Norton, MA -- (SBWire) -- 04/02/2012 --Philip C. Koretski, General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of The Misquamicut Club in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and member of the New England Club Managers Association (NECMA) has been inducted to the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) Twenty-Five-Year Club.
Membership in the CMAA Twenty-Five-Year Club is open to “any member of CMAA who shall have been the manager of the same bona fide club for 25 consecutive years.” Managers are invited to become members upon receipt of statements of eligibility from the club president.
Philip began working at The Misquamicut Club after high school and worked there for six summers total. (1979-1984) The first two as a dishwasher at the Beach Club, the final four as an “Assistant to the Manager” at both the Golf Club and Beach Club. (There were no Assistant Managers in those glory days.)
After graduating from College (1984) Philip took his first “real job” at Nielsen Television Ratings and went to training school in Dunedin, Florida; January 1985. In May of 1985-Dan Denehy called Philip was subsequently hired him as the Assistant Club Manager at Aspetuck Valley CC in Westin Connecticut. Philip was with Dan until fall of 1986 when he went to Florida to work as the Beverage Manager at The Jupiter Island Club. In the spring of 1987, he was hired by Peter Tunley to be the Assistant Manager at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. By late summer of 1987-Bob Gallagher (Club Manager at The Misquamicut Club) was leaving Watch Hill to become the GM at Piping Rock in Locust Valley, NY. Philip was offered the job to replace Bob-hired to work seasonally in 1988. At the end of that summer - The Misquamicut Club was under taking a series of construction projects-which were to be supervised by the contractors. When asked “would he stay for the winter to oversee the construction projects” Philip agreed and has stayed year round ever since. Philip was formerly promoted to the title of the Club’s first General Manager in 1992 and as GM/COO in 2010.
The Club (140 employees at peak, $5.2 million in gross volume) has grown at an exceptional rate over the past 25 years with $205,000 in food and beverage revenues generated in 1988 (with a local caterer providing food service in the evenings) to over $1.2 million currently with the Club doing everything in house.
The Club has been fortunate to retain the Controller for 30+ years, the Golf Professional and Green Superintendent for over 20. The current Executive Chef began here as a Johnson and Wales culinary intern 19 years ago and is still here. Staff longevity is the key to success at The MC. Over the past 8 years the Club has taken on a wide spectrum of capital improvements which has brought the Club to its current level of member service excellence. These projects include a $3.6 million renovation to the Beach Club, $1.5 million to the Golf Club House, $1.1 to the irrigation system on the golf course, $750,000 to tennis and $500,000 to the golf course.
Over the years, he has have been blessed with many exceptional Assistant Managers many of whom have gone on to be Club General Managers. These individuals include Tom Finocchiaro, Scott Johnson, Sean Ryan, Brian Reeves and Bill Crooks. Philip also states that he has been blessed to have worked for three outstanding Club Managers -all of whom set great examples for a young Assistant Manager. “Their countless lessons allowed me to thrive and grow over the past 25 years at The Misquamicut Club.” These three GM’s, all still actively employed in Club Management, are Bob Gallagher, Dan Denehy and Peter Tunley.
Philip is married to his wife, Professor Jodie Drapal Koretski and has six children, Christopher, Katharine, Michaela, Jade, Savanna and Tessa. Philip resides in Westerly, RI. His hobbies range from stand up paddle boarding, fishing, boating, home renovation and many activities with his children.
The New England Club Managers Association (NECMA), the original chapter of the Club Managers Association of America, was established in 1914 and has since been a leader in the advancement of opportunities for private club managers, and foremost, students of the culinary and hospitality industries. NECMA has more than 240 members who manage more than 150 private clubs in the New England area. The purposes of the New England Chapter are to provide education to persons connected with the management of clubs and other associations of similar character, to promote and encourage efficient and successful club management, and to advance friendly relations among its members. For more information about NECMA, visit our web site at www.necma.org.
The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) is the professional Association for managers of membership clubs. With close to 7,000 members across all classifications, CMAA manager members run more than 3,000 country, golf, city, athletic, faculty, yacht, town and military clubs. The objectives of the Association are to promote and advance friendly relations among persons connected with the management of clubs and other associations of similar character; to encourage the education and advancement of its members; to assist club officers and members, through their managers, to secure the utmost in efficient and successful operations. CMAA hosts the World Conference on Club Management and Exposition annually; maintains a highly trafficked Web site — www.cmaa.org —containing club industry resources as well as a section for CMAA members only; researches, writes and develops textbooks, manuals and white papers on club management issues; and is involved in numerous industry-wide initiatives that advance the profession of club management and enrich the lives of its members.
The Misquamicut Club General Manager/COO Inducted to CMAA 25 Year Club