Michael Leemhuis is an experienced professional and a decorated club operator. He joined ClubWorks as the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer in July 2022. During his career, Michael has successfully managed some of the largest and most recognized private clubs in America. 

Before joining ClubWorks, Michael spent four years as the President of Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL, one of the largest clubs in the world. While there, he successfully elevated the member experience. He managed more than $25 million in new capital investment and a $110 million club operation which included a hotel, airport, marina and 17 food and beverage outlets. 

Michael was recruited to Ocean Reef Club from Congressional Country Club, where he successfully managed a $35–million–a–year operation for 16 years as the CEO.  

Michael’s leadership guided both Congressional Country Club and Ocean Reef Club to the #1 and #2 spots, respectively, in the Platinum Clubs of America ranking and into the top 100 of Platinum Clubs in the world.

Michael is a certified PGA of America Professional and PGA of South Africa Master Professional. He is also a Certified Club Manager and Certified Club Executive through the Club Management Association of America where he also served as the association’s president.

In 2011, Michael was recognized as the CMAA Club Manager of the Year and in 2013 he was presented the Boardroom Magazine Leadership Award. In 2019, Michael was recognized by CMAA as one of the 10 CMAA “Fellows” in their inaugural class. Those selected as a “CMAA Fellow” are recognized as highly engaged individuals for their contributions to the profession and are called to continued service as mentors, facilitators, thought leaders, and champions within the club community. 

As an avid athlete, Michael has completed the grueling Hawaii Ironman Triathlon twice. Not to mention, numerous other ultra-triathlons, two ultra-marathons, and 40 marathons. In his free time, Michael also enjoys fishing, photography, traveling, reading, and a good glass of wine. He shares his passions with his wife Dale and their two sons. 

Judd combines his love for design and passion for the restaurant business by applying his creative genius to countless restaurant projects. He’s known for merging a mixture of new and classic materials to deliver imaginative design solutions that excite his clients.

In his professional life, Judd finds satisfaction in making clients through creative, yet effective, design. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Arizona State University and A.S.I.D. NCIDQ IIDA professional affiliations.

Judd balances his profession by dedicating time to his family and church. His grandchildren are the light his life and help inspire his favorite hobbies, including worldwide travel, landscape and event design, and enjoying football. 

In addition to his role as CEO, Brian serves as the Director of Hospitality Design. He has a reputation for the design and management of complex projects that require the coordination of many consultants and government agency approvals.  

Brian handles programming, initial master planning, approvals, design, and oversight of new facilities, major remodels, and replacement clubhouses for the firm’s developer, municipal, and member-owned clubs.  

An avid golfer, Brian is passionate about planning and designing golf club facilities that are functional, attractive, unique, and memorable. In fact, he’s led the Peacock + Lewis team in the creation of notable clubhouses and club amenity projects worldwide.  

With more than 30 years of architectural experience and operational knowledge of clubs, Brians serves as a guest lecturer on clubhouse design and renovation for the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), Club Spa Fitness Association (CSFA), and National Club Strategies Summit.  

He has also written a chapter on Clubhouse Master Planning for the National Golf Foundation’s Managers’ Handbook, a case study for the Club Managers Association of America “Club Facilities and Amenities Series,” and articles on the Master Planning Process for Boardroom and Club Management magazines. 

Based in the firm’s Toronto office since joining GGA in 2008, Derek has had the privilege of helping hundreds of GGA clients across North America and around the world develop and implement a game plan for success with their golf and club related business assets. Derek is known for his ability to find innovative and strategic solutions to clients’ needs.

GGA clients benefit from Derek’s expertise in: strategic planning, corporate governance, project management, market analysis, pricing strategy, marketing tactics, financial analysis, complex modelling, feasibility studies and business valuations, operational and performance analysis, professional information systems, business process engineering, and organizational risk management.

Prior to joining GGA, Derek gained two years of valuable experience with a global technology firm managing their business solutions division. In this role, Derek was responsible for consulting with owners and operators of golf clubs to develop business requirements for golf operations and accounting software.

Derek is an avid golfer, hockey player and skier and thoroughly enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures the world-over.

As the Managing Partner, Dale handles overseeing all aspects of operations. This includes sourcing and executing new transactions. Plus, the management and value creation efforts within Tidewater’s investments.  

Prior to joining Tidewater Capital Group, Dale served in various operating partner roles for Palm Beach Capital. This was after he moved to Florida from New York where he was a Vice President at Medley Capital.  

Dale graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and is a CFA charter holder. 

Shaun has nearly twenty years of private equity as well as mergers and acquisitions experience. Since co-founding Palm Beach Capital, he’s been involved in the fundraising, investment, and portfolio management processes.  

Shaun has led many successful investments at the firm and has extensive experience working with middle market companies primarily in the healthcare, logistics, and business service sectors.  

Prior to Palm Beach Capital, Shaun served as Vice President of Finance at Workflow Management (Nasdaq: WORK) where he oversaw acquisitions. In just three years, the company grew from $330 million to $650 million in revenues through the completion of more than 30 acquisitions. 

Shaun is a board member of several of Palm Beach Capital portfolio companies. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from James Madison University and an MBA at University of Richmond.  

Craig Johnston is a Partner based in the firm’s Toronto office and is the Head of GGA’s Transaction Advisory practice. Craig specializes in the development of informed and goal-oriented business strategies that help GGA clients achieve specific operating and investment objectives.

Craig is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) who brings a deep understanding of complex finance and accounting to every assignment. Craig’s knowledge and experience helps GGA clients to maximize both short and long-term profit. GGA clients benefit from Craig’s knowledge in financing, business valuations, financial analysis, market assessment, corporate governance and business strategy.

Craig was most recently an Associate Director in Scotia Capital’s Equity Research Division, where he was a ranked analyst in his sector. Craig’s research team, which utilized in-depth, bottom-up financial analysis, was ranked #1 by Greenwich Associates from 2015 to 2017 in the small/mid-cap gold and precious minerals sector. Craig was also recognized in 2016 by Thomson Reuters as the #1 earnings estimator in his sector.

Craig grew up with the game of golf, worked at a golf course in his youth and interned at GGA while in University. Craig remains an avid golfer and hockey player.