April 10, 2026
Professional Development
Explore New Wellness Offerings at the 2026 Club Wellness Summit
The Club Wellness Summit is an exclusive event, designed for club wellness professionals and club leaders who are interested in learning about how to integrate a variety of wellness offerings into their clubs. The education, networking activities, and club tours provide participants with critical insights into this very important and ever-evolving aspect of club operations.
The 2026 Club Wellness Summit will be hosted at Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale, AZ, June 22-25.
Educational sessions will feature hands-on opportunities to share and learn from fellow club wellness professionals and industry experts.
Registration Opens for the Capital Improvements Symposium
Get the blueprints to make your club’s next project a success at the Capital Improvements Symposium. Hosted at The Chicago Club in Chicago, IL, August 9-11, this event will help you build the competencies you need to lead your club’s next project, renovation, or deconstruction. Topics will be diverse and extensive and cover every aspect from start to finish including obtaining member approval for the project, contracts/draw schedule, project cost estimating, assembling the team and roles and responsibilities, financing, feasibility and valuation, and project management.
Learn more and access registration rates
Make Your Club’s Governance Bloom in 2026
CMAA’s next Governance & Leadership Symposium on April 15 offers accessible, collaborative, virtual education for your Board of Directors and club executive. Attend from anywhere with an Internet connection. Designed for our West Coast attendees, this program will run from 9:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Pacific Time (PT).
Your Board Members will leave this symposium more informed and equipped with key takeaways for improving club governance. Explore important strategic governance topics built on the principles of:
- Informed Leadership
- Strategic Stewardship
- Empowered Management and Staff
- Compelling Member Experience
These highly rated Summits are presented in partnership with KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, a CMAA Executive Partner.
Membership and Member Benefits
Congratulations to the 2026 Idea Fair Winners
A record-breaking 330 entries were entered in the 2026 Idea Fair held in conjunction with the World Conference & Club Business Expo in Anaheim, CA, in February. Managers shared their ideas in 16 different categories ranging from Club Events & Experiences to Community Impact & Sustainability.
We would like to congratulate the following CMAA members who took home first-place ribbons in their respective categories:
- Club Events & Experiences: Josh Aaronson, Cherokee Town & Country Club, Town Club, Atlanta, GA
- Holiday Programs: Ken Kosak, Broken Sound Club, Boca Raton, FL
- Youth Programs & Events: Andy Reetz, CCM, Champions Run, Omaha, NE
- Club Culture & Staff Development: Erick Romero, Aberdeen Golf & Country Club, Boynton Beach, FL
- Safety Programs & Risk Management: Paul Jennette, Detroit Athletic Club, Detroit, MI
- Club Communications: Samantha Irons, Burning Tree Country Club, Nashville, TN
- Membership Development: Bri Brookins, Detroit Athletic Club, Detroit, MI
- Governance & Committee Leadership: Thomas Bartek, CCM, CCE, The Patterson Club, Shelton, CT
- Renovation Programs: Katie Bodchon, The Club at Admirals Cove, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
- Sports & Recreation: Shaneeka Moonesar, Sunningdale Country Club, Scarsdale, NY
- Fitness, Health, & Wellness: Federica Davis, Broken Sound Club, Boca Raton, FL
- Culinary & Beverage Concepts: Rylee Roberts, Field Club of Omaha, Omaha, NE
- Cost-/Time-Saving Concepts: Lexie Bado, Charlotte Country Club, Charlotte, NC
- Community Impact & Sustainability: Elizabeth Barry, CCM, Beach Point Club, Mamaroneck, NY
- Internships & Mentorships: Russell Sylte, CCM, The Santaluz Club, San Diego, CA
- AI & Innovation: Ken Kosak, Broken Sound Club, Boca Raton, FL
Overall Award Winners:
- Chair’s Award: William Borre, The Country Club at Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Colorado, in the Club Culture & Staff Development Category
- The Showstopper Award: Jennifer Gibson, Charlotte Country Club, Charlotte, North Carolina, in the Youth Programs & Events Category
- Most Innovative Award Winner: Ken Kosak, Broken Sound Club, Boca Raton, Florida, in the Safety Programs & Risk Management Category
- Ripple Award: Jessica Mascali, Manasquan River Golf Club, Brielle, New Jersey, in the Club Culture & Staff Development
Honorable Mention Recipients:
- Club Events & Experiences: John Gravett, CCM, CCE, Granite Club, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Club Culture & Staff Development: Bob Palilunas, Hillcrest Country Club, Los Angeles, CA
- Club Communications: Jessica O’Hare, Eugene Country Club, Eugene, OR
- Renovation Programs: Patrick King, CCM, CCE, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA
- Sports & Recreation: Rich Bilotti, Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, NJ
- Sports & Recreation: Collin Braun, Tiburon Peninsula Club, Tiburon, CA
- Fitness, Health, & Wellness: Elliott Freeman, Governors Club, Chapel Hill, NC
- Culinary & Beverage Concepts: Jack Gailing, Hollywood Golf Club, Deal, NJ
- Culinary & Beverage Concepts: Brandon Johnson, CCM, Farmington Country Club, Charlottesville, VA
- Cost- & Time-Saving Concepts: Allysa Bloodworth, Houston Country Club, Houston, TX
- Community Impact & Sustainability: Barrett Eiselman, Bel-Air Club, Pacific Palisades, CA
Congratulations once again to all the winners and thank you to everyone who participated in 2026 and helped to make the Idea Fair another huge success for CMAA. All entries can be accessed on CMAA’s website. Go steal an idea today!
Features
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Featured Discussion: How Does Your Club Handle Capital Dues on Member Statements? |
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Resources
Access the Fourth Edition of Contemporary Club Management
CMAA announces the release of the Fourth Edition of Contemporary Club Management, the definitive, comprehensive textbook on private club operations, covering leadership, food and beverage, golf operations, and finance.
The Fourth Edition of the textbook is being released in phases, with revised chapters replacing previous versions as they are finalized. All content aligns with CMAA certification standards, and members preparing for the Certified Club Manager (CCM) exam will be notified of any relevant updates.
To date, the following chapters are complete:
- Chapter 1: Overview of Private Clubs and Their Operations
- Chapter 2: The Board of Directors and the Chief Executive
- Chapter 6: Club Marketing
- Chapter 7: Membership Marketing
- Chapter 8: Building Human-Centered Teams in Private Clubs
- Chapter 9: Training and Professional Development in Clubs
- Chapter 10: Club Food and Beverage Operations
- Chapter 11 (Part 1): Accounting Fundamentals and Financial Operations for Club Management
- Chapter 11 (Part 2): Performance Management and Corporate Governance Principles
- Chapter 15: Golf Course Maintenance
- Chapter 16 (Part 1): Fitness, Wellness, Aquatics, Spa, and Performance Operations
- Chapter 16 (Part 2): Racquet Sports
A one-time payment of $85 provides continued access to the textbook through your online TopHat account, including automatic access to all future updates and new editions at no additional cost.
Explore the features of the online textbook by watching this brief tutorial video.
Participate: Compensation and Benefits Survey Open
The 2026 Compensation & Benefits Survey is now open. Get the data you need for informed decision making and support this important research initiative benefiting club management professionals throughout the industry. All CMAA members submitting complete data will receive:
- A complimentary copy of the 2026 Compensation & Benefits Report for their club, and
- An invitation to an in-depth webinar exploring the results (date TBA).
- Participation is mandatory for complimentary copy—the report is not for sale.
Get the resources you need to create a competitive compensation strategy for your club's team!
These 60 minutes of your time will help with advancing the private club industry. As private club professionals, we all know how important compensation and benefits data can be. The goal of the survey is to focus on gathering valuable compensation and benefits information that will help educate the private club industry. This report will help current and future private club managers navigate any discussions to help strengthen their team and support conversations regarding salary and benefits at the club.
CMAA collaborates with Club Benchmarking, a CMAA Executive Partner, to power CMAA’s annual surveys.
Please Note:
- Confidentiality of all data is guaranteed. Data will only be presented in an aggregated format.
- In addition to overseeing data gathering and analysis, Club Benchmarking is committed to providing full support for survey participants. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Data Management Team.
If you have any questions, please contact Amilcar Davy, CMAA's Director of Research, at 703-739-9500, or Bryan LaBlue, Club Benchmarking’s Senior Director of Research and Innovation, at 774-571-8427.
What Clubs Need to Know About Showing Movies and TV Shows
A family movie night by the pool. Classic films playing during junior programs. Background entertainment on screens in your clubhouse or fitness areas. These are all part of your country club environment, enhancing hospitality, adding atmosphere, and bringing something extra to your amenities.
Showing and streaming engaging TV programming and films seems like an easy way to provide members with a premium club experience. However, there are legal obligations that come with copyrighted content, and they’re not widely understood. As a result, clubs can be at risk without even realizing it.
Learn how you can save 18 percent on your annual license through the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation.
Cybersecurity Staff Training Courses on CMAA’s Club Resource Center
CMAA’s Club Resource Center (CRC) course line-up now offers five cybersecurity training courses for you and your staff. These courses 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.
Trends and News
Listen to Let’s Talk Club Management Ep. 156: Meet 2026 Chair Janine Budzius, CCM, CCE
On this episode, we are thrilled to talk to CMAA’s 2026 Chair Janine Budzius, CCM, CCE. She shares her personal journey to and through clubs, her passion for mentoring, as well as her goals for the year ahead and what’s most important to her.
