River Run Country Club arranged to have its most recent Employees of the Quarter recognized with profiles in the local paper.

Because everyone appreciates the proverbial “pat on the back” as recognition for a job well done, many clubs have recognition programs designed to regularly cite those on their staff who have excelled in their positions and provided outstanding service to members and guests.

River Run Country Club, Davidson, N.C., went a step further to make those “pats” resound well beyond the club’s gates, by arranging to have its most recent Employees of the Quarter recognized with profiles in the Charlotte Observer.

“Two years ago I started a program to help give back and recognize employees who were excelling in their respective departments,” says Michael Gardner, CCM, PGA, Chief Operating Officer of River Run CC. “Earlier this year, a local columnist saw the information and asked for an overview of the program so that she could include it in the local paper. The employees loved the extra recognition. It helped them understand that their impact can be felt beyond the walls of the club. In turn that gave them even more pride in their work.”

The newspaper recently profiled Julio Ortiz, named as River Run’s Employee of the Year, and detailed how he has worked diligently on the club’s championship golf course maintenance crew since July 2007. The Observer highlighted the human-interest side of Ortiz’s recognition, noting that while he is deaf, his disability has never hampered his performance or affected his attitude, which remains positive whether he’s working in sub-freezing or near-triple-digit conditions. The article reported how Ortiz brings a sense of humor and infectious smile to work each day, takes his position very seriously as one of the more detail-oriented employees on the course and grounds crew, and received a standing ovation from the entire River Run team at the club’s annual employee holiday party.

Similar recognition in the Observer has also been gained through River Run’s recognition program for its Employees of the Quarter, including Tennis Professional Salem Kirven, Golf Assistant Adam Ross, Chef Ryan Vaccarino and Bookkeeper Kristie Pepper.