THIS IS THE 50TH ISSUE of Club Director of which I have served as editor. It is also my last issue. I am retiring from the National Club Association in January 2022 after 15 years of publishing magazines, newsletters, books and other resources for private clubs.
At NCA, nonprofit communications and publishing were not new to me, but it was my first introduction to the private club industry. From the first heartfelt welcome from David Chag at The Country Club, then NCA’s chair, I experienced the warmest community of professionals in my career. In 2007, President & CEO Susanne Wegrzyn made sure I was initiated into this collegial environment of servant leaders, who not only lead stellar clubs across the country, but also give back to their industry by mentoring students, new hospitality professionals and trade association staff like me.
To work with general managers, COOs and CEOs of top clubs and to consult with a range of attorneys, consultants and accountants made my job much easier and more interesting. I was welcomed by some of the best: Bob James, Jeff McFadden, Tom Gaston, Kirk Reese, Kevin Reilly, Frank Vain, Robyn Nordin Stowell, Dan Denehy, Tom Lenz, Henry DeLozier and Dan Condon. Thank you for your guidance! To the current NCA board, led by Chair Mike Bruni, thank you for your support.
And, I have been inspired by and am grateful to some amazing women leaders in our industry, including recent NCA Chairs Terra Waldron and Christine Pooler, attorney Michelle Tanzer, General Managers Janine Budzius and Kristen LaCount and industry colleagues Teri Finan and Jackie Carpenter.
Creating interesting, educational and timely publications and resources is not a one-person task. Behind every issue of Club Director and Club Trends and every book, newsletter or web-site, there is a group of dedicated writers, editors and contributors who help produce the infor-mation critical for club leaders. I want to thank the NCA board members and corporate part-ners who write insightful content for each issue of the magazine and often provide the subject matter expertise on topics like trends, private status, governance and club data.
I have always been proud of NCA and the work it does, but never more than during the past two years. Led by President & CEO Henry Wallmeyer, NCA embraced its responsibility to inform and educate the entire private club community about the profound challenges caused by the pandemic. Joined by an extraordinarily talented staff—Joe Trauger, Phillip Mike, Denise Draper, John Good and Katina Cavagnaro—NCA produced an endless stream of vital information for club leaders. Though it was a difficult period, I was honored to have taken this journey with each of you. You are an incredible group of dedicated people and have my deepest thanks for your friendship.
There are many wonderful people I have met from the club community. With little space left to thank you individually, please know that I appreciate your support, guidance and friend-ship. I wish each of you continued success. Thank you for reading Club Director!