Change can require time to navigate, and to meet the diverse needs of our clients during transition, KK&W has expanded our list of recommendations to include highly qualified interim club management professionals with industry specific executive leadership expertise.
Please email info@kkandw.com to begin the process of confirming an interim club manager.
Private Club Industry Expertise
Joseph A. Ciccone, CCM, CCE is a 30 year member of the Club Managers Association of America including having become a Certified Club Manager, Certified Club Executive and achieved Honor Society status with the CMAA.
In those 30 years, Joe has held three consecutive senior leadership roles in the club industry. DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, Hartefeld National Golf Club in Avondale, PA and most recently, 16 years at the140 year old prestigious Pittsburgh Field Club in Pittsburgh, PA. Such a tenure in the club industry is unique and telling of Joe’s stability, management style and excellence in his field. Joe has worked for 14 club presidents and countless boards with annual Board turnover. He has mentored up and coming General Managers, Assistant General Managers, Grounds Superintendents and Executive Chefs. Most notable of his accomplishments, is the ability to build high performing executive level teams to support a Club Board’s vision. He has executed 5 Master Plans to include the best professionals in the country for consensus, construction, and eventual branding.
He is a graduate of the School of Hospitality Management, Widener University and was recruited to the Magic Kingdom Internship Program at Walt Disney World, Florida. He has completed all CMAA Business management institute requirements at universities throughout the country.
Joe and his wife of 33 years recently settled into their dream home in sunny Naples, Florida. They enjoy spending time with their two boys, Kyle and Jordan, as well cooking, gardening and biking.
Leon Crimmins’ distinguished career spans more than 30 years, managing some of the finest private clubs in the country, including Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra, FL; Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ; Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club in Palm City, FL; Indian Creek Country Club in Miami Beach, FL; and The Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Island, SC.
Leon is an active member of the Club Managers Association and past President of the Florida Chapter of the CMAA.
Leon’s management philosophy is uncomplicated, direct and is as applicable to an interim assignment as a long-term tenure:
- Be visible and accessible. There is no substitute or greater priority than being there.
- Great communication is essential to any successful process and outcome.
- We are not in the service business – we are in the Relationship business.
- Proper preparation produces positive results.
- Be Yourself in all interactions, engagements, assignments and responsibilities.
- Remember that we are “Running a Country Club, not a Country.” Keep things in the proper perspective.
Originally from Wildwood, New Jersey, Leon and his wife Dawn have raised two daughters and experienced a wonderful career in the club industry.
Bill Culbreath has been a member and supporter of the Club Management Association of America for more than 20 years. He a is former President on the Carolinas Club Foundation and has hosted multiple education events at the Clubs he managed. He also served on the committee planning and hosting the National Student Education Conference in Charlotte, NC.
He has a wealth of knowledge and experience as he worked his way up from the Golf Course, where his dad was a Superintendent, to Executive Chef to various front of the house departmental roles. This progression engrained in him the importance and appreciation of every staff member and how synergy is essential to any Club’s success.
His understanding of Club financial structures has enabled him, working in concert with the staff, to set strategic goals that successfully increased revenues while controlling expenses. He has a long career of working with many Club Boards to ensure their vision and long-term plans are achieved. Regarding Club programs, events and initiatives, he continually challenges the staff to create outstanding member experiences that grow better year after year.
Bill has been General Manager of several clubs as they underwent multimillion-dollar renovations. He has been involved in the building of a new Clubhouse, golf course reconstructions and major renovations to existing Clubs. He has had the privilege of hosting high profile golf events, televised professional tennis tournaments, and celebrity programs on The Outdoor Channel and DIY Network.
In addition to traditional Country Clubs, he and his wife Lisa, also an accomplished CCM, managed a private fishing and sporting resort in the Bahamas, the historic Carolina Yacht Club in Charleston, SC and Old Baldy Club in beautiful Saratoga, WY where they currently live. He has also successfully completed projects in Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas. William continues to be focused on the mission of superior Club leadership.
It is with his knowledge and strong commitment to the Club Industry that he is humbled and honored to work with Executive Leaders to bring their vision of a fine club to fruition.
Patrick Fallon is a Certified Club Manager and a retired USAF Officer. During his military career, he managed six military Clubs – three stateside and three in overseas locations. Following his military career, he managed ten private clubs before retiring from active club management in January 2013. Since retiring, Patrick has held six Interim General Manager positions for clubs in Missouri, Mississippi, three clubs in Florida and one club in Minnesota. The tenure at each club lasted from two months to eleven months.
Patrick’s goal is to work closely with the club’s board keeping the club on track financially, assuring a smooth transition into the new management at the completion of the search process. Patrick is a hands-on club manager, getting to know the staff at the operational level. He has been and continues to be in this profession because he enjoys what he does. Patrick’s references include the six club presidents he has worked for and with during interim club management opportunities.
Robert E. Lee, CCM is a Certified Club Manager who has directed operations of both Member Owned and Corporate Owned Country Clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1980. After retiring he has successfully served in Interim General management positions at five different prestigious California Clubs.
Robert cares for and mentors team members, presents articulated, clearly communicated goals and objectives, works to solidify and preserve organizational structure, policies and procedures and has been successful working with Club Boards and Committees.
He has served in Professional Association Leadership roles as an elected member of the National Board of Directors, as President of the San Francisco and Northern California Chapter and as Treasurer of the Golden State Foundation of the Club Managers Association of America.
Robert holds a BS from the University of Illinois and an MS from San Jose State University. He served as an Army Infantry Officer in Viet Nam and is Co-Founder, Incorporator of Hopes Corner, Inc. a 501(C)3 organization devoted to serving meals, showers and laundry services to the underserved since 2011.
Tim Lewis has successfully led esteemed member and developer-owned clubs and HOAs for the last 38 years. Acting as General Manager/COO, with a distinction in 2nd home golf communities, he has been fortunate enough to manage Clubs throughout most regions of the continental United States and has built a reputation for aggressive revenue growth through enhanced club programming, conservative fiscal management, and exemplary staff development.
Tim’s years of experience span all levels of Club management with membership rosters ranging from 240 members to those exceeding 2,200. Throughout his career, Tim has successfully led Club amenities and value-added programming for members of all ages, including multiple golf courses, tennis, pickle ball and paddle courts, Alpine and Nordic skiing, lifts and lodges, as well as multiple F&B outlets, banquet and events facilities, recreational lakes, mountain biking, fly fishing, and private airports. Additionally, he has managed HOA activities including architectural review, building and remodeling permits, road maintenance and all common areas.
While working for developer-owned clubs, Tim worked as part of a team, responsible for designing and implementing ground-up total amenity offerings from concept through completion. His experience with member-owned Club construction projects include clubhouse remodels, planning, design and construction for both indoor and outdoor aquatics facilities, new tennis and pickle-ball courts, and golf course renovations.
Tim’s club management tenure includes Country Club of the South in Roswell, GA, Elk River in Banner Elk, NC, Promontory in Park City, UT, and Quechee Lakes Landowners’ Association in Quechee, Vermont. His most recent tenure was spent working for The Club at 3 Creek in Jackson, WY.
Dan Miles managed clubs among the best in America for more than 35 years. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Business at Indiana University, Dan joined Lafayette Country Club in Indiana as General Manager at the age of 24. During this time, Dan also served as Instructor of Club Management at Purdue University. In coordination with Purdue University “Hospitality Hall of Famer” and highly regarded Head of the Restaurant Hotel and Institutional Management School at Purdue University, Dr. Joseph Cioch, (later Dean of Conrad Hilton College of Hospitality), Dan developed develop the Club Management class which was to become a permanent addition to the Purdue University RHI course curriculum. Working with Purdue faculty members, Dan was instrumental in the formation of one of the earliest Student Chapters of CMAA.
Dan achieved Certified Club Manager designation in 1989, later earning Honor Society status and the Certified Club Executive title. And as a strong supporter of the industry, Dan served on the Board of Directors of both the Ohio Valley and Greater Cleveland Chapters of CMAA.
Since beginning a career in Club Management in 1984, Dan’s advancement and professional experience is particularly noteworthy as he went on to successively manage four prestigious quality private member-owned clubs all holding the Platinum Club of America Designation: The Country Club (OH), Denver Country Club (CO), Medinah Country Club (IL), and Bonita Bay Club (FL).
Bonita Bay Club in SW Florida is among the largest private country clubs in America with 90 Holes of Golf and annual revenue of roughly $40M. Dan formalized his relationship with Club Benchmarking after retiring as Chief Operating Officer of Bonita Bay Club in 2019.
Dan has worked with numerous club managers and club boards while with Club Benchmarking as Executive Director for the Midwest Region. Specializing in Board Presentations and Strategic Planning, Dan maintains his professional connection to Club Benchmarking as the champions of data-driven solutions and strategic initiatives.
Dan also represents Club Benchmarking in the Ohio Valley Chapter and is a champion of the solutions and services Club Benchmarking offers to provide clubs with a data-driven leadership platform.
Larry Marx is a tenured GM/COO in the private club industry. He has earned a reputation for instituting and maintaining best practices. Over his career, Larry has been known for his innovations in areas of new programming, IT, family and children’s activities, historical branding, health care, water conservation and recycling, and mentoring. Many clubs have sought his advice and insights over his 30 years in the private club industry. He has been a featured speaker at CMAA World Conference, Regional and Local Chapter Education sessions, Leadership Summits, and Distinguished and Platinum Club Symposiums.
Larry sits on several boards and believes in being part of the community, giving back and assisting others to achieve their goals. He continues to mentor and provide professional development to aspiring private club team members. Seven of his mentees are currently active in the role of General Manager at private clubs.
As a consulting Interim GM/COO, Larry’s travels take him to clubs throughout the country. He works closely with club presidents, boards and management teams to assess, educate and implement change during an interim time of opportunity. Since he spends hundreds of hours each year with club presidents, he has a unique insight.
He knows that a collaborative, transparent relationship must be developed to create the club governance of the future. Larry has an aggressive style of interim management and has received unanimous accolades from club presidents at each of his assignments. Larry’s ability to communicate, provide leadership and education to club presidents has earned him the respect of every club president with whom he has collaborated.
When Larry is not at a club, you will find him spending time hiking or mountain biking. He lives in Defiance, Missouri with his wife of 37 years, Lisa. He has five grown children and five grandchildren.
Brian Pelland has over 12 years of senior management experience at both yacht and golf clubs including roles as Assistant General Manager/ Interim General Manager at The Golf Club at Turner Hill in Ipswich, MA and as General Manager at the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA. He has been successful in his career as a forward facing manager focused on high member and staff engagement. Brian emphasizes the importance of developing positive work cultures and building/supporting great teams. He enjoys being a coach and mentor to his team as well as a strategic partner to club boards and committees.
Brian also has a strong background in food & beverage services, improving sales and member satisfaction through high standards and creative programming. He is skilled at developing/managing budgets, facility maintenance, capital & strategic planning, and event planning. Brian is a Certified Club Manager (CCM), an active member of the club management community and has served on the New England Chapter of the CMAA’s foundation board.
Brian is also a Certified Coach with a private practice focusing on the personal and professional growth of managers in the club industry. He sees the opportunity to serve as Interim General Manager as an extension of his coaching practice and supporting management teams through leadership transitions.
Zach Platek has held leadership positions with top clubs, cultivating expertise ideally suited to the issues and challenges facing the private club industry today. He started working for private clubs in South Florida during a gap year before attending Florida State University and has remained in the industry ever since. From his first position following college working with Cherokee Town & Country Club in Atlanta, Zach has worked with some of the nation’s top private clubs.
He had the distinction of being appointed at age 26 the General Manager of historic Tatnuck Country Club in Worcester, MA, then returned south to the Atlanta Athletic Club, his second club with 2,000-plus members driving high-volume food and beverage revenues and golf rounds. Zach went on to serve as General Manager for Athens Country Club in Athens, GA for seventeen years. During this time the club experienced strong momentum that included a growing membership, diverse amenity improvements, and an upbeat, open, and transparent approach to member communications that helped fuel satisfaction and robust activity. Moving to Grandfather Golf & Country Club in 2009 added to his sphere of expertise, as he successfully managed a private club and the POA in a gated community, along with establishing and leading the in-house real estate component, during the 2009-2011 Great Recession. Focusing on membership satisfaction and providing a superior member experience ensured Grandfather maintained its status as one of the finest second home seasonal clubs in the country. This is supported by positive Net Promoter Score results, most recently from 2021 employee and member surveys.
For Zach, fostering a management style that encourages happy employees who are singularly focused on providing superior member experiences which in turn drives membership momentum and creates a financially healthy organization. He learned this as a true believer and practitioner of the vision of hospitality management credited to Horst Schulze, former President and COO of The Ritz Carlton. For the clubs he has led, his consistency in decision-making and knowledge of good governance practices are hallmarks that created exceptional results. Developing, training, and adhering to consistent standard operating procedures in ALL areas of the club are vital tools for Zach and the teams he leads. His experience analyzing a club’s organizational structure and board communication, both internally and externally, then providing suggestions for improvement are among his proven strong suits.
At this stage of his club management career Zach is now interested in helping clubs bridge the gap when they are in between general managers. Giving back to the private club industry is important to Zach. In addition to vigorous mentoring and sharing best practices with fellow club managers, he twice served as the President of the Georgia Chapter of CMAA, as Chairman of the 2000 CMAA National Conference, and on multiple CMAA National committees through the years. Additional experience that ideally suits Zach for assisting clubs of today is his expertise managing in-house real estate sales and marketing (currently a licensed NC real estate broker) and in H2B international worker recruiting, housing, transportation, and regulations.
Alex Raimondi is a seasoned executive manager in the Private Country Club Industry and an accomplished and accountable professional with years of successful experience in prestigious Private Country Clubs and Private Country Club Residential Communities. Alex is well versed in all areas of operations including food and beverage, staff mentoring/training, staff retention & team building, Member services and amenities, with proven specific strengths in staff development, Member relations, golf course management, financial planning and controls, strategic planning, and a strong professional and personal value system. Alex has been recognized for comprehensive and successful techniques in hiring/training, mentoring and motivating personnel for superior consistent performance and dedicated to excellence in Member Satisfaction and guest services, Alex thrives in challenging, and deadline driven environments.
Alex has a unique background and skill set developed over many years from operating some of the finest private country clubs and exclusive residential communities, including the very prestigious Polo Club of Boca Raton, Nashawtuc Country Club, and the Wilderness Country Club in Naples Florida. In addition to his years of successful experience in Member-Owned private country clubs, Alex has focused on continual professional development through the Club Managers Association of America.
Alex is a highly qualified Interim Chief Operating Officer, successfully transitioning clubs through the process of retaining the “best-fit” permanent Chief Operating Officer. Alex has high expectations of himself, vision, passion, integrity, the ability to communicate, and develop mutual respect with Members and Staff.