The President of the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., which has the industry’s largest food-and-beverage operation, will speak on “Shaping Your Personal Future: Characteristics and Traits of Successful Hospitality Leaders,” at the annual Conference, to be held March 5-7, 2017 at the Loews Atlanta Hotel.
Michael Leemhuis, President of the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., will deliver the keynote address for the 2017 Chef to Chef Conference as part of the opening-night dinner on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at the Loews Atlanta hotel.
Leemhuis, a PGA Master Professional who also holds Certified Club Manager and Certified Chief Executive certifications, will speak on “Shaping Your Personal Future: Characteristics and Traits of Successful Hospitality Leaders.”
As President of the Ocean Reef Club, Leemhuis oversees the industry’s largest private club business, with 5,150 members, 600 full-time employees and 300 to 400 seasonal employees, and over $100 million in annual operating revenues. The club’s 17 distinctive dining venues account for $35 million of those revenues, to comprise the largest food-and-beverage program in the club industry.
“I’m often asked what type of club Ocean Reef is, and that’s hard to define, given all of the activities that we have on the property,” Leemhuis says. “But the one thing that touches and impacts our membership most consistently is food and beverage, and it’s what occupies more of my time, by far, than any other part of our business.”
Prior to becoming Ocean Reef’s President in 2014, Leemhuis served as the General Manager/COO of Congressional Country Club, in Bethesda, Md., for over 15 years. During his time at Congressional, he directed the club’s successful hosting of the 2011 U.S. Open, and oversaw a series of major capital improvements totaling $80 million that included the introduction of several successful new food-and-beverage venues and concepts, including the Founder’s Pub casual-dining restaurant and bar.
A native of South Africa, Leemhuis first came to the U.S. to study at UCLA. He then earned a Master’s Degree in Education, specializing in Sports Administration and Management, from East Carolina University.
He then returned to South Africa and began his career in hospitality by serving as General Manager, Sport and Recreation, at the five-star Sun City Resort. He came back to the U.S. to become General Manager for the PGA Tour’s TPC Properties, before moving to Congressional in 1999.
In 2009, Leemhuis was elected President of the Club Managers Association of America, and he was named Club Manager of the Year by that organization in 2011.
A full agenda for the 2017 Chef to Chef Conference, and registration information, can be found at www.CheftoChefConference.com. Those registering prior to December 31, 2016 will qualify for an “early bird” discount and be entered into a drawing to win a 36-inch, Crown Verity gas grill.
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