Richard M. Kopplin, CMAA Fellow, Partner
Dick started KOPPLIN SEARCH, INC. in 1996 following a 35-year career as a general manager and vice president for nationally recognized clubs, like Castle Pines in Castle Rock, CO, Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, AZ and PGA WEST in La Quinta, CA. His goal was to provide private clubs with an exemplary level of service in matching executive level candidates with private clubs and their culture through a more informed, researched, and educated process.
Dick also began a tradition for the Firm wherein a core foundation to its success is in its commitment to professional development, not only for its own Team, but more importantly for the industry and managers as a whole. In that vein, Dick has been one of the highest rated presenters at the CMAA World Conference on Club Management consistently since 2000. Drawing upon the hundreds of interviews, boardrooms and board retreats he has conducted, Dick is a sought-after keynote speaker on executive leadership, team development and the critically important “Board Dynamics/Model Clubs” program he developed many years ago to help boards and managers better identify and execute their roles and responsibilities in a successful and consistent manner.
Since that time, the firm has conducted over 1000 search assignments for many of the finest member-owned, developer-owned, golf, country, community-based, yacht, city, and athletic clubs in the country and worldwide.
Dick is the recipient of The BoardRoom Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and 2018.
Email: dick@kkandw.com
Phone: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 702
Resources & Insights from Dick…
Serendipity often takes us on a path we’ve never considered but a path that often leads to a passion. In a nutshell, that describes the long, illustrious career of Dick Kopplin, a mainstay of the private club industry…
Created in 2019, the CMAA Fellows Program is an honorary recognition program distinguishing CMAA members who epitomize the leadership, integrity, involvement, and contributions of club management professionals. Each of these individuals has made a significant impact toward the betterment of the profession and CMAA throughout their active careers…
Richard Kopplin Inducted into the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame
Richard Kopplin has been recognized for his career dedicated to the betterment of the private club industry and one of five new inductees to the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame held recently at the Induction Ceremony hosted at Paradise Valley Country Club.
Following a 35-year career as a general manager and vice president for nationally recognized clubs, Kopplin started Kopplin Search, Inc. over 23 years ago with the objective of assisting clubs in their search for skilled, competent staff. Today he leads KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, a dynamic firm with a focus on executive searches, industry education and consulting…
After nearly three decades of observing boards in action, one thing is clear: high-performing board members don’t just attend meetings, they drive progress. They’re aligned, strategic, and accountable to the club’s mission and to one another…
I have also observed that clubs facing internal issues and problems often lack praxis. When actual practices don’t match stated beliefs, a disconnect is evident in even some of the most recognized clubs in the country…
“I will bet anyone in this room one hundred dollars (and I toss my money clip with at least that amount to another board member to verify and hold) that I can have Joe, my golf student volunteer, my 20 handicapper, hitting to the pin on the 18th hole from 75 yards, with more accuracy than
Rory Mcllroy. Any of you in this room can take Rory by wagering your hundred dollars against my golfer, Joe, and we will take Rory and Joe out to the 18th hole at the same time…”
The first is that the board needs to have an “executive session” at the end of every board meeting without the general manager. A bad practice, a terrible idea and unsustainable in the long run if the club wants professional management…
Can you share with me how much compensation you give Mr. Schwab?” Charles Schwab became president of Carnegie Steel Corporation in 1897 at age 35…
Actively challenging the status quo, not for the sake of disruption itself, but to create significant improvements, is a leadership attribute many clubs are looking for in their executive leaders. But how do you balance disruption and being disruptive in a private club environment?
Hospitality is an imperfect business and while you can plan to deliver the highest levels of product and service consistently, even the world’s best service providers have breakdowns.
Planning for inevitable mistakes separates the best businesses from the average ones…
Attendance is typically mandatory for board members who are serious about their leadership role as volunteers serving their fellow members.
The retreat’s purpose is for board members to take time away from their clubs to look at club issues strategically and with both future and historical perspectives…
It is the most common complaint I hear working with private club board members. “We need to improve the food and beverage service at our club.”
Notice I did not say the “profitability,” although that benefit is sometimes inherent in well-managed club dining facilities.
How can you improve the food and beverage operations at your club? The answer is easier than you might think and begins with the fundamentals…
I’m continually amazed at how many seemingly competent managers expect membership privileges for themselves and often their families as part of the “normal” benefits provided to them. Where does this entitlement expectation come from?
What a crock that is. And yet, how often do we hear it from misguided charlatans who have more experience hawking their latest “self-help book” than actually working in any profession?
Please, be passionate about your family, your friends, your health, your home, your hobbies, your vacations, and your faith, but keep your job in perspective. Yes, there are days when we all love what we do, but let’s be realistic and understand that some days are not great. At times, we become frustrated, irritated, upset, and ready to “walk away,” which is normal…
My sleeves were rolled up and I was sweating (literally) while working on the budget projections for next year.
I suddenly realized that it was 6:30 p.m. and our Tuesday Twilight nine-hole member group would be in the middle of enjoying dinner. It was also one of the weeks when members would invite guest couples to join the event.
I walked into the dining room…