Curtis Duffy is a world-renowned, Michelin-starred chef and co-owner of Ever restaurant and After lounge in Chicago.Duffy has won numerous accolades. Ever was awarded two stars in the 2021 and 2022 Michelin Guides, and Duffy’s previous restaurant, Grace, earned three Michelin stars from 2015 to 2018. Before that, Duffy earned two Michelin stars at Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel Chicago.In the 2016 documentary “For Grace,” filmmakers tell the riveting story of how the chef’s turbulent past shaped the person he is today—including the start of his career in the kitchen of a private golf club and how that experience dramatically changed his life.He has been awarded Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star rating, AAA’s Five-Diamond rating, and the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef, Great Lakes Award in 2016.Duffy sits on the advisory board of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, where a $25,000 scholarship in his name is awarded. Chef’s culinary and philanthropic efforts led to his induction into the prestigious Disciples d’Escoffier International.
A nationally and internationally recognized fiscal responsibility and government transformation/accountability expert, David Walker was the seventh Comptroller General of the United States and CEO of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) for almost 10 years.
Most recently, Dave served as the Distinguished Visiting Professor and Crowe Chair at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he taught the economics of national security. He currently serves on a number of government and nonprofit boards and advisory committees, including the Defense Business Board, the Federal Fiscal Sustainability Foundation, and as a National Co-Founder of No Labels. He is a non-practicing CPA with over 40 years of executive level experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including heading three federal agencies, two non-profits, and leading a global service line for Arthur Andersen LLP.
Henry B. DeLozier is a partner at GGA Partners and one of the leading authorities on golf course asset development and financing. DeLozier joined GGA Partners after nine years as vice president, golf, with Pulte Homes—the largest developer of golf course communities in the U.S.—where he developed 27 golf courses in 10 states and was responsible for the operation of more than 20 golf courses. He is recognized by Golf Inc. magazine as one of the “Most Influential People in Golf.”
He is a past president of the board of directors of the National Golf Course Owners Association and serves on the Employers Advisory Council for the PGA of America. He is a frequent expert source to U.S. and international media on golf-related resort and residential investment and development and social and economic trends affecting the golf business. DeLozier holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Oklahoma State University.
As the founder and CEO of the city’s fastest growing social impact organization, My Block My Hood My City, Jahmal Cole is the creator of an exposure-based education program for teens and a network of volunteer initiatives that serve Chicago communities year-round.
In 2022 Jahmal Cole received an honorary doctorate degree in humanities and philanthropy from Adler University and was voted best activist by the Chicago Reader. Jahmal was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Chicagoans by Crain’s Magazine. He has also been awarded the 2020 American Red Cross Community Impact Hero Award. In 2019, Jahmal Cole was named to Crain’s 40 under 40; he’s also the recipient of the 2019 Champion of Freedom Award, the 2018 Chicago Defender Men of Excellence Honoree, and the 2018 Chicago City Council Resolution Award. In 2018, he was also named one of the “20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans” by Streetwise Magazine and a Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago Magazine. He was voted 2021 Activist of the Year by Chicago Magazine!
Jeffrey Morgan, president and chief executive officer of the Club Management Association of America (CMAA). Morgan has held various executive management positions in trade and professional associations for more than 30 years.
Prior to joining CMAA, he was president and CEO of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) from 2008-2014. He has also held senior positions in two other associations focusing on global derivatives and property & casualty insurance.
A Pennsylvania native, Morgan holds a bachelor’s degree in business with a focus on finance and technology from Susquehanna University and a master of science in nonprofit management. He is a Certified Association Executive and a member and Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives.
When he is not working he enjoys unplugging at his family’s Maryland beach home, traveling with his wife, working on his golf game or spending time with his adult children.
Joe Trauger is NCA’s president & CEO and an experienced government relations professional with numerous legislative and regulatory successes on Capitol Hill. Trauger brings extensive experience and respect as an association executive with tremendous knowledge of the issues facing clubs today. He has a unique perspective into the private club industry as former president and current board member of Mount Vernon Country Club (an NCA member club) in Alexandria, Va.
He previously was principal and founder of Northfield Strategies, an advocacy consulting firm. Prior to Northfield, Trauger was senior vice president of policy and government relations at the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, and vice president of government relations at the National Association of Manufacturers. His Capitol Hill experience includes positions as senior policy advisor for then-House Majority Whip Roy Blunt; policy advisor for then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey; senior legislative assistant for former Congressman Sam Johnson; and legislative assistant for former Senator Rod Grams.
Trauger is a competitive golfer, frequently playing in (and winning) charity and purse tournaments, and modestly boasts a single-digit handicap.
Michael Muser, a 30-year veteran of the restaurant industry, is co-owner of Ever restaurant and After lounge in Chicago. He also is an accomplished sommelier. Food and Wine Magazine named him a Sommelier of the Year in 2014.Muser has worked side-by-side with Chef Curtis Duffy since 2009. Together they opened Ever in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood in 2020 and After cocktail lounge next door in 2022.Muser’s attention to detail is relentless and exacting. His motto is: “This is not what you do. This is a representation of who you are.” His past restaurants with Duffy have earned numerous accolades, including two Michelin stars for Ever, three Michelin stars for Grace, and two Michelin stars for Avenues at the Peninsula Chicago.Muser emcees Chicago’s Jean Banchet Awards and has lent his support and talents to the Grand Chef’s Gala, both of which have benefited the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Greater Illinois.
Michael Scimo served a two-year term as President of Medinah Country Club in 2018 and was named The BoardRoom’s Distinguished Club President for 2018. At Medinah, Michael led the Medinah 2020 project, a 10-year, $47 million strategic transformation. Initiated in response to declining membership levels and the challenging market for private clubs, the project involved comprehensive changes to Medinah’s club governance, membership development and capital planning.
Outside of Medinah, Michael retired in October 2015 after more than 30 years with Accenture, a $40 billion global professional services company. His most recent position was global managing director, where he served on the company’s Global Leadership Council.
He is a board member of Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, a non-profit that annually provides employment opportunities to more than 1,200 Chicagoans who have struggled to re-enter the work force after long periods of unemployment. Michael is a Board of Trustees member of Bradley University, his undergraduate alma mater and was named Bradley’s Distinguished Alumni of the year in 2016. Michael holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and has served on the club’s Civic Committee. Michael has also served on the boards of Junior Achievement, the Civic Consulting Alliance and the Accenture Foundation.
Nick Schreiber is the founder and owner of Old Barnwell, a golf club under construction near Aiken, S.C., with a mission to bring people together through golf.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Schreiber was introduced to golf by caddying at venerable clubs like Onwentsia, Old Elm and Shoreacres. Though never a great player, he developed a keen interest in golf course architecture in recent years, and his hope is to bring an exceptional golf experience to a wider array of members while simultaneously supporting aspiring female pros, students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and the communities surrounding Old Barnwell.
He currently resides outside of Charleston, S.C. with his wife, Sarah, and two sons.
Trevor Coughlan, General Manager, ClubHouse Online, has worked extensively within the technology industry developing, managing and executing multi-strategy marketing campaigns. During his 10 + years with Jonas Club Software, Trevor has travelled extensively speaking to club industry professionals about the benefits of marketing & technology within the club industry.
Jim Gusella brings 25+ years of hospitality management experience to Portland Country Club. After holding positions in the resort and sports management industries after college, he began his career in club management at Congressional Country Club in Betheseda, Md., where he helped lead the food and beverge team as F&B service manager. After Congressional, he was clubhouse manager for clubs in New Hampshire and Cape Cod, Mass., prior to being recruited to the Country Club of Detroit as director of operations in 2007. He was the GM/COO of Inverness Golf Club in Chicago for five years and has spent the last four seasons leading the team at Fairmont Country Club in Chatham, N.J. He is a member of the Club Management Association of America (CMAA) and earned his Certified Club Manager (CCM) in 2013. He is currently working toward Honor Society status and the Certified Club Executive (CCE) designation. Jim is also a member of the International Wine Society and earned his Level I Sommelier through the Master Court of Sommeliers in 2014. He is a dedicated student of the hospitality/club management industry and has successfully completed all five Business Management Institutes through CMAA, the most recent being BMI Strategic Leadership at the SC Johnson School of Hotel Management at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Club management runs in the Gusella family–Jim’s wife, Katie, is also a general manager, and his brother, Bob, is a longtime GM, currently at a club in Houston, Texas. Jim and Katie have an Old English Bulldog named Mia who keeps them busy when they are not at their clubs. In their spare time Jim and Katie enjoy trout fishing, skiing and hiking. Jim grew up in Connecticut and met Katie in New Hampshire and are both excited to be back home in New England.
M. Kent Johnson has been general manager/COO of Baltimore Country Club (BCC) since 2018. Previously he was general manager of the Elkridge Club in Baltimore for 11 years. His club management career has also included positions with the New York Yacht Club; Harbour Court, Newport, R.I.; and the Gibson Island Club in Gibson Island, Md.
Baltimore Country Club was founded in 1898 in the city’s Roland Park neighborhood. It opened its second location at Five Farms north of the city in 1926, featuring a golf course designed by A.W. Tillinghast. Today, BCC remains one of only a few clubs in the U.S. that operates on two campuses.
“Kent Johnson has been a great asset to Baltimore Country Club since his employment commenced in 2018,” said Martin P. Brunk, president of the BCC Board of Governors, in nominating him for the James H. Brewer Award. “He has shifted the culture of the Club to focus on genuine hospitality and focus on the people, both members and staff. He and his Executive Team have created a philosophy to which the Club operates, known as ‘Great People Make Favorite Places.’
Duane Laflotte is the chief technology officer who works to resolve complex technical issues for the team and its partners. He can frequently be found at the bleeding edge of emerging technology and believes that continually feeding curiosity results in prolonged growth and creative solutions to complicated challenges. He is an expert technologist in cryptography, exploit development, networking, programming and enterprise data storage. As an industry leader, Duane has worked with a wide array of Fortune 500, government, and military organizations such as Disney, Bank of America, the FBI, SOCOM, DARPA, and the NHL as a solutions architect, red team lead, and presales engineer. He is a highly accomplished engineer who has achieved expert-level certification as an Offensive Security Web Expert (OSWE), Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester (OSEP), Offensive Security Certified Expert (OSCE) among other credentials such as Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), GIAC Exploit Researcher & Advanced Penetration Tester (GXPN), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Microsoft Certified Professional, and Microsoft Technology Associate.
Fun Fact: Duane is an active FIRST Robotics volunteer and has coached teams that have earned the prestigious Chairman’s Award.
Amber Read is an innovative thought leader in hospitality from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She was introduced to the private club world while studying kinesiology. Fascinated by the unique relationship dynamics, the evolving member life cycle and the opportunity to tackle complex problems, what started as a job became a passion and a career. An MBA from the University of Liverpool focusing on global leadership helped to fuel her career trajectory. The club life has taken Amber to many great cities, including Portland, Chicago, and New York City. She currently leads a dynamic team at The Yale Club of New York City, recognized as a Platinum Club of America and a Distinguished Club by Boardroom Magazine and Forbes Travel Guide. Amber is one of only a few women leading a large city club in North America. She believes private clubs need more diversity among the decision-makers and in the top seats. She enjoys connecting with club professionals and exchanging ideas about diversity and other topics that keep clubs competitive and relevant in the face of accelerating.
Julius E. Rhodes, SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources – lifetime designation), is a life-long resident of Chicago’s Southeast Side and the youngest of four siblings born to the 68-year marriage of Marzet and Pete Rhodes. His greatest personal accomplishment is his 30+year marriage to wife Linda and their two children, Jerome, and Lauren. He is founder and principal of the mpr group (named in tribute to his parents) a full service broad-based human resources and management professional services firm that has operated continuously since 1994.
He spent more than a decade at several leading-edge Fortune 100 firms such as Mobil, General Electric, Baxter Healthcare and Sara Lee Bakery, as well as the National Labor Relations Board. He is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow Class of 1999 and the author of “BRAND: YOU: Personal Branding for Success in Life and Business” and “BRAND: YOU The Workbook”.
Julius has completed his coursework toward a Ph.D. in philosophy and business ethics at Loyola University. In 1992, he completed a certified arbitrator development program through Cornell University and the New York State Employment Relations Board. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Roosevelt University and a master’s degree in human resources and industrial relations from Loyola University.
He is a much sought-after keynote speaker having presented nationally and internationally on a variety of topics related to HR, personal branding, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), leadership development, risk mitigation and safety, among other topics.
Mark Tunney has been general manager of the Union League Club of Chicago (ULCC) since June 2014. Prior, he was assistant general manager, having joined the club in fall 2012. The Union League of Chicago is more than 144 years old and was established in 1879 in support of President Lincoln’s efforts in the Civil War. The Club’s motto is commitment to community and country and the Club has played an integral role in shaping Chicago, Illinois, and national policies. It continues these efforts today as part of its main core.
The ULCC is rated as the Top 4 City Club according to Club Leaders Forum and has also been rated a Platinum Club of America for well over 20 years. The Union League Club has more than 3000 members, boasts 160 guest rooms, three a la carte facilities, 33,000 square feet of meeting space and six floors of athletic facilities.
Prior to joining the ULCC, Mark was senior vice president of sales and services for Choose Chicago, the tourism arm of the City of Chicago. Choose Chicago is responsible for the meeting and convention bookings for the city’s hotels as well as McCormick Place, at the time, the country’s second largest convention facility.
Mark has more than 30 years of hospitality experience, having worked for many years with Marriott, Hyatt and Starwood hotels in California, Illinois and Virginia. In his various roles, he has been a customer service advocate and a lifelong learner. Prior to entering his role at the ULCC, he held certifications in meeting planning (CMP) and expositions (CEM). He is currently working on his Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM) through the Club Management Association of America (CMAA). He holds a business degree from the University of San Diego and an MBA for Loyola University of Chicago.
Carole Wood was elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors of the Union League Club of Chicago. This year, she will chair the Public Affairs Committee. She currently serves on the Arts Committee and the Gender Equality Subcommittee. She previously served on the Race Relations Subcommittee. She also supports the ULCC foundations and regularly attends and supports events.
She is president and CEO of Northwestern University Settlement House. The organization serves more than 7,000 people annually through a myriad of programs including Rowe Elementary, a K-8 charter school, a food pantry, bilingual mental health services, early childhood education, after-school programming, an outdoor education program and a residential summer camp in Delavan, Wisc. Additionally, she is a member of the Links, Inc., an African American women’s service organization, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
She supports various organizations throughout Chicago and her family volunteers annually through Help Ease Local Poverty by providing and serving meals to clients.
Carole earned a bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College and a master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and is a Ph.D. candidate at National Louis University. She and her husband, Carl Jenkins, live on the near south side with their two dogs Tanner and Dorsey. She enjoys visiting the Club with her friends, family and colleagues for Thanksgiving dinner, Homecoming, art openings, author luncheons and Bourbon and Boxing.
Lisa Curcio Gaston is the first female commodore in the Chicago Yacht Club’s 148-year history. She first joined CYC in 1997 and has served on the board of directors, holding the offices of secretary and vice commodore. She has served on many committees including Long Range Planning, the committee that plans the annual Race to Mackinac, and as chair of the Power Fleet Committee. An active power boater, she has used her boat to support the Race to Mackinac and numerous charitable cruises sponsored by the club.
Curcio Gaston is a senior mediator and arbitrator with ADR Systems in Chicago, Ill. She joined ADR Systems in 2018 after 16 years as a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County. She is a member of the Illinois Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys, and often gives continuing legal education presentations on mediation and arbitration in construction law.
Preston Smith, Sr., was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He has a strong commitment to the hospitality industry and his career spans more than 25 years in private clubs. He has a deep understanding of front and back of the house operations.
In 1997, Preston began his career at The Union Club of Cleveland. He worked his way up to the director of service before leaving in 2016. Later that same year, he spent time at the Wembley Club in Chagrin Falls as general manager before joining The Country Club in Pepper Pike, Ohio as assistant general manager. In 2018, Preston became the general manager of Shaker Heights Country Club. In 2022 he returned to The Union Club as general manager/COO. Preston’s passion for his work keeps him in pursuit of service excellence. In his spare time, he enjoys time with his family, cycling and fishing.
Tim Muessle, CCM, CCE, is chief operating officer of The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. The Club boasts two unique campuses. The downtown city athletic club is one of the most well-known and respected bastions of athletics and wellness in the country. The golf and tennis club along the Pacific Coast boasts a multi-U.S. Open pedigree and will host The USGA Women’s Open in 2021, The USGA Amateur in 2025, The PGA Championship in 2028 and The Ryder Cup in 2032.
Prior to joining The Olympic Club, Tim served as general manager of the Yale Club of New York City, the GM/COO of The Philadelphia Cricket Club, and several other clubs dating back to his humble roots as a pool waiter at Bethesda Country Club during his summer breaks from college. At The Philadelphia Cricket Club, he led the effort to double revenues in just five years. He oversaw a two-campus master plan creation and execution. He also negotiated national championship agreements with the USGA, the PGA of America and the PGA TOUR.
He served on the Philadelphia and Vicinity Club Managers Association Board as a director, treasurer, vice president and president. He has also served on various committees for NCA and CMAA over his career and currently chairs NCA’s Governance Committee. He has presented at national and regional club management conferences on several topics, including culture development, organization building, executive leadership, project management, and IT strategic and master planning.
Muessle graduated from Providence College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He has been an active supporter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation and FirstTee.
Joe Krenn, CCM, CCE, is CEO/General Manager at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. Farmington is a member-owned, private club with 2900+ members, 500+ staff and more than $28.5 million operating revenue; the club offers golf, tennis, fitness, aquatics, overnight accommodations, childcare and various dining venues. The club is ranked consistently as a top 40 Platinum Club and recognized as a top private club in Virginia. Joe is the club’s fifth GM/CEO in its 96-year history. Prior to Farmington Country Club, he gained management experience with highly distinguished private clubs in the nation such as the Atlanta Athletic Club, Ansley Golf Club and Cherokee Town & Country Club.
Joe holds an MBA from Kennesaw State University – Michael J. Coles College of Business, and a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management and A.S. Recreation and Leisure Management from Johnson and Wales University. He is a Certified Chief Executive and Club Manager and serves as a national director for the Club Management Association of America (CMAA). In 2017, Joe was awarded the James Brewer Award for Excellence in Club Management. He is an Advisory Board Member for the Charlottesville Salvation Army and member of the Albemarle Affordable Housing Stakeholder Committee.
Robert L. Smith, II is a political operative who originally hails from Oklahoma but now splits his time between Oxford, Miss., and Washington, D.C., Rob Smith represents a diverse client base, including the defense, healthcare, tribal issues, environmental, financial services and transportation sectors.
Rob began his career on Capitol Hill as military legislative aide to House Armed Services Committee Member, Congressman Joel Hefley (R-Colo.), where he worked on defense procurement and military construction issues. He later went on to serve as legislative director for Congressman Wes Watkins (R-Okla.), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, where he focused on trade and tax issues.
Upon leaving the Hill, Rob joined Sun Microsystems, where he represented the company on numerous legislative and regulatory matters, including domestic and international tax, broadband, employee compensation and benefits and accounting and export controls.
Throughout his time in Washington, D.C., Rob has remained politically active. In 2004 and 2008, he served as a professional volunteer in the Official Proceedings Division of the Republican National Committee. In that role, he was responsible for the logistics and hospitality of more than 20 members of Congress and VIPs. Additionally, he serves on the steering and finance committees for many elected officials and on the Board of Directors of the National Club Association.
Rob earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina.
Carol Bliss has been general manager/COO of the Chilton Club since 2018, serving as the club’s first female GM in its more than 100-year history.
“I was on the General Manager Search Committee that selected Carol Bliss in 2018 and President of the Chilton Club Board during the first year of the pandemic,” Nettie Houghton wrote. “Once on board, [Carol] embraced the Chilton Club as if she had always been there. While respecting our history, traditions and culture, she simultaneously set about to establish standards of excellence and put best practices in place for the management of the club.
“The challenges presented by COVID and the shutdown of clubs across the country provided the opportunity for great leaders to emerge,” Houghton continued. “And Carol did just that. Her unique ability to see the big picture while attending to the myriad details was remarkable. She set new goals and priorities, and navigated the ever-changing COVID landscape, seamlessly adapting on a daily basis.”
Margaux Beuscher joined the Sulgrave Club as club house manager in 2019 and became its assistant general manager in 2023. “Since arriving, she has taken the reins and capably led our team to new heights,” wrote General Manager/COO Robert K. St. Francis, Jr., CCE, in nominating her for the Excellence in Club Management Awards®’ “Rising Star” recognition. “Margaux’s organizational and motivational skills are unrivaled,” he continued. “She has led by example through challenging times from day one. The transitions that Sulgrave has been through during her tenure are remarkable and like nothing the club has experienced in its 90-year history.”
“Coming out of the pandemic and ramping things back up to full-scale operations has been every bit as challenging as what we experienced in the earliest stages of the pandemic, and she capably got our organization back up and running at full speed with aplomb,” St. Francis added. “Her ability to recruit, hire, train and oversee our operation has propelled us to a place where members regularly thank us for not having missed a beat during these most tumultuous times.
Carmen Mauceri has been general manager/COO of The Club at Mediterra for over 10 years and has an extensive background in the club and hospitality industry. During his time at Mediterra, “Carmen has not only been instrumental in enhancing the physical amenities and member experience of the Club, but he has also transformed the team culture and dynamic,” wrote Vincent C. Byrd, president of the Mediterra Board of Governors. “His dedication and passion for creating an inclusive, team-centric environment has set a new standard for workplace culture within the club industry.”
Writing in further support of his nomination, a club industry colleague, Joel Livingood, CCM, general manager and CEO of Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn., wrote: “Carmen’s impact on Mediterra is evident from the moment you arrive on the property; the quality of the facilities, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence are consistent with the finest hospitality experiences in the world. However, you see the real impact of his leadership in his team’s energy, enthusiasm, and execution—it is evident they love working at Mediterra.”
After several years managing, owning and directing operations for several restaurants, Matt Lambert entered the club business in 2000 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton as director of food and beverage. As the second largest residential club and community in the U.S., The Polo Club of Boca Raton provided an excellent opportunity for Matt to learn the club industry and its unique challenges. After three successful years, he accepted a position as clubhouse manager at The Country Club at Mirasol, and the challenge to open the club and host the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic.
He was promoted to general manager/COO at Mirasol in 2005 and has been leading the operation ever since. The Country Club at Mirasol was first awarded Platinum Club of America status in 2009, and was rated as the 16th most respected residential country club and community in the U.S. at that time. An Audubon-certified community with over 2,300 acres and 1,170 homes, the Club also boasts two championship golf courses, a 78,000 square foot clubhouse, a 39,000 square foot Esplanade (fitness center, spa, salon), 15 har-tru tennis courts and an active aquatic complex. There are freestanding golf and tennis pro-shops, and a Sports Complex that includes a synthetic turf athletic field, basketball court, bocce and four pickleball courts.
The Toronto Club was founded in 1837 as Canada’s oldest private club and the third oldest in North America. A private business and social club, it is appreciated by its members as an oasis of understated elegance, refinement, good manners, civility and decorum.
Trevor Noonan has nearly 28 years of club management experience and became the Toronto Club’s chief operating officer in 2016. “Trevor began his tenure by effecting a very considerate and effective transition from the previous highly regarded club secretary, who had been in place for over 21 years and who many members regarded as ‘irreplaceable,’“ wrote Club President David F. Denison, O.C., In nominating him for Excellence in Club Management recognition. “He quickly won the confidence of members and staff with his strong and genuine style of leadership and professional competence, while honoring the traditions and past practices of his predecessor.
“The Executive Committee, Committee of Management, members and employees of the club would universally agree that it has been an eventful six years since Trevor Noonan arrived at the Toronto Club,” Denison wrote. “He has proven to be the right leader for our club as it embraces the changes entailed by its new strategic plan while also preserving its important traditions. His commitment, energy and leadership have had a very positive impact on the club and contributed to its expanded membership ranks, member usage and satisfaction.”
Dan Murphy is President and CEO of Bridgestone GolfMurphy was with Bridgestone Golf USA from 2004 to 2015, most recently as executive vice president of sales and marketing. During that tenure, he helped the brand increase market share to No. 2 in the ball category, grew domestic revenue by roughly 250% and negotiated title rights to the PGA Tour’s annual World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club (Ohio).
As President and CEO, he is responsible for directing the company’s core business functions, including product planning and production, marketing, sales and customer relations.
Bridgestone draws from nearly 1,000 golf ball patents and the leading rubber experts in the world to design the industry’s best golf balls. A major differentiator over all other brands, it leverages the invaluable knowledge of 900-plus polymer engineers in the R&D process. This engineering and manufacturing expertise is combined with real-world data collected from 3 million golf ball fittings over the past decade. The result is a line-up of models perfectly customized for any player type, from PGA TOUR superstar to beginner.
After several years managing, owning and directing operations for several restaurants, Matt Lambert entered the club business in 2000 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton as director of food and beverage. As the second largest residential club and community in the U.S., The Polo Club of Boca Raton provided an excellent opportunity for Matt to learn the club industry and its unique challenges. After three successful years, he accepted a position as clubhouse manager at The Country Club at Mirasol, and the challenge to open the club and host the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic.
He was promoted to general manager/COO at Mirasol in 2005 and has been leading the operation ever since. The Country Club at Mirasol was first awarded Platinum Club of America status in 2009, and was rated as the 16th most respected residential country club and community in the U.S. at that time. An Audubon-certified community with over 2,300 acres and 1,170 homes, the Club also boasts two championship golf courses, a 78,000 square foot clubhouse, a 39,000 square foot Esplanade (fitness center, spa, salon), 15 har-tru tennis courts and an active aquatic complex. There are freestanding golf and tennis pro-shops, and a Sports Complex that includes a synthetic turf athletic field, basketball court, bocce and four pickleball courts.
The Toronto Club was founded in 1837 as Canada’s oldest private club and the third oldest in North America. A private business and social club, it is appreciated by its members as an oasis of understated elegance, refinement, good manners, civility and decorum.
Trevor Noonan has nearly 28 years of club management experience and became the Toronto Club’s chief operating officer in 2016. “Trevor began his tenure by effecting a very considerate and effective transition from the previous highly regarded club secretary, who had been in place for over 21 years and who many members regarded as ‘irreplaceable,’“ wrote Club President David F. Denison, O.C., In nominating him for Excellence in Club Management recognition. “He quickly won the confidence of members and staff with his strong and genuine style of leadership and professional competence, while honoring the traditions and past practices of his predecessor.
“The Executive Committee, Committee of Management, members and employees of the club would universally agree that it has been an eventful six years since Trevor Noonan arrived at the Toronto Club,” Denison wrote. “He has proven to be the right leader for our club as it embraces the changes entailed by its new strategic plan while also preserving its important traditions. His commitment, energy and leadership have had a very positive impact on the club and contributed to its expanded membership ranks, member usage and satisfaction.”
Panel Featuring the Winners of the 2022 Excellence in Club Management Awards
