I am excited to share that I have embarked on a new career journey as the Director of Operations at Doko Park and Manor in the beautiful town of Blythewood, South Carolina. It is truly an honor to collaborate with Mayor Sloan Griffin, town administrator, Daniel Stines, the talented town council and the dedicated team here in Blythewood.As a rapidly expanding town, Blythewood holds immense potential, and I am thrilled to be part of this vibrant community. I envision many wonderful experiences and events unfolding at Doko Park, contributing to the town’s growth and community spirit.I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the support I received during my time at the Windermere Country Club and in the sports hospitality industry. The encouragement has been invaluable, and I look forward to carrying those lessons into this new chapter.Here’s to new adventures and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead!Thank you for your continued support.

The Windermere Club's loyal clientele appreciates excellent service as well as my team's exceptional attention to detail. Ensuring their satisfaction requires the skills and presence of hospitality professionals who have refined their guest relations skills to the point where they are second nature. For me, there are no job responsibilities, only opportunities to be extraordinary at every touchpoint. Besides supervising all dept heads, staff training, and development, I am a mentor and a daily symbol of what "going the extra mile" looks like—my attention to detail, graciousness, and professionalism inspire my team and delight our guests. As an experienced manager, I also understand the importance of profitability and manage payroll and purchasing responsibilities as efficiently as possible. My Food and Beverage management skills at The Windermere Club genuinely shine at The Lakeside Grille Restaurants. Working closely with the restaurant manager, I am a support and guidance source in achieving high service and business standards.

FLV is a club managemement company that consults with club owners, Board of Directors, and multi-sport amenity clubs and resorts as an interactive “thought partner” with a focus on the future of marketing, brand, and culture. Helping to set the strategic direction for the long-term well-being of the membership and property by focusing on outstanding customer/member service platforms, social media marketing, 21st-century technologies, and leveraging the cross-selling potential between the community, resort, and land sales operation is our primary focus. Recognizing that while bottom-line performance is hugely important, the overriding expectation is to “set the standard for consistent, high-quality member and guest experiences,” recognizing that such outcomes start with strong team development and engagement.The Key to the success of the mega projects Fred Layman Ventures manged and consulted on was to to provide strong, integrity-filled leadership, and to be highly visible, approachable, and engaged with the membership and staff was critical; the approach being taken is very much like a ‘start-up’ company where the strong focus is given to the overall experience for members and prospective members, as well as “energy and innovation” are critical elements to success.

As the GM/COO, I was tasked with strategically leading this new country club brand in one of the toughest golf markets in the country, Augusta, GA. After a devastating fire took the clubhouse in April 2007 and the market crash of 2008, we were able to stay significantly relevant in our modeled space, low price, high volume. This was a fantastic environment to grow my career and business knowledge as it allowed me, along with my teams, to determine the future of operations under extreme circumstances. As a landmark country club in a niche golf community, we were constantly under a microscope, and every decision was amplified. We stayed accountable to the community, and our business model and redefined our long-term strategic planning. The development of membership growth and retention, programming, revenue initiatives, and capital projects took on an even more significant role. I was responsible for all financial, and programming aspects of this multi amenity country club. In 2008 many competitors filed for bankruptcy which allowed them to operate with no mortgages or past debt. We successfully maneuvered through the lean times of the real estate crash and sold for a profit while competitors restructured debt and tried to manipulate our already devastated golf community. I emerged with a newfound respect for the real estate market and financial responsibility. I learned the value of communication through transparency.

As the Director of Operations, I was the 'face' of Mount Vintage Golf and Athletic Club to members, staff, external constituencies, and reciprocal clubs. I was expected to ensure that the best interests of the membership are maintained and enhanced through leadership. Of great importance was the development and support of an effective and dedicated team of department heads, supervisors, and staff, developing a professional 'infrastructure,' including consistent adherence to operating standards, and providing overall leadership to all groups within the organization. In doing so, it is expected that I was "visible and sincerely engaged" with each of these critical constituencies who contribute to the Club's overall success as success comes partially with being "present" and "easily approachable and engaging" with these various groups.I worked with the Board to identify clearly defined and measurable annual initiatives and budget objectives and present yearly business plans and recommendations to the Board for approval. These plans will be backed with reasoned, well-conceived tactics, which I own and will be accountable to attain. As Director of Operations of this new Club, I was a crucial player in the design and execution of all capital projects. There were significant additional investment and improvement projects to the Athletic Club, Clubhouse, tennis courts, golf pro shop, gym, and other venues. I was a key contributor and coordinator in designing and executing a 'game plan' to carry out such projects successfully.Creating a service culture by communicating and assisting team members in understanding guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed was the daily acumen.Functioning as the primary strategic leader of the facility with responsibility for all aspects of the operation, including guest and associate satisfaction, human resources, financial performance, and sales and revenue generation.