Jodie J. Cunningham, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

HR/Talent Strategist, Search & Consulting Executive

Jodie J. Cunningham is currently the CEO and talent optimization expert with Optimus Talent Partners, LLC. As part of the KK&W team, she provides club leaders with guidance, a framework, and resources to design strong leadership and support teams, select top talent and create productive work environments that maximize business results. Additionally, she provides robust management development programs to enhance your leaders’ effectiveness with their teams. Classes are tailored to your unique industry and provide attendees with applicable management and leadership skills they can immediately apply in the workplace.

Jodie is a human resources executive with over 20 years of experience. She started her HR career in the hospitality industry, most recently with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. She then transitioned into professional sports as the human resources executive with the Los Angeles Rams. Her strategic workforce planning experience is extensive, creating and executing data-driven people strategies related to talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational acquisitions and employee engagement. With her unique background in high-end luxury hospitality, private golf and country clubs, and professional sports, she brings a wealth of knowledge as a trusted human capital advisor. Her goal is to provide analysis and consulting that effectively balances the needs of the organization with the talent it currently employs.

Jodie is also an instructor at the CMAA Business Management Institute, facilitating leadership education at Michigan State University several times as year. She regularly offers highly attended educational workshops on human resources, talent acquisition and leadership topics at the CMAA World Conference, CMAA Mid-Managers Conference, CMAA Student Chapter education and local CMAA chapter education. Jodie is also a regularly speaker with the GCSAA, PGA of America and HFTP chapters. Additionally, Jodie is a certified partner with The Predictive Index and assists clubs in integrating behavioral and cognitive data in every facet of their people selection and development programs.

Jodie earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Arizona State University, and a master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. She has also achieved the highest human resources certifications of SPHR and SHRM-SCP.

Email: jodie@kkandw.com

Phone: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 707

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Resources & Insights from Jodie…

The employment landscape continues to evolve rapidly and clubs must keep up. Jodie Cunningham of Kopplin, Kuebler & Wallace believes technology, talent strategy and leadership development will converge to shape a stronger, more resilient workforce in the new year. Here are key trends she expects to define 2026…

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Country clubs are a unique sector in the hospitality industry. They combine the sophistication of championship golf, fine dining, and recreation with a strong emphasis on personalized service and community. To maintain this balance, clubs rely heavily on a well-trained, loyal, and efficient workforce. Yet, many clubs—especially smaller ones—face challenges when it comes to recruitment, retention, and employee training due to limited HR resources.

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Creating an outstanding member experience starts with having ideal staff members who not only embrace but truly embody your club’s culture. And let’s be honest—finding that “perfect fit” team member can feel like searching for a unicorn and rainbows. If you’ve ever made the wrong hire (and who hasn’t?), you know the real “cost” goes well beyond the financial hit…

The landscape of people leadership is ever-evolving, and clubs must adapt to ensure that their leaders thrive. A recent leadership survey highlighted that 86% of people leaders feel that the criteria for success has shifted in the past five years, while many organizations haven’t adapted. This can result in a loss of top leadership talent.

To bridge this gap and prevent leadership burnout, here are five essential actions for you to take to help your managers thrive…

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Nearly two-thirds of respondents to the Outlook 2024 Pulse Survey chose workforce issues as their greatest area of concern when choosing from a list of factors that could affect their clubs in 2024 and the remainder of the decade. A separate open-ended question about the greatest challenge currently facing the club industry yielded many other responses related to staffing and the workplace, including:

“Securing appropriate staff to fulfill the demands of the new generation of members.”
“The generational shift in work attitudes.”
“Losing key staff to larger clubs with higher pay scales.”

These challenges and more will be top of mind for club leaders throughout 2024…

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Over the past several years, the workforce has changed: baby boomers are retiring in droves, birth rates are down substantially over the last 50 years, work-life balance is a top priority and there are 8.8 million U.S. jobs open and only 6.4 million unemployed Americans. According to human resource experts likes Jodie Cunningham of KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, employers must adjust accordingly if they are going to compete for talent.

Workers today prioritize well-being and work-life balance more than ever before. “Just because it was once customary to work 60, 70 or 80 hours a week does not make it right for the future. That approach isn’t sustainable,” Cunningham explained. “If clubs continue to overwork the talent they employ, they will drive great employees away from our industry.” Clubs that commit to 40-hour work weeks for their employees reap tremendous benefits in retention and productivity…

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KK&W can provide club leaders with guidance, a framework and resources to design strong teams, select top talent and build productive work environments that maximize business results.

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