January 3, 2025
Professional Development
Leading with Heart & Humanness at the World Conference Awards Breakfast
Renowned leadership expert and Colonel, USAF (Ret.) DeDe Halfhill has been described by Dr. Brené Brown as one of her “leadership heroes and a total badass.” Halfhill is a proven leader who draws from 25 years of command experience and as a senior advisor to the military’s highest-ranking officials to provide a real-world perspective on the power of embracing humanness and vulnerability in leadership.
Hear more from Halfhill at the Member & Chapter Awards Breakfast* on Friday, February 7. Halfhill’s insights will complement the celebration of the achievements of CMAA Members and Chapters at the Awards Breakfast. The awards honor and recognize the individuals and Chapters who strive for excellence in the CMAA community.
*Please note: A ticket is required for entry to the Awards Breakfast. This event is ticketed separately from all registration categories and capacity is limited. Breakfast is available beginning at 7:30 a.m., and the program officially begins at 8:00 a.m.
Halfhill is one of the six featured speakers who are part of the robust professional development agenda. Select from more than 65 sessions across all 11 competencies for success in club management. Sessions will be presented by industry and business experts and highlight solutions for the challenges facing today’s club management professionals.
Regular registration ends January 13.
Learn more, access the schedule, and review registration options
Five Club Management Professionals Achieve Certification
Congratulations to the five newest Certified Club Managers (CCM)! These dedicated individuals attained their designation in December. This diverse group of individuals represents professionals from the US and Canada.
- Danielle Humphreys, CCM, Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich, CT
- Sharon Meirav, CCM, The Club at Ibis, West Palm Beach, FL
- Domer Rafael, CCM, Manitoba Club, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Albert Seamon, CCM, Mendham Golf & Tennis Club, Mendham, NJ
- Lindsey W. Warren, CCM, Old Town Club, Winston Salem, NC
For nearly 60 years, the CCM designation has been the hallmark of professionalism in club management. It is a valuable, internationally recognized, and widely respected mark of an individual’s commitment to professional development and the club industry.
The Club Management Association of America extends its sincere congratulations to these newly certified professionals and encourages them to continue their professional development in the future.
Learn more about the CCM designation and its requirements
Earning Credits for Your College Degree
Managers can earn the following Other Education Credits for work completed through an accredited college or university.
Undergraduate Coursework and Degrees: A maximum of four years in an undergraduate program will be accepted.
- 20 credits – per academic year (two semesters of three quarters) for full-time attendance in a non-hospitality program
- 35 credits – per academic year for full-time attendance in a hospitality program
- 10 credits – for degree recipients
- 1 credit per 3 undergraduate semester credit hours – awarded for part-time enrollment of individual college courses.
Graduate-Level Coursework and Degrees: A maximum of two years in a Master’s program or three years in a Doctoral program will be accepted.
- 30 credits – per academic year for full-time attendance in a non-hospitality program
- 45 credits – per academic year for full-time attendance in a hospitality program
- 1 credit per 2 graduate semester credit hours – graduate-level course taken without completion of an advanced degree program.
Teaching at the Collegiate Level: Other Education Credits are awarded based on four credits per semester credit hour.
To submit your degree or coursework for Other Education Credits, please send official transcripts to Sonya Peterbark.
Membership and Member Benefits
Cast Your CMAA Vote!
Voting is a key privilege of CMAA Professional membership, empowering you to shape the Association’s future. The 2025 CMAA Election ballot features a strong slate of candidates and a national Bylaw proposition updating the titling of CMAA’s volunteer leaders. Here’s what you need to know:
Meet the Candidates
The Nominating Committee has slated the following candidates for National Director:
- Judy Higgins, CCM, CCE*, Valley Lo Golf Club, Glenview, IL
- Rob Oosterhuis, CCM, CCE, PGA, Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, Boca Raton, FL
- Josh Paris, CCM, CCE, Old Town Club, Winston-Salem, NC
- James Reisig, CCM, CCE, The Tokeneke Club, Darien, CT
*Denotes incumbent.
Candidates will address members at the 2025 World Conference & Club Business Expo in Tampa, FL. There are four open Board positions: three for three-year terms and one for a one-year term. The candidate with the fewest votes will receive the one-year term. Candidate profiles are available online.
Voting Eligibility
To vote, you must:
- Be a Professional, Alumnus, Continuation, Retired-Professional, or eligible Honorary member.
- Be a member in good standing (2025 national dues are paid in full).
Your membership type is listed on your digital card, valid through October 31.
How to Vote
- Online Voting: Request a Voting Authorization and cast your vote online by February 4, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
- On-site Voting: Visit voting kiosks at the World Conference in Tampa on February 7–9.
Results
Election results, including the Bylaw proposition outcome, will be announced on February 9, at the Closing Business Session and posted on the CMAA website.
Cast your online vote today or see you at the polls in Tampa!
The Club Foundation at World Conference
We are so grateful for all those of you who donated in 2024. There are many ways to support The Club Foundation and at the CMAA World Conference & Business Expo, we have several activities that herald the Foundation’s mission to support CMAA members with scholarships and grants. We hope you will join the joy of celebrating the work that the Foundation does each year:
- Club Foundation Golf Tournament—the golf tournament that the Foundation presents each year takes place on February 3, and is sold out. It is a great and cherished event that provides an opportunity for players to connect with colleagues, new and old, for a rewarding day on the course, raising critical funds to drive the mission.
- ClubLove 5k, Title Sponsor Cobalt Software—the 5K takes place the morning of February 8 and is open to all runners and walkers who want to get their invigoration on before the start of conference activities. The route is along the scenic Bayshore Boulevard and Hillsborough Bay. To add the 5K to your registration, go to your registration confirmation email, click on modify registration, and then click through the registration screens to add the 5K.
- Awards Breakfast, Presented in Partnership with Club Car—join us at the annual Awards Breakfast where we celebrate the 2024 scholarship recipients. You can also add the Awards Breakfast to your registration by going to your registration confirmation email, clicking on modify registration, and then clicking through the registration screens to add the celebration!
Don’t forget to add The Club Foundation to your New Year’s Resolutions, to give to others in need. Here are some ways:
- Make a one-time donation to the Foundation on our website to make a difference right now.
- Give a recurring/monthly donation to the Foundation on our website to fuel scholarships and grants throughout the coming year.
- Join the Legacy Society: Explore ways to fund the future of our industry, with planned gifts including contributions from your stock account, IRA, life insurance, or trusts.
Thank you to all those who have donated so far this year! Thank you for making a difference for others through The Club Foundation.
Deadline Approaching: Enter the 2025 Idea Fair
Did you and your team come up with an idea this year that is too good not to share with your peers? If so, enter the Idea Fair! The competition and showcase of ideas will be held at the 2025 World Conference & Club Business Expo, February 5-9, in Tampa, FL. Since the sharing of knowledge has always been the hallmark of CMAA, the Idea Fair is a great avenue for club managers to exchange ideas. The deadline is January 7, so make sure you get your entries in!
Entering the competition is easy – you simply submit your entries online and CMAA will print the board(s) for you! You do not need to attend Conference to enter or win. One Association Activity Credit is awarded per entry (maximum 10 entries per member) and two Association Activity Credits will be awarded to the winner in each of the 16 categories.
In addition to the “Most Innovative Idea Award,” there will be a “Showstopper Award” and a “Chairman’s Award” given out by the judging committee. Make sure your idea stands out from the rest to be considered for these exciting new awards!
Read more details on how to enter, as well as category information and to access the official online entry form.
We look forward to seeing your ideas in Tampa!
Features
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Featured Discussion: Master Planning Facilitators/Consultants |
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Resources
Access the 2024 CMAA Research Projects
All the Research initiatives completed in 2024 are accessible to CMAA members. Visit CMAA Connect in the Best Practices Exchange to explore them. Login is required.
- 2023 Finance and Operations Report (Club Benchmarking Collaboration) – May 2024 Release
- CMAA Capital Improvements Handbook (Task Force Collaboration)- August 2024 Release
- 2024 Club Leader’s Perspective Report (GGA Partners Collaboration)- September 2024 Release
- 2023 Compensation and Benefits Report (Club Benchmarking Collaboration)- November 2024 Release
- 2024 Economic Impact Report (Club Benchmarking/National Club Association/Iowa State University/Florida Atlantic University/University of Florida Collaboration)
Got Governance Questions? Start with the Private Club Governance Handbook
In 2023, the National Club Association (NCA) and Club Management Association of America (CMAA) released Private Club Governance: A Handbook of Principles and Best Practices. Written by a joint committee of experts from the associations, the new publication is a definitive guide to governance of private clubs, designed to be a framework of best practices for clubs at any place on the spectrum of effective governance.
The handbook is a comprehensive guide on establishing and maintaining good governance and covers everything from bylaws and articles of incorporation to board policies, committee structure and roles to evaluations and improvement. It also includes a chapter of sample documents every club board should have.
The handbook was developed by a joint committee of experts from both associations in a partnership structured to benefit the entire private club community and has been downloaded more than 1,400 times.
Inside the Governance hub in the CMAA Connect Best Practices Handbook Library, you can download the resource and the joint webcast with Handbook contributors and the podcast focusing on club implementation.
Trends and News
New Cybersecurity Staff Training Courses Now Available on CMAA’s Club Resource Center
CMAA’s Club Resource Center (CRC) course line-up now has five new cybersecurity training courses for you and your staff. They include:
- Cybersecurity Overview
- Workplace Security Basics 2.0
- Cybersecurity - Staying Safe Online 3.0
- Social Engineering 2.0
- Introduction to Ransomware 2.0
The CRC subscription brings you a broad scope of online interactive training courses for all your club’s staff. Contact Bob Gould for a full CRC course list or more information.