Ryan Doerr, President and CEO of Strategic Club Solutions, is a winner of the 2022 Gary Player Educator of the Year Award. After winning the award, Doerr was interviewed by Jim Cardamone, CCM, CCE, GM/COO with Glen Oak Country Club in Glen Ellyn, Ill. This piece was written by Cardamone:

“Ryan Doerr has spent his entire career in the hospitality industry with more than 25 years in clubs. His passion for developing and educating others to help them grow and succeed has always been an area where he has excelled. He has consulted with 548 clubs, authored manuals, books and white papers, hosted various presentations, and led countless workshops and educational programs, all with the goal of empowering managers and leaders to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. He truly makes a difference in the lives of everyone he connects with.

When I asked Ryan to reflect on his journey to this moment, he shared he has always been passionate about serving others. This passion led him to pursue hospitality, starting his career in restaurants and resorts, and then club management. Ryan took his corporate hospitality knowledge and experience into private clubs and produced systems, processes, training programs, and achieved excellence in service and financial health. Ryan advanced quickly through the ranks, becoming a general manager before age 30. He worked tirelessly to make his clubs successful, focused on developing the people around him, and became highly sought after and recruited for the results he was producing.

After several years of being recruited across the country and several side consulting projects, Ryan decided to get certified as a business coach and founded Strategic Club Solutions. The goal of the company is to make a difference, provide a fresh approach to private club consulting and develop and deliver proven solutions, educational resources and programs to boards and managers in the private club and community industry.

As his profile grew, Ryan developed more educational resources and programs and remained committed to his mission of educating and empowering club managers and leaders. He witnessed the impact of his work as people began to implement the lessons he and his team at SCS were teaching and real results were being seen in their clubs and communities.

Laura Leszczynski soon became his partner in crime and together, began taking the operational expertise and acumen that Ryan had — combined with her 30 years of experience in marketing, branding and neuroscience — to really shake things up. Together, they continue to develop fresh new content and perspective to managers and boards, separating the quality and context of their approach. In January, Ryan and Laura published their first book, Clubology: The Science and Strategy of Being in the People Business. They hit the Amazon Bestseller list on their first day.

This award is well-deserved for a wonderful leader in the club industry. Ryan gives all the credit to the support of his family and team members, particularly his wife Heidi and Laura Leszczynski, who is equally deserving of this recognition. If you haven’t met or worked with Ryan and the SCS team, you are missing out. As a friend, colleague, and client, I am proud to have worked with Ryan on many occasions and am proud to call him a great friend.”