REUNION, Fla., July 20, 2006 – Ginn Sports Entertainment President and Chief Operating Officer Kent Atherton announced today that Jerry Thompson was named Senior Vice President of Tournament Operations and Mel Meineke was appointed Senior Vice President of Sponsorship and Business Development.
The appointments are the first since Ginn Clubs & Resorts President Bobby Ginn announced the formation of Ginn Sports Entertainment LLC (GSE) and appointed veteran sports marketing executive Atherton to oversee the new division.
"The goal of Ginn Sports Entertainment is to build a world class portfolio of professional golf tournaments and sports entertainment, consistent with the high standards that Bobby Ginn has established for residents and members of his resort communities," Atherton said. "This goal can only be realized with a world class management team and Jerry and Mel provide us with a tremendous foundation to help ensure our ultimate success."
Thompson will oversee operations and management of the three professional tournaments Ginn Clubs & Resorts sponsors – the popular LPGA Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open at Reunion, Fla., the inaugural Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika Sorenstam at RiverTowne CC in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., and the inaugural Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast, Fla., which will make its Champions Tour debut in 2007.
Previously, Thompson served as vice president of golf operations for Ginn Clubs & Resorts, where he managed the day-to-day operations of Ginn courses around the country.
He joined Ginn Clubs & Resorts in 2000 as general manager of the RiverTowne Country Club outside Charleston, S.C. Thompson owns the prestigious Master Professional title with the PGA of America, one of only 157 PGA of America professionals in the country earning that distinction, and is a member of the PGA of America’s National Rules Committee.
"Ginn Sports Entertainment will certainly benefit from Jerry’s years of experience managing large scale golf events," Atherton said. "Ginn Sports Entertainment is incredibly fortunate to have someone with his overall knowledge providing operations expertise across all our tournaments."
With 25 years of top-level experience in marketing, Meineke joins the Ginn Sports Entertainment team after successfully serving as vice president of corporate marketing at Hughes Supply, a $5.4 billion Fortune 500 wholesale company. There, Meineke dutifully created and executed activities in marketing, advertising, sales promotions and new business development, and was instrumental in developing branding initiatives through the Tavistock Cup and PGA Tour player sponsorship.
Sixteen golf courses have either been constructed or are in development and Ginn’s course architects are a Who’s Who in the world of golf—Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Tom Watson and Tom Kite all have either designed or are designing courses on Ginn’s resort properties.
Watson and Palmer were the architects on the composite course used for the inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open at the Reunion Resort & Club in central Florida, which drew rave reviews before, during and after its late April 2006 debut. A field featuring 49 of the top 50 LPGA players playing a course in immaculate condition gave the inaugural event the feel of a major championship. First-class hospitality and a concert lineup featuring the likes of the Pointer Sisters, Brooks & Dunn and Tower of Power added to the ambiance of the tournament.
It was one of the richest events on the LPGA Tour and will serve as the template that GSE will utilize to build upon in creating its portfolio of showcase events.
About Ginn Clubs & Resorts
Ginn Clubs & Resorts is a privately-held resort development and management firm which specializes in exclusive leisure lifestyle and vacation destination communities across the U.S. From private residential communities to resort destinations offering unparalleled ownership and vacation opportunities, the common denominator throughout every Ginn Club & Resort is service. The company’s principals have more than three decades of experience in creating extraordinary large-scale, recreation-oriented communities. Current Ginn Clubs & Resorts communities include Cobblestone Park in Columbia, S.C. as well as Belvidere Club & Resort, which encompasses RiverTowne Country Club, The Cottages on Charleston Harbor and Patriot’s Point Golf Course in the Charleston area. The company also owns and operates Hammock Beach, The Conservatory at Hammock Beach and Yacht Harbor Village near St. Augustine, Fla., Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando, Bella Collina north of Orlando and Tesoro and Tesoro Preserve in Port St. Lucie on Florida’s historic "Treasure Coast." The company also owns and operates Mahogany Run Golf Course in St. Thomas and has several projects under development in North Carolina, Vermont, Colorado and in the Bahamas. www.ginnclubsandresorts.com
Contact:
Ryan Julison
Ginn Clubs & Resorts
321-939-4705
Steve Brener
Brener Zwikel & Associates
818-344-6195 ext. 103
