager of Colonial Heritage Club in Williamsburg, Va.
The Winter Club of Lake Forest (Ill.) named Chris Nickerson as General Manager. Nickerson was most recently Assistant General Manager at Midtown Athletic Clubs in Bannockburn, Ill.
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Country Club named Michael Cofer, CCM as General Manager. Cofer was most recently General Manager/COO at Athens (Ga.) Country Club.
The San Diego (Calif.) Country Estates named Darren Shaw as General Manager. Shaw was most recently Executive Director of DC Ranch Association in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn. named Miguel Silva as Clubhouse Manager. Silva was most recently Food & Beverage Manager at Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Valley Club in Hailey, Idaho named Zach Jonas as Director of Golf. Jonas was most recently PGA Director of Golf at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev.
French Lick (Ind.) Resort named Lori Atsedes as Head Golf Professional at the Donald Ross Course. A former professional on the LPGA Tour and competitor on the Senior LPGA Tour, Atsedes has most recently worked in golf course operations at championship courses in Arizona and Texas.
Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Ill. named Chris Nieto, PGA as Head Golf Professional. Nieto was most recently Associate Head Golf Professional at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
Thornblade Club in Greer, S.C. named Brandon Motley, PGA as Head Golf Professional. Motley was most recently Director of Golf at Olde Hickory in Fort Myers, Fla.
Fountain Head Country Club in in Hagerstown, Md. named Jeff Mann, PGA as Head Golf Professional. Mann was most recently First Assistant Golf Professional at Green Spring Valley Hunt Club in Owings Mills, Md.
Seabrook Island (S.C.) Club named Babar Akbar as Head Racquets Professional. Akbar was most recently Head Women’s Tennis Coach at the University of Idaho.
Warwick (R.I.) Country Club named Kerryan O’Connor as Food and Beverage Manager. O’Connor was most recently Food and Beverage Manager at Dedham (Mass.) Country and Polo Club.
Whippoorwill Club in Armonk, N.Y. named Scott Forzaglia as Executive Chef. Forzaglia was most recently Executive Chef at Hampshire Country Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Mariner Sands Country Club in Stuart, Fla. named Isaac Cerny as Executive Chef. Cerny was most recently Chef de Cuisine at Pistache French Bistro in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Hideaway Golf Club in La Quinta, Calif. named Todd Allison as Executive Chef. Allison was most recently Executive Chef at Desert Highlands Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, Fla. named Dennis Bebus as Human Resources Director. Bebus was most recently Director of Human Resources at Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency in Shakopee, Minn.
Omni Hotels & Resorts named Brent Lessing as Chief Information and Digital Officer, and Natalie White as Vice President of CRM & Loyalty. Lessing joined Omni Hotels & Resorts in 2019 as Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining Omni Hotels & Resorts, White worked as a consultant, creating loyalty, digital, and eCommerce strategies.
The JW Marriott San Antonio (Texas) Hill Country Resort & Spa named Kip Reuman as Destination Sales Executive. Reuman joins two recent new hires to the sales and marketing team, Nina Shokrian as Senior Marketing Manager and Molly Horton as Associate Director of Group Sales. Reuman previously served as the resort’s Director of Room Operations.
Supplier News
Hoshizaki Corporation appointed Chris Karssiens as President of the Americas Region. He will serve in this role concurrently with his current position as President of Hoshizaki America. Karssiens joined Hoshizaki America, Inc. in the beginning of 2020 as SVP of sales & marketing. He has held leadership roles in several foodservice organizations including Scotsman Industries, Enodis, Welbilt, Standex, and Middleby, and spent seven years managing both Enodis and Welbilt APAC (Asia-Pacific).
KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE named Michael G. Smith, CCM, CCE, ECM as Search & Consulting Executive, effective January 1, 2022. Smith, the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer at The Country Club of Rochester (N.Y.), was an ECM Award winner in 2020.
Blue Tees Golf named Andrew Heiland as Director of Marketing. Prior to joining Blue Tees Golf, Heiland was the Head of Marketing at ELEVATE Sports & Media.
In Memoriam
Orrin Vincent, founder of OB Sports Golf Management, passed away October 25 at his home in La Quinta, Calif. He was 76 years old. Since 1972, Vincent had been involved in the management and development of some of the nation’s finest facilities and built OB Sports into one of the industry’s most highly respected and innovative management firms. In 2019, OB Sports was acquired by Troon and is now fully integrated into Troon’s management team and portfolio of courses.
Vincent was instrumental in too many golf projects to name, but some of his most notable fingerprints can be found at Edgewood Tahoe, Angel Park, Langdon Farms, Washington National, Gamble Sands and the recently opened Dumbarnie Links in Scotland. In addition to his accomplishments with OB Sports, Vincent’s background and specialties included playing on the PGA TOUR; coaching and mentoring numerous aspiring junior, collegiate, and professional golfers; golf course design; golf course construction; premium facility maintenance; innovative marketing and brand development; retail sales; and growing every component of the great game and business he loved.
Vincent has received numerous personal awards for his expertise in golf. He was twice named the PGA Professional of the Year, seven-time PGA Merchandiser of the Year, “Bill Strausbaugh Award” winner and the prestigious “Presidents Plaque.” He was a seven-time SNPGA Player of the Year and was also inducted in the Seattle University Hall of Fame.
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