Ravenna Continues to Invest in its Most Important Asset: People -

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Ravenna Continues to Invest in its Most Important Asset: People

Ravenna Continues to Invest in its Most
Important Asset: People

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Since 2014 we’ve invested over $25 million dollars to make Ravenna the next great club and now walk shoulder-to-shoulder with elite private golf clubs in Colorado and around the nation.

As any business owner knows, their two greatest assets are reputation and people. We’ve done much to enhance Ravenna’s reputation and now we’re continuing to improve the critical component of people.

World-class golf, dining, recreation and sociability comprise the Ravenna experience, but at the end of the day we’re in the people business. The intangible interactions between our members and staff are as important as the condition of our greens, the selections of wine and the temperature of the pool.

As J.W. Marriott, Jr. said in his 1997 book The Spirit to Serve, “When employees know that their problems will be taken seriously, that their ideas and insights matter, they’re more comfortable and confident. In turn, they’re better equipped to deliver their best on the job and to the customer. Everyone wins: the company the employee and the customer.”

That’s our approach at Ravenna and why we’re so proud to tell you about our new team members in fitness, administration, food and beverage, equipment and facilities.

Fitness Director Amanda Mulkey

Captain Amanda Mulkey will be participating in Hiring our Heroes (HOH) program in partnership with Ravenna starting January 10th at La Bella Vita. She will be our new fitness director after completing her active service (and the HOH program) in the United States Marine Corps.

Capt. Mulkey graduated from the United States Naval Academy, where she was a three-sport athlete in indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and cross-country. Following her graduation and 2016 commission into the Marine Corps as an aviation supply officer, she deployed to Kuwait and commanded a marine aviation logistics squadron in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in 2018.

Capt. Mulkey is currently the testing and evaluations officer at the Marine Corps Officer candidates’ school in Quantico, Virginia.

She is a black belt in the Marine Corps

Martial Arts Program and a certified instructor Vinyasa Yoga and Yoga Sculpt.

Capt. Mulkey is in the final phases of receiving her Certified Personal Trainer certificate. The leadership skills she’s learned as a marine officer will be a great addition to Ravenna and she can’t wait to meet everyone in the new year.

Controller Mike Leapley

Mike Leapley joins our team as the new controller at Ravenna. He has more than two decades of experience as the controller at Lakewood Country Club and prior experience with large projects, like their pool and clubhouse renovation.

Mike earned his BA in business
administration from the University of Nebraska. Before working at Lakewood, he worked in healthcare as a regional operations manager at the senior living facility operator EPOCH.

In addition to Mike's experience, he brings a solid commitment to both member and employee satisfaction.

Food and Beverage Captain Aaron Lesser

Aaron Lesser is a 3rd generation Colorado native. He went to Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver and graduated from CU Boulder.

After college, Aaron entered sales, and his second job was in food and beverage for Epicurean, the largest caterer in Colorado
He served at five of the top 100 golf clubs in the country (including Whisper Rock, The
Golf Club at Castle Pines, and Colorado Golf
Club) -- fulfilling multiple food, beverage and
locker room roles.

He is a level two sommelier and prides himself on hitting the right wine for members and their guests.

Aaron believes in hospitality, and that is how he conducts himself every day. We are incredibly excited for him to join team Ravenna and look forward to his future contributions.

Food and Beverage Captain David Schubert

David Schubert has lived the hospitality industry his entire life through his family's business in Innsbruck, Austria, -- a prestigious coffee roastery that supplies upscale restaurants and

hotels.

In 2007 David earned his degree in tourism
and hospitality management at the “Villa Blanka” in Innsbruck, one of the world’s top ten schools for hospitality and tourism. Between 2008 and 2015 he worked at several high-end restaurants and establishments in Europe. In 2015 he became the bar manager at "Sitzwohl," which carries two Michelin stars, and held his position until 2018.

In 2018 he became the restaurant/bar
manager at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.

He is also a first-level certified sommelier, in
the process of obtaining his level two certification.

Sous Chef Leo Shukan

Leo’s family emigrated from Germany to Brooklyn New York in 1994 and he
graduated from The Art Institute of Colorado in 2004.

From 2009 to 2019 Leo was chef proprietor his own restaurants and catering company in Parker and Winter Park, Colorado. He
comes to Ravenna from Valley Country Club where he was sous chef in charge à la carte dining.

We look forward to his culinary talents
adding to the Ravenna dining experience.

Equipment Manager James Moore

We are pleased to welcome James Moore to Ravenna as our equipment manager. James started his career in the golf business at Ravenna in 2014 when he joined our maintenance team as an equipment operator.

Previously a service technician with General Motors, James combined his technical skills from the automotive business and his love for golf to follow a career path in golf course equipment management.

James gained valuable experience as equipment manager at Heritage Eagle Bend, The Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii and

Orlando and is now bringing his skillset back home at Ravenna.

Facilities Manager Cameron Powell

Cameron Powell is a Colorado native and is our new facilities manager. He has worked in property management as a maintenance technician and a maintenance supervisor for eight years.

Cameron has an eight-year-old son with another son on the way - due in March. He believes in improving the lives of others, adding value to anything he can, while learning new skills and how things work along
the way.

We are pleased to add his expertise and experience in keeping the facilities running
at a world-class level.

Please warmly welcome these new team members when you encounter them at the club. They will appreciate knowing that their service is valued by Ravenna’s members.

Looking Ahead

A quick glance at the headlines shows that inflation continues to surge, with the September consumer price index jumping 5.4 percent. Businesses are grappling with a constricted supply chain and labor shortage. The September figure comes on the heels of August’s 5.3 percent and 5.4 percent increases in June and July.

The core consumer price index is accelerating at the fastest rate since 1991.

Ravenna is not immune to these higher costs. We run the club as efficiently as possible while maintaining the level of service you expect and deserve as a member.

Over the past two years, we have only raised dues $20 per month, but because of these inflationary pressures, along with moving into the brand new $13.5 million dollar clubhouse, we will be raising dues in January 2022. Once we complete the budget process for next year, we will communicate the new dues structure to the membership.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, my telephone and email are available, and my door is always open.

Sincerely,

Kevin Collins
President & CEO
[email protected]
303.552.0432

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