Chapter Digest
October 2026
News for CMAA Leaders
In this issue:
Featured Strategy
CMAA’s 2026 Membership Year is Coming to an End
CMAA’s membership year ends on October 31. Please encourage your Chapter members to renew their memberships at their earliest convenience so they do not incur any late fees that may be assessed in the future.
All check payments should be mailed to CMAA’s lockbox address:
Club Management Association of America
PO Box 37626
Baltimore, MD 21297-3626
Additionally, please remind them that they can save time and renew online with their credit card by logging into their CMAA profile page.
If you know of any unemployed managers who are actively looking for a job in the industry, please have them contact Alanna Eckard to see if they qualify for a deferment of their dues (Continuation status).
If you or your chapter members have any questions concerning membership renewals for 2027, please email the Membership Department or call 703-739-9500.
Thank you. We look forward to yet another great membership year!
Chapter Idea Fair Winner
Congratulations to the Metropolitan Chapter, which won first place in the 2026 Chapter Idea Fair for their idea in the “Governance & Leadership” category entitled Suited for Success: Reviving the Manager of the Year Award.
The Chapter revived the award in 2025, renamed it in honor of Dennis G. Murphy, and introduced a peer-nomination and scoring process led by past recipients and two members at large. The award included a custom jacket and commemorative pin to establish a lasting tradition. Members responded very positively to both the recognition of Luis and the tribute to Dennis’s legacy.
Chapter Spotlight
In September, members of the University of Georgia Student Chapter attended a Georgia Chapter meeting! “It’s always a pleasure when we have so many students attend,” said Georgia Managing Director Allegra Johnson, CCM.
We want to hear what your Chapter is doing! Recently hold a fundraiser? Exciting event? Share your Chapter good news via email to goodnews@cmaa.org and you could be featured in an upcoming edition!
- October 31: 2027 CMAA Membership Renewals Due
- November 15: 2027 Class of CMAA Fellows Nominations Due
- Ongoing: Submit Your Chapter Photos and Announcements to goodnews@cmaa.org
New Member Totals
The New Member Recruitment Contest provides encouragement for CMAA Chapters to increase, maintain, and preserve their membership. This annual contest awards grants to Chapters (in size categories small, medium and large) that surpass, achieve, or are closest to reaching their set membership recruitment goals.
Chapter Management Resources
Managing Directors
This is a reminder that the online Chapter Officer/Chair Report is due by December 1.
Chairs
Advocacy/Legislative Chair: Payroll Protection Program Loans Under the Microscope: What Club Leaders Need to Know
The Let’s Talk Club Management podcast recently interviewed Matthew S. Adams, co-chair of the White Collar Criminal Defense and Government Investigations Practice at Fox Rothschild. He has closely followed Payroll Protection Program (PPP) fraud enforcement and advises clubs and businesses facing government scrutiny related to pandemic funding. Learn why PPP enforcement remains relevant years after the program ended, what the recent cases could mean for the club industry, and what you should be thinking about now. Listen to the full podcast and look for the full article in the November/December edition of Club Management magazine!
Career Services Chair: Advertise for Any and All Jobs in Your Club
If clubs need personnel that are entry-level to executive, CMAA has a board to promote the position. Check out what is available.
Management Openings List**
The Management Openings List (MOL) is a listing of clubs seeking executive management personnel. The listing is available to any CMAA member in good standing. All postings on this list have salary ranges at $100,000 (minimum) or above.
Mid-Management Career Opportunities List*
The Mid-Management Career Opportunities Listing (MMCO) lists clubs looking to hire entry- to mid-level management positions. All postings on this list have salary ranges below $100,000.
Entry-Level Opportunities*
The Entry-Level Opportunities list is aimed at filling entry-level, hourly wage jobs. CMAA members have identified the recruitment of employees as a top challenge.
Internship Listing*
It's never too early to start looking for your next interns. The CMAA Internship Listing shows job opportunities at clubs. We encourage students to take advantage of this service, as practical work experience is considered a plus upon graduation.
** Restricted to CMAA Members Only
* No password restriction to view the list—open to anyone who navigates to the site.
The Club Foundation Liaison: Share this Application Advice with Your Chapter Members
Recently, the members of the Club Foundation Allocation Committee (CFAC) crafted some written advice for scholarship applicants. Applications are evaluated on its merits according to each program’s scoring rubric and specific requirements, but it is important to remember that very real people are reviewing these applications. They want to learn not only about your successes and experience, but also about the person behind the application. Look at the guidance document provided to help you share your own unique story with the evaluators.
Final Deadlines of the Season
The Club Foundation closes our scholarship season with two more deadlines fast approaching on November 1. Both speak to our association’s culture and priorities – how we take care of those in various stages of their careers in addition to how we help one another to grow and be seen in the industry:
The LaRocca Family Executive Scholarship focuses on the power of mentor-mentee relationships in our industry. Those who are serving in a management/supervisory position in club/s and have been serving for 10 or more years in that capacity can apply for themselves and a mentee with whom they have been working. The Mentor receives tuition and travel expenses to attend a BMI program, and the Mentee can choose from options to have their National and Chapter dues paid for a year, registration and travel for CMAA World Conference and Business Expo, OR registration and travel for CMAA Leadership/Legislative Conference. Learn more on the Club Foundation website and be sure to review the application guidelines in advance of applying.
The James B. Singerling Scholarship focuses on newer CMAA members by providing CMAA World Conference registration and travel expenses to an individual who has not previously attended World Conference (prior attendance as a student member is accepted). Learn more on the Club Foundation website and be sure to review the application guidelines in advance of applying.
Communications/Public Relations Chair: The Centennial Pennant Has Arrived
Also, the CMAA Centennial Pennant was unveiled at the 2026 LLC. This pennant is more than a keepsake. It is a symbol of the people, places, and experiences that have shaped our Association's first 100 years and will carry us into the next century.
We invite members and Chapters to take the pennant on their journeys throughout the Centennial celebration. Bring it to your club, Chapter events, community activities, industry gatherings, or wherever CMAA connections are being made. Capture a photo, share the story behind it, and help us showcase the many ways CMAA members are making an impact across the profession.
Submit your photos and stories to goodnews@cmaa.org for a chance to be featured in Centennial communications and help create a lasting visual record of CMAA's 100th year.
The question is simple: Where will the Centennial Pennant go next?
Membership Chair: The 2026 New Member Recruitment Contest Ends on December 31
CMAA is having an incredible recruitment year! Has your Chapter met its goal? Keep on recruiting! Remember, the winning Chapters in each size category win a $3,000 Education Grant from The Club Foundation. Let’s meet and exceed those goals!
Professional Development Chair: Three Days, Four Clubs: Get Powered Up at the Membership & Marketing Symposium
Get your club’s most pressing engagement, recruitment, retention, and waitlist management questions answered at CMAA’s Membership & Marketing Symposium.
Slated for November 1-3, in Washington, DC, the Symposium will feature sessions addressing:
- Building an engaging member experience;
- Identifying where AI can improve membership and marketing processes;
- Managing your club’s waitlist and expectations; and
- Breaking through the stereotypes of shifting demographics.
Gain insight, best practices, and real-life solutions, while visiting several iconic clubs, including Columbia Country Club, Cosmos Club, the Metropolitan Club, and the Sulgrave Club.
Research Chair: 2025 Compensation and Benefits Report Executive Summary is Now Available
CMAA has released the 2025 Compensation and Benefits Report. Based on confidential surveys completed by more than 575 clubs in spring 2026, the report includes detailed analysis of key compensation and benefits data from the club management industry to participants.
All members may access the Executive Summary online through CMAA Connect in the Best Practices Exchange Community Library in the CMAA Annual Reports folder. Participants have received their complimentary copy of the report in a separate message but please reach out if your club participated and has not yet received their complimentary copy.
This report is a collaboration with Club Benchmarking, a CMAA Executive Partner. If you have any questions, please contact Amilcar Davy, CMAA’s Director of Research, or Bryan LaBlue, Club Benchmarking’s Senior Director of Research and Innovation.
Student Chapter Liaison: The National Student Education Conference is Sold Out—Help Your Students Get on the Waitlist
We’ve reached capacity for the 2026 National Student Education Conference in Atlanta, GA. If you know of any students who are still interested in attending, please have them send their name, member number, and school/university to Alanna Eckard to be added to the waitlist.
NSEC is made possible thanks to the support of The Club Foundation, the Chairman’s Fund, and CMAA’s Partnership Network.
Wine Society Chapter Representative: Renew your Wine Society Membership and RSVP for the Barolo vs. Brunello Webinar
The 2027 CMAA Wine Society membership year begins November 1, making now the perfect time to renew your membership online.
Your 2027 Wine Society renewal invoice can be accessed anytime under the “My Invoices” tab in your online CMAA profile.
Continue Enjoying Your Wine Society Benefits
When you renew your CMAA Wine Society membership, you’ll continue to enjoy a variety of benefits designed to help you learn, connect and explore the world of wine, including:
- Access to the CMAA Connect Wine Society online forum
- A one-year subscription to Wine Spectator magazine
- Complimentary access to Gallo University
- Wine webinars with industry leaders, including select experiences featuring wines shipped directly to members
- Priority registration for in-person Wine Society events, including the Pre-Conference Wine Workshop at CMAA’s World Conference and Club Business Expo and the Wine Society Annual Business Meeting
Renew your Wine Society membership today and continue enjoying all the benefits of membership throughout 2027. We’re looking forward to another year of great wines, learning opportunities and connections with fellow wine enthusiasts! If you have questions regarding your Wine Society membership, please contact Sara Thom.
October Webinar: Barolo vs. Brunello: A Comparative Exploration of Italy's Most Iconic Wines; Piedmont's Barolo vs. Tuscany's Brunello di Montalcino
Wine Society members are invited to a webinar presented by Heritage Collection of Trinchero Family Wine & Spirits on Tuesday, October 27, at 2:00 p.m. ET.
What you'll learn:
- Nebbiolo vs. Sangiovese as expression of place and heritage
- How terroir shapes wines
- Why these wines define global Italian wine perception
**Attendees can purchase Certto Barolo and Famiglia Cotarella Brunello if they’d like to taste along during the webinar.
Empower your club's beverage program with world-class Italian wine knowledge--enhancing member experiences and elevating your wine offerings with confidence.