Leadership Lens

ABOUT RACHELRachel Leatherwood, MCMP, is member services director at River Crest Country Club in Fort Worth, TX, a BoardRoom Distinguished Club with EXCEPTIONAL status. Since 2013, she has led membership growth, onboarding, communications, engagement and member relations.Rachel began in hospitality at 15 in an old-fashioned soda fountain and grill. Her career later included public golf, restaurants, catering, event sales and private club membership roles, including the Tower Club of Dallas and Lone Star Park.She holds the Master Certified Marketing Professional designation from the Professional Club Marketing Association. In 2026, she presented at the CMAA World Conference on waitlist strategy, ethics and revenue, helped River Crest host the first PCMA Texas Symposium and launched the 2026 Private Club Pre-Membership Experience Study, examining the period from a prospect’s first inquiry to first day as a member.EPISODE HIGHLIGHRachel joins Leadership Lens to discuss trust, identity and the changing role of membership leadership.After arriving at River Crest from corporate clubs where golf was often the primary reason to join, she discovered something different: many members joined because family and friends were already there and because the club had become part of who they were.That realization changed how she viewed membership. Her responsibility became less about completing transactions and more about protecting the outcome. If something is technically correct but does not feel like River Crest, she preserves the intent while reshaping the execution. If a question belongs to another expert, she routes it there.Personalization is central to that work. At River Crest, where Rachel estimates at least half the membership has some family legacy, a lifelong member may need a very different onboarding experience from a newcomer. The club offers an email campaign and optional departmental experiences, allowing members to engage at their own pace.Rachel’s belief in recognition began at 15, when soda fountain regulars arrived after church, sat at the same table and ordered the same things each Sunday. Greeting them by name and having their drinks ready taught her they were not simply buying breakfast. For that hour, they belonged. A later public golf job reinforced the lesson when employees learned to recognize a golfer’s car and bring a cart before being asked.Those experiences shaped her belief that people remember how they were made to feel. Clubs cannot onboard members into the club’s version of what membership should mean. Leaders have to listen, observe and understand what belonging looks like for each person.Onboarding also belongs to the whole leadership team. When department heads participate in introductions and small gestures, new members connect with the people who will shape their experience while leaders share ownership of the welcome.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS CONVERSATIONThe conversation returns to one essential idea: trust. When members trust the process, leadership, employees and culture, the club becomes more than a place where they pay dues. It becomes part of their identity and a community they choose to carry forward.You’ll hear:Why membership is identity, not simply a transactionHow “protecting the outcome” shapes membership decisionsWhy onboarding should reflect the individualHow legacy and first-generation members may need different introductionsWhy recognition creates trustHow behavior can reveal what belonging means to a memberWhy department heads should share ownership of onboardingHow family legacy shapes the member experienceWhy membership leaders must separate loud urgency from true importanceRachel’s central lesson is simple: People want to be known. When clubs honor each person’s version of belonging and earn trust consistently, membership becomes part of a family’s story rather than another transaction.

ABOUT COLINColin Read is co-founder and CEO of Whoosh, a golf operations software company helping private clubs and golf facilities coordinate staff, connect systems and deliver personalized member experiences. He is also co-founder of Golfery of Marin, an indoor golf lounge and co-working concept in San Rafael, California.A serial entrepreneur across automotive, hospitality and telecommunications technology, Colin has founded four companies and completed three successful exits, including an IPO. Early in his career, he co-founded ECOtality with his father and helped build the Blink electric vehicle charging network.He later joined the founding team at Reserve, a fine dining technology company that merged with Resy. That experience reinforced his belief that technology should support staff coordination while remaining invisible to the guest. Golf has been central to his life since childhood. He captained the Claremont McKenna College men’s golf team and earned two Academic All-America honors.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTIn this conversation, Colin explores the relationship among technology, hospitality, leadership and belonging. He begins with the experience that shaped his entrepreneurial foundation: building ECOtality with his father after college and scaling the company from two employees to more than 200 in 18 months.Working with his father gave Colin a lifelong mentor in partnerships, financing and deal structure. It also taught him to learn from both an organization’s strengths and its softer spots. As his career evolved, he became increasingly intentional about culture, values and mission.His work with Reserve and Resy shaped his view of private club hospitality. In a well-run dining room, the guest sees a seamless experience, not the systems behind it. Colin believes club technology should work the same way, helping staff recognize members, anticipate needs and deliver personal service without making technology the center of the interaction.He also offers a practical view of AI. Connected systems can reduce duplicate work, bring fragmented data together and help staff identify changes in member behavior, anticipate staffing needs and create personalized “magic moments.” The goal is not to replace employees, but to give them better information and more time with members.The conversation turns to confidence, conviction and culture. After declining an early CEO opportunity because he did not feel ready, Colin pursued additional technical education and an MBA. He learned that leaders must define where the organization is going and create values employees can use every day.For leaders entering an established club, Colin recommends spending the first 60 to 100 days looking, listening and observing. Leaders should build evidence, align their teams, start with low-effort, high-impact improvements and understand why each change succeeds or fails.Colin closes by returning to golf as a source of identity, connection and community. He believes clubs should make decisions with future generations in mind while using technology to strengthen, not replace, the relationships that make clubs feel like home.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS CONVERSATIONHow building ECOtality with his father shaped Colin’s leadershipWhy mentorship, confidence and conviction matter during rapid growthHow technology can work quietly behind the member experienceHow connected data can help staff personalize serviceWhere AI can support operations without replacing hospitalityWhy reducing manual work gives employees more time with membersHow leaders can intentionally build culture and guide changeWhy new leaders should spend their first 60 to 100 days observingHow golf creates connection across generationsWhy clubs should make long-term decisions with future members in mindColin returns throughout the episode to one idea: technology should give people more time, information and confidence to build stronger relationships.

ABOUT JOHNJohn Wilkening, CCM, CCE, is GM/COO of North Hills Club in Raleigh, NC, a BoardRoom Distinguished Club with ELITE status. During his tenure, the club and its team have earned national recognition for strategic planning, renovation, programming and racquet facilities.John has spent nearly 30 years in the resort and private club industry. He began as a busboy at 15 and worked his way through food and beverage, clubhouse, lodge and multisite management roles before joining North Hills Club.He holds the Certified Club Manager and Certified Chief Executive designations from CMAA and serves on the Distinguished Clubs Standard Advisory Committee.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTIn this conversation, John explores the people-first philosophy that has shaped his career and the culture at North Hills Club.He shares how three mentors influenced his approach to hospitality, operations and leadership, and why he believes great clubs are built by great people. For John, technical skills can be taught. Attitude, energy and a desire to help others succeed are what matter most.His leadership approach combines support with accountability. Employees are responsible for their own success, but they do not have to pursue it alone. John focuses on removing roadblocks, asking questions and giving people the confidence to find their own answers.He also shares the story of an executive chef who was given the trust and freedom to lead, ultimately becoming assistant general manager and mentoring his successor. The experience reinforced John’s belief that development requires time, consistency and genuine investment in people.John reflects on his own progression from management to leadership and the lesson he would give emerging professionals: Manage things, lead people. As leaders advance, success becomes less about what they can personally accomplish and more about what they can help others achieve.At North Hills Club, that same philosophy shapes the member experience. Every investment should give people a reason to join, stay or bring their friends. John and his team rely not only on surveys, but on visibility, conversation and utilization to understand what members value.The episode closes with John’s belief that private clubs should create welcoming spaces where people can build relationships, spend time with family and friends and feel they belong.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN• Why great clubs are built by great people• How mentors shaped John’s leadership philosophy• Why attitude matters in hiring• How leaders can remove roadblocks without removing ownership• Why employee development requires time and trust• How to transition from managing things to leading people• Why member utilization can reveal more than survey scores• How belonging and connection become part of club strategy

ABOUT LINDSAYLindsay Pizarro, CCM, CCE, is managing director of The Golden State Chapter of the Club Management Association of America. She brings more than two decades of experience in private club operations and association leadership across city, yacht and country clubs throughout California.Lindsay began as a student intern in San Francisco and built her leadership foundation at the Bohemian Club, St. Francis Yacht Club and Burlingame Country Club. She later served in GM roles at Newport Harbor Yacht Club, The Country Club of Rancho Bernardo and California Yacht Club. She also spent nine years on The Golden State Chapter board, including service as chapter president.Known for her energy, optimism and ability to connect people, Lindsay leads through gratitude, possibility and growth. Today, she strengthens education, mentorship, professional development and connection across the chapter. Away from work, she is devoted to her daughters, family and the daily practice of choosing joy.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTLindsay reflects on the experiences that shaped her leadership.The Bohemian Club taught her not to be star-struck and to treat every person with equal respect. St. Francis Yacht Club taught her resilience, whether she was carrying a keg during Big Boat Series or responding when a sea lion washed ashore during family brunch. The lesson was clear: No job is beneath a leader, and sometimes leadership means taking a breath before returning to care for the team and members.Lindsay credits mentors who recognized her potential before she saw it herself. Their encouragement shaped her commitment to answering the phone, making introductions and connecting professionals with the resources they need.The conversation becomes deeply personal as Lindsay discusses losing her husband and raising two young daughters. That loss changed her understanding of urgency, empathy and what constitutes a genuine crisis. When the demands of her GM role began affecting her family, moving closer to her parents and sister became an act of leadership at home.Lindsay is equally candid about becoming a GM at 35, then discovering that experience and wisdom are not the same. While leading a centennial celebration and major clubhouse rebuild from temporary facilities, she was let go. The setback taught her humility and the importance of seeking help before isolation turns a challenge into a crisis.Through The Golden State Chapter, Lindsay now creates the professional community she once needed. She remembers people, makes intentional introductions and helps newcomers feel welcomed.Across city, golf and yacht clubs, Lindsay has learned that the activity bringing people through the door may differ, but the deeper need is the same. Facilities and food support the experience. Feeling seen, valued and connected creates the community.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS CONVERSATION• How family, faith and hard work established Lindsay’s leadership values• Why optimism becomes stronger when balanced with realism• How experience helps leaders distinguish genuine crises from everyday problems• Why leaders must be willing to work alongside their teams• How mentors can recognize potential at pivotal moments• Why vulnerability strengthens empathy and connection• How profound loss reshaped Lindsay’s leadership perspective• What becoming a GM at 35 taught her about experience and wisdom• How asking for help can turn isolation into ideas and hope• Why intentional introductions create belonging• Why clubs ultimately exist to help people feel seen and valuedThroughout the episode, Lindsay returns to connection as both a leadership practice and the deeper purpose of clubs. When leaders answer the phone, share resources and remember people’s stories, they build communities capable of holding both celebration and loss.

ABOUT CHRISChris Gale, DCA, is director of racquets at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas, TX, and vice president of The Directors Club of America. With more than 25 years of private club experience, he has led racquets programs at clubs across California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Texas, including River OaksCountry Club and Duxbury Yacht Club.Known for staff development, program revitalization and member-focused leadership, Chris brings a broad operational perspective to a role that has expanded far beyond the traditional director of tennis position. Through The Directors Club of America, Chris also helps create stronger professional networks and career pathways for current and future racquets leaders. He views the organization as a family of professionals who share ideas openly, learn from one another and work collectively to strengthen the futureof racquets leadership in member-owned private clubs.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTChris traces a leadership journey that began at 21, when he was jobless, homeless and down to $2.84. Rather than return toAustralia, he borrowed a telephone and the Yellow Pages, called country clubs across the California desert and found the opportunity that launched his career as a director.That early experience still grounds his leadership in gratitude, humility and determination. Chris explains that the modern director of racquets is no longer responsible only for teaching, programming and visibility. The position increasingly resembles a CEO role, requiring financial and business acumen, human resources knowledge, capital planning and the ability to leadprofessionals across tennis, pickleball, platform tennis, padel and other emerging sports.For Chris, however, operational sophistication must always serve the member experience. At Bent Tree, golf may initially attract a family to the club, but Chris shares the example of Instant Racquets, a six-week introduction to tennis and pickleball designed to remove the intimidation new players often feel. Participants begin together, develop skills together and frequently continue as league teams and friendship groups. What starts as instruction becomes a community within the community.The conversation also explores leading change with patience, communication and performance. Members may want immediate transformation, but leaders must explain the destination, the pathway and the time required to get there. Vision only has value when a united team follows it with action.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS CONVERSATIONIn this wide-ranging conversation, Chris shares lessons from more than 25 years of racquets leadership, program development and private club hospitality. You’ll hear:How resilience and a willingness to ask for an opportunity launched Chris’s leadership career at age 21Why gratitude continues to shape the way he leads three decades later How organic mentorship can develop both technical expertise and people leadershipWhy the director of racquets role increasingly requires the mindset and acumen of a CEOWhy emerging racquet sports can introduce new players to tennis rather than compete with itWhy every member deserves programming, from highly competitive players to complete beginnersWhy a positive staff culture directly shapes participation, engagement and the member experienceHow The Directors Club of America supports networking, shared learning and stronger career pathwaysWhy asking for help is professional growth rather than a loss of prideThroughout the episode, Chris connects strategy and culture to a simple leadership standard: People should want to be there. When a team is aligned, professionals feel ownership and members experience genuine warmth at every touchpoint, racquets becomes more than a collection of courts and programs. It becomes one of the places where a private club’s sense of family is most visibly brought to life.