News Feature
The Importance of Agronomy - Series 3 of 3
I hope you enjoyed reading last week’s article, “What’s Next,” co-authored by Mark Woodward and Shawn Emerson. These two gentlemen are among the best in the field of agronomy and are available to assist in your overall grounds and greens programs.

This week’s informative article, “There Just Might Be a Better Way (To get Things Done),” which is available for reading below, is co-authored by Mark and Shawn. Last week we shared a little about Mark; now please see a short background on Shawn.

Shawn Emerson has been in the golf business for over 40 years, managing golf courses in Arizona, Texas, and California. He excels at creating a team, hiring, and placing people in positions in which they can succeed but continue to grow and develop professionally. He has placed over 50 golf course superintendents and 75 assistant superintendents who have moved on to other opportunities in the golf course industry.

As a second-generation golf course superintendent, Shawn has many business contacts that span several generations and is well regarded within the industry. He is renowned not only for his expertise but also for his management skills, his ability to look outside the box, and his down-to-earth personality.

We hope that the three blog posts on agronomy were helpful to you. They can be found, along with other educational posts, on GSI’ website.
 
Thanks for being there for us.
Jay Salem
COO, Human Resource Consultant 
GSI Executive Search
972-341-8143 Office
214-533-5165 Cell
Latest Blog Post
There Just Might Be a Better Way (To Get Things Done) 
There’s an old saying you might hear lingering around your club now or then. “We’ve always done it this way” is a common phrase employees might use when they’re resistant to change, or afraid to take a risk. The job of a successful General Manager is to encourage their staff to get out of this mindset and look for ways to accomplish tasks in a more effective and efficient manner, even if means a new, creative approach. Holding onto a negative mindset can halt improvements, cost the club money, and ultimately keep the club from adapting to an ever-changing world.
 
Here are some ways to help encourage your employees:

  1. Make a Connection. Relating with your employees of all levels on a more personal scale makes them more willing to work harder for you. When they feel as though the reward is helping a friend, this could lead to more effective work.
  2. Create an Open Dialogue. Allow employees to feel comfortable coming to you with suggestions and encourage feedback without a negative reaction.
  3. Recognize a Job Well Done. When an employee goes above and beyond, or even does well on a day-to-day task, remember to recognize their good work. Employees that feel appreciated will be more willing to continue working hard.
  4. Provide Resources. Change can start with what you provide your employees to get the job done. Providing resources to make sure your employees CAN do the job to the best of their ability is critical.
  5. Lead by Example. Are you looking at improvements in innovative ways yourself? Lead by example by bringing new ideas to the table instead of only relying on managers or staff to be creative. If they see that you care as much as you would like them to, they will follow.
Mark J. Woodward CGCS, MBA
Principal, GSI Search Consultant
Head Agronomy Consultant
480-381-8831
Shawn Emerson
Agronomy Associate/Consultant
Ethos Club and Leisure
602-818-5818
Comprehensive Current Searches
July 28, 2022
At GSI Executive Search, we’re always adding new searches to our ever-expanding roster of private club clients. Please see below for the complete list of current searches. Click on candidate searches for further profile information and to apply.
General Manager/COO
Westwood Country Club
St. Louis, MO
More info to come

General Manager
Tucson Estates Property Owners Association
Tucson, AZ
More info to come

Orienta Beach Club
Mamaroneck, NY

Cedar Hammock Golf & Country Club
Naples, FL

General Manager/COO
Two Rivers Country Club
Williamsburg, VA
More Info to come

Old Baldy Club
Saratoga, WY

Kuiko Golf and Beach Club
Kailua-Kona, HI

Minnehaha Country Club
Sioux Falls, SD

Aurora Anguilla - D Richards Restaurant
Anguilla, British West Indies

Aurora Anguilla - D Richard's Restaurant
Anguilla, British West Indies

General Manager/COO
Dairymen's
Boulder Junction, WI
More Info to come

Vaquero Club
Westlake, TX

Island Country Club
Marco Island, FL

Sous Chef
Aurora Anguilla - D Richards Restaurant
Anguilla, British West Indies
More info to come
Assistant Controller
The Grove
Nashville, TN
More Info to come

The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch
Boerne, TX

Westlake Village, CA

Echo Lake Country Club
Westfield, NJ

Silo Ridge Field Club
Amenia, NY

St. Anthony Hall at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

The Nassau Club of Princeton
Princeton, NJ

The Club at Olde Stone
Bowling Green, KY

Milwaukee Yacht Club
Milwaukee, WI

Corpus Christi Country Club
Corpus Christi, TX

Fairlawn Country Club
Akron, OH

San Joaquin Country Club
Fresno, CA

Coleman Lake Club
Goodman, WI  

Seattle Yacht Club
Seattle, WA
Interested in placing a candidate search with GSI?
Contact one of our search consultants.
Scott McNett
Senior Principal
314-854-1321
Midwest United States
Ned Welc, CCM, CCE
Principal
440-796-7922
Florida / Ohio
Southeast United States
Terry Anglin, CCM, CCE, ECM
Principal
901-550-9338
West / Southwest United States
David J. Robinson, CCM
Principal
808-829-2508
Northern California / Hawaii
Northwest United States
Manny Gugliuzza, CCM, CCE
Principal
732-618-8665
Northeast United States
Richard A. Lareau, CCM, CCE, ECM
Principal
713-557-4287
Texas / Oklahoma / Kansas / Gulf States
Andrew Minnelli, USPTA, PTR, USRSA
Associate
310-740-4488
Racquet Sports / United States
Mark J. Woodward, CGCS, MBA
Principal
Head Agronomy Consultant
480-381-8831
Shawn Emerson
Agronomy Consultant
602-818-5818
Management Team
Bob Jones
President
972-341-8133 Office
Jay Salem
Chief Operating Officer
Human Resource Consultant 
972-341-8143 Office
214-533-5165 Cell
About GSI Executive Search:  

GSI Executive Search, an Ethos Club & Leisure Alliance company, is a full-service executive search firm serving the private club and hospitality industries throughout the U.S. The firm's hands-on, thorough, and results-oriented approach has led to successful placements for over 25+ years with more than 500 client clubs/organizations and over 900 search assignments.