JWU Students Excel in Club Management Association of America

Author Miranda Hasani '25 is a Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management major and works as a student assistant at JWU, contributing to JWU News. 

JWU’s College of Hospitality Management excels in providing students with the ability to get involved in the industry while they are working towards their degrees. One of the ways that students can do this is by joining national organizations or clubs, which provide meaningful experiences and opportunities for them to build skills in the career paths they are pursuing.

The Club Management Association of America (CMAA) is a perfect example. This national association for hospitality professionals in club management gets students involved in learning about industry and job opportunities through student-led chapters at colleges and universities.

The goal of the CMAA student chapters is to build relationships with private club managers, as well as build educational backgrounds. Both the Charlotte and Providence Campuses host chapters of CMAA. These students participate in professional development and networking activities like attending industry conferences, workshops and speaker panels. They also visit private clubs to gain firsthand experience and to engage in mentorship programs with club managers.

Recently, both JWU chapters had the opportunity to attend the 2025 CMAA World Conference in Tampa, Florida. The five-day conference included speaker panels, educational workshops and activities, an industry expo and an Idea Fair competition between chapters.

To finance the trip, each chapter fundraises on campus, receives funds from the Student Government Association (SGA), gets support from other regional CMAA chapters and applies for CMAA grants each year. All of these collective efforts helped bring JWU students to the World Conference this year, where both chapters achieved some amazing accomplishments.

Charlotte CMAA Wins Big at World Conference

The JWU Charlotte CMAA chapter gave an excellent performance at the conference. Sija Headrick ’25 and Ariana Adolph ’28 secured first place in the Student Idea Fair, winning in the Membership Growth & Retention Strategies and Creative Fundraising Initiative categories. Additionally, Jacqueline Cardenas Barrera ’26 won the Best in Show award.

For Sija, a Food & Beverage Industry Management major, it was her second time attending the conference, and she was thrilled to win at the Idea Fair. Sija’s idea was a Charlotte CMAA Student Passport, where students gain “stamps” for every chapter event they participate in. The stamps make them eligible for rewards such as merchandise or even a scholarship covering the cost to attend the CMAA World Conference. The goal is to grow interest in membership and retain new members.

These kinds of opportunities are the reason she joined CMAA. “What drew me into CMAA was the personal relationships, networks and opportunities that CMAA provided,” Sija said. “This eventually led me to be able to get an internship at Ballantine Country Club here in Charlotte.”

Fellow winner Ariana agrees that CMAA offers so many opportunities. The Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management (SEEM) major learned about CMAA as a first-year student. “I knew that joining CMAA would not only help me build my résumé but also allow me to be part of a like-minded community that shares my passion,” said Ariana.

She serves as the treasurer of the Charlotte Campus student chapter, which includes managing budgets, submitting allocation forms to secure funding and coordinating fundraising initiatives. One of the chapter’s recent fundraising efforts involved collaborating with alumni John Williams ’12 and Matt Williams ’12, owners of Rico’s Açai, to organize an event that helped sustain the chapter’s activities and future conference opportunities. “Through these efforts, we raised funds that supported our attendance at industry events, and the special açai bowl we created for the event — featuring university colors — became a hit on campus, with a percentage of sales going directly to the chapter’s funding,” said Ariana. Ariana presented the event as her idea at the fair, winning in the Creative Fundraising Initiative category.

Jacqueline Cardena Barrera was also recognized during the awards ceremony. The Hospitality Management major’s idea took home Best in Show, which included a $1,000 award for the chapter. Her idea included charging community members $30-$40 to utilize JWU’s student sections at Truist Field and Bank of America Stadium parking lots during games to raise funds for the CMAA chapter and connect with the community.

The entire chapter helped prepare the presentations to showcase problem-solving skills and understanding of student chapter operations. The ideas analyzed real-world challenges faced by student chapters and proposed innovative solutions that could be implemented on a larger scale. “It was such a rewarding experience to see our efforts recognized,” says Ariana.

CMAA Charlotte Chapter
The chapter’s faculty advisor, Dr. Piyavan Sukalakamala (known as “Dr. P” to her students) takes CMAA students to the World Conference annually — this year she earned first place in the Faculty Idea Fair for the Advocacy for Club Management Careers category. “We competed against students and faculty from universities across the country, and it is with great pride that we were able to bring home these awards and represent the JWU Charlotte campus,” said Dr. P. Her “Shadow a Club Pro Days” idea would allow students to shadow several private club professionals in their roles, which are chosen based on the students' interests.

As faculty advisor to CMAA, Dr. P dedicates her time to supporting her students both personally and professionally. She acts as a liaison between private club managers and students, leveraging her industry connections to bring in guest speakers and organize club tours for her students.

She enjoys working with CMAA and teaching students about this area of the hospitality industry. “Many students initially overlook the private club sector, believing it may be distant or inaccessible, but this industry offers immense potential and exciting career paths for those who choose to pursue it,” she shared. “My goal is to break down those barriers and open doors for our students to explore the vast opportunities available in private clubs.”

Providence CMAA Wins Student Chapter of the Year

The JWU Providence CMAA Chapter also attended the conference and won Student Chapter of the Year, a designation that highlights the top chapter in the U.S for their outstanding participation and accomplishments throughout the year. CMAA student president Kassidy MacDonald ’25 also won the Perdue National Scholarship from the Club Foundation, a CMAA foundation that raises funds to support the professional development of members. This scholarship requires an application that includes an essay, recommendations, transcripts and a résumé. It is awarded to a current CMAA member who wishes to pursue a managerial career in the private club industry.

Through her time spent with CMAA, the networks she has built and the programming that she attended, Kassidy is already finding success within the private club sector. The Hospitality Management major completed internships at the Concord Country Club in Concord, Massachusetts, and the Chevy Chase Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She is currently interning at the Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington, Rhode Island.

As she approaches graduation, Kassidy reflected on her time at JWU and with the CMAA. One highlight was hosting a Woman in Management panel featuring eight private club professionals as panelists. She also put a lot of work into organizing an annual fundraising dinner where chapter members have the opportunity to network with over 60 managers and learn about new job opportunities.

CMAA Providence Chapter
There are over 300 JWU alumni working in the private club sector across the country who are extremely supportive of the student chapter. They make many donations throughout the year that help get students to regional conferences and the World Conference. “We pay some money out of pocket, but that's based on each conference and where we are financially. We try to keep the cost as low as possible for as many students to take as we can,” says Kassidy.

Kassidy also noted that Providence’s CMAA’s faculty advisor, Dr. Matthew Samel, has been key to the chapter’s success. “Dr. Samel has so many resources with the managers in the region and is always so supportive and willing to do anything. He's the first one to help you with anything, and we wouldn't be able to do all the things we did without his support,” she said.

Dr. Samel has been the faculty adviser of the chapter for 11 years and has embedded his own experiences as a private club manager in his guidance. He arranges workshops, fundraisers, guest speakers, and tours of private clubs. He also uses his industry network to help students find job opportunities.

How to Join CMAA

All students are welcome to participate in CMAA, regardless of their major. The Exploring the Private Club Industry course is also open to all majors as an elective class with no prerequisite. The class runs in the fall semester in person and online.

To become a member of the CMAA at the national level, students must pay $25 in annual dues.

Charlotte Campus students can reach out to the student chapter on the Involvement Network or email Dr. P. Providence Campus students can also reach out to the student chapter on the Involvement Network or email Dr. Samel.