The Ford Field & River Club is proud to announce that Club Management magazine has named General Manager Marc Ray the2021 Club Executive of the Year.
Club Management annually recognizes the best in club leadership with this prestigious award. It is presented to the club management professional who embodies professionalism within their club and community—embracing mentoring, creating a club culture that supports the staff team through ongoing educational opportunities and crisis assistance, and supporting and impacting their local community.
“To professionals in the club industry, this is the equivalent of being selected as the league MVP for the NBA or NFL,” noted Club President Jeff Fusile in an announcement to The Ford members earlier this month. “It is truly a stunning accomplishment, and we are proud to have Marc at the helm of our team.”
“I am truly humbled to have been selected by my peers in the industry for this award,” says Marc, who joined The Ford Field & River Club in 2015 and has more than 23 years of experience in the club industry. “No one does this alone, and I believe it says more about the incredible volunteer leaders who have shared their intellectual capital with me, The Ford membership and the extraordinary team members that I am privileged to work with.”
Among Marc’s many accomplishments over his six-year tenure as General Manager are his curation of numerous engaging community events (including The Ford’s beloved Homecoming festivities and new Master Chef Dinner), his proactive preparedness for emergencies such as hurricanes, as well as steadfast leadership throughout the last 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Marc’s exceptional, prompt and thoughtful guidance set our Club apart and ensured a successful operation for both members and staff,” says Fusile.
In the last three years, Marc has also coordinated The Ford’s Club and POA Boards, committees, members, developers, marketing and club professionals, and management team to focus on goals to stimulate real estate sales, strengthen The Ford’s membership base and build out its marketing program. “His efforts have produced a range of successful results,” says Fusile. “Our membership is growing, usage is at an all-time high, discovery visits will well exceed our goals and amenity revenues are positive to budgeted goals.”
“This is arguably the most exciting time ever at Ford,” says Marc. “We have embarked on a path forward with the final build-out of remaining homesites, which has already resulted in a vibrancy within the membership that is positive and palpable. Today, I am most looking forward to sharing The Ford experience with others. For too long, Ford was arguably the best kept secret in the Club world. No more. I know I mirror the membership, the community and the staff when I say that we are excited to welcome the next generation of members into our Ford family.”
Marc will be featured in the January/February 2022 issue of Club Management magazine, profiled in a forthcoming edition of the Let’s Talk Club Management Podcast and honored in person at the 2022 CMAA World Conference and Club Business Expo in San Diego, CA in February 2022.