About the Awards
The Excellence in Club Management® Awards was founded and established by McMahon Group and is co-sponsored by the National Club Association. It is an annual award that recognizes private club general managers and chief operating officers who have exhibited outstanding skills in managing their club.
In 2011, the Awards were named after distinguished club managers who have done so much for their clubs and profession. We thank them for lending their names and support to the program. A winner is selected in each of the following categories:
- The James H. Brewer Award
Country/Golf Club with 600 or More Full Privilege Members - The Mead Grady Award
Country/Golf Club with Under 600 Full Privilege Members - The Mel Rex Award
City/Athletic/Specialty (Non-Golf) Club - The John Furlong Award
Canadian Club Managers - The Rising Star Award
Assistant Managers
The James H. Brewer, Mead Grady, Mel Rex & John Furlong Awards
To be eligible for one of these Awards, a club manager must be nominated by another party. Each nomination must include a completed Official Nomination Form and a letter of endorsement from the current president, past president or a current board member of the club that employs that candidate. Information submitted is limited to the nine page form and the letter of endorsement.
Each candidate must be a member of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), the National Club Association (NCA), the Club Management Association of Canada (CMAC) or any international association of club managers.
Award recipients will be selected based solely on their achievements at the club they currently manage. Lifetime achievements, while worthwhile, are not the focus of these Awards.
The Rising Star Award
To be eligible for the Rising Star Award, an assistant manager must be nominated by his or her club/general manager. Each nomination must include a completed Official Nomination Form and a letter of endorsement from the club/general manager.
Award recipients will be selected based solely on their achievements at the club they currently serve.
Thank you for helping us recognize the Rising Stars in the club management profession.
Selection Process
All nominees will be notified of their nomination in writing. The winner will be determined by the Selection Committee based upon the nomination material supplied by the proposer. McMahon Group and the National Club Association are not involved in the judging and selection of the winners.
A representative from McMahon Group Magazine and the National Club Association will travel to the recipient’s club to present the Award.
Although McMahon Group is not involved in the selection of Award recipients, Alison McMahon is assisting the Selection Committee in processing the nominations. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Alison at 314.744.5040 or amcmahon@mcmahongroup.com.
James H. Brewer Award
James Brewer, MCM began his career as a club manager at the age of 23. Jim managed only five clubs over a 45-year period with his last 35 years as General Manager at The Los Angeles Country Club. He was active in the Club Managers Association of America and was Club Manager of the Year in 1991. He then achieved the Master Club Manager designation. He served as a director of the California State Club Association, the California Restaurant Association and the National Club Association. In 2011, he was recognized by USGA for his 25 years of service on the USGA Green Section Committee. “Striving for Excellence” was his motto.
Mead Grady Award
Mead Grady, CCM began his professional career as a club manager in 1952 and retired in 2008; a 56-year stint of service in club management that he revered and enjoyed. He managed clubs of various sizes in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Georgia. Mead served as an officer in the Ohio Valley, Wisconsin and Georgia Chapters. He also served twice on the CMAA Board of Directors and was CMAA President in 1989. He has been a CCM since 1965 and a member of the Honor Society since 1980. He has served on the Georgia State University Industry Board, the Club Foundation and as an Elder in the Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.
Mel Rex Award
Melvin D. Rex, CPA, CCM, ECM was the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Duquesne Club where he was employed in 1966. Mel was named Club Manager of the Year in 1994 and was a winner of the Excellence in Club Management® Awards in 2000. After his 2002 retirement, Mel worked for four years, on a part-time basis, with Citizens Bank as Senior Vice President for Business Development. He was also a consultant to the private club industry from 2002 to 2006. Mel currently serves as Chairman of the Board for St. Clair Hospital. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Aviary, where he is Immediate Past President. He is Treasurer of Distinguished Clubs of the World and also a director of the Duquesne Club Charitable Foundation.
John Furlong Award
As President and CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games, John was the leader behind the team that organized and delivered an occasion that received positive reviews the world over. Before becoming VANOC CEO, John was President and COO for the Vancouver 2010 Bid. He became the Bid’s international face and key spokesperson, tirelessly clocking over 1 million miles in his travels to promote Vancouver’s international candidacy. For his work on the Vancouver Olympics, John was named Sport BC’s Sportsman of the Decade in 2011. In 2011, The Globe and Mail and Cisco Systems named him one of the most transformational Canadians over the past quarter century. Canadian Sports Media voted John Canada’s 2010 Sport Executive of the year twice and he has received many other business leadership, tourism and sport awards for his achievements. John has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada and been awarded the Order of British Columbia.
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award is an annual award that recognizes assistant club managers who have exhibited outstanding skills in assisting their general managers.