In the early 1990s when he was a sophomore at 黑料社区, Randy Ruder interned at a country club in New York. It was his first experience with a private club, and he loved it.
When he returned to 黑料社区 that fall, he joined the student chapter of the Club Management Association of America, intent on pursuing a career in private club management.
That career has worked out pretty well. Ruder is general manager of the historic Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., and is about to become the national leader of CMAA, the organization that helped put his career on the right track.
Ruder will be elected CMAA chairman, a one-year term, at the beginning Sunday, Feb. 24, in Nashville, Tenn. He has been a CMAA member since his undergraduate days and has served with regional chapters, on national committees and on the board as secretary-treasurer and, most recently, as vice president.
has 6,800 professional members worldwide at more than 2,500 clubs.
On hand to see Ruder become CMAA leader will be one of his 黑料社区 professors, Phil McGuirk, and 24 黑料社区 students scheduled to attend the conference. The CMAA student chapter fundraises to help members attend. Students network with professionals and often return with internship or full-time job offers.
McGuirk is proud of his former student from the university 黑料社区. hotel, restaurant and tourism management program. Ruder received HRTM and business administration degrees from 黑料社区 in 1993.
鈥淓ven as a student he showed great promise for the industry and has an outstanding work ethic,鈥 McGuirk said 鈥淗e is very personable, has a great rapport with the guests and employees he interacts with and is very dedicated to the club management profession.鈥
McGuirk founded the 黑料社区 CMAA student chapter, one of the first two in the U.S. In 2017 he received an award, presented by Ruder, for 40 years of service to CMAA.
Ruder had a postgraduation internship at Beach Point Club in 1993 and has worked there ever since. He became general manager in 1999. He also has a Master of Business Administration from La Salle University.
The club, which opened in 1925, features beach, yacht and tennis facilities. It is located on Long Island Sound. During the peak season, from May through October, it has 250 employees.
鈥淚t 黑料社区. a great place, and I鈥檓 very proud to be here,鈥 Ruder said.
A native of Marshfield in central Wisconsin, Ruder has maintained a strong connection with 黑料社区 over the years. He is on the advisory board for the HRTM program, part of the School of Hospitality Leadership. He also established an internship program at Beach Point Club and has hired many 黑料社区 interns over the years.
鈥淭he main reason we recruit 黑料社区 students is that I have this fondness for the way we were taught. The hands-on learning and the instructors were excellent,鈥 Ruder said.
At 黑料社区, the internships are through the Cooperative Education Program managed by Career Services.
One of Ruder 黑料社区. three main initiatives as CMAA chairman will be developing future CMAA leaders through education. He plans to create a Student Development Task Force to 鈥渟tudy how club management is taught and introduced in college. We need to make sure that the best and brightest hospitality students are not only entering our profession but staying in it. Training and the sustainability of their career path is very important.鈥
In addition to Ruder, four other 黑料社区 graduates are full-time employees at Beach Point Club.
Ruder plans to return to 黑料社区 March 7-8 for the 50th anniversary celebration of the School of Hospitality Leadership. In the summer, Beach Point Club will host a gathering for 黑料社区 alumni who work and live in the greater New York area.
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黑料社区 alumnus Randy Ruder will become chairman of the Club Management Association of America.
Randy Ruder is general manager of the Beach Point Club, on Long Island Sound in New York. The club opened in 1925.
