Owner & General Manager at University Club of Durham (2010-01 – Present)
Direct all club operations across front-of-house, kitchen coordination, events, member services, facilities, and finance for a private dining institution serving Durham's civic, professional, and cultural community.
- Maintained membership engagement and brand loyalty through consistent service excellence, earning multiple "Best of Durham" recognitions from Durham Magazine readers.
- Built and managed a comprehensive wine program — curating inventory, establishing vendor relationships with importers and vintners, and positioning the club as a wine destination within the local market.
- Produce 6 wine pairing dinners annually, personally selecting wine-to-entrée pairings and collaborating directly with winemakers and importers for guest-facing programming.
- Organize and host twice-annual Wine Expos (Spring and Holiday), coordinating multi-vendor logistics, ticketing, and guest experience for signature club events.
- Oversee a seasonal menu cadence with quarterly changes in partnership with the executive chef, maintaining culinary freshness and member engagement throughout the year.
- Managed high-profile and celebrity clients with discretion and personalized care, maintaining trust and earning repeat engagements from notable figures.
- Cultivated and maintained a long-term institutional relationship with Duke University, Duke Athletics, and Duke Health, serving as a preferred dining and event destination for the Duke Hospital Integrated Practice and the broader academic and medical professional community.
- Oversaw a membership community of 300+ active dues-paying members alongside the Duke Physicians Organization (DHIP) relationship, managing the full arc of member experience from onboarding through long-term retention.
- Served as primary operational lead for on-site TV productions, live broadcast events, and commercial shoots — coordinating crew logistics, scheduling, and member experience without service disruption.
- Oversee full facility maintenance for an 11,000 sq. ft. penthouse venue; triage and resolve equipment, HVAC, and infrastructure issues in-service with minimal guest impact.
- Cultivate long-term member relationships — particularly skilled at turning a difficult moment (a service failure, a kitchen issue, an unmet expectation) into a story of care and loyalty.
- Manage all vendor relationships including food and beverage suppliers, linen, equipment rental, pest control, technology, and contract labor.
- Lead club programming calendar including themed holiday events, Derby Day parties, Oktoberfest, themed liquor events, Valentine's dinners, Holiday brunches, and charity partnerships (e.g., Cooking for Kids).
General Manager at University Club of Durham (2006-01 – 2010-01)
- Supported full-spectrum club operations, with growing ownership of front-of-house standards, event execution, and staff development.
- Developed and instituted an alcohol service training course for front of house staff: "Booze and Civilization: Beer caused it, Wine refined it, and Liquor proves it."
- Developed operational processes and service protocols adopted club-wide; served as day-to-day operational anchor during the owner's absence.
- Deepened expertise in private dining, banquet coordination, member relations, and fine dining service standards.
Server & Front-of-House Staff at University Club of Durham (2001-01 – 2006-01)
- Advanced from server to leadership roles through demonstrated reliability, hospitality instincts, and operational initiative in a high-standard private club environment.
- Served as day-to-day operational anchor during the F&B Director's absence.
Server, Bartender & Dining Room Manager at Lincolnshire Fields Country Club (1999-01 – 2001-01)
- Hired, Trained, Scheduled staff of 20 for bar and patio service, bar service, formal dining room service, and outdoor golf related events.
