Management Team

Thomas is well respected in the golf industry when in 2003, he designed a program for the then fledgling airline, JetBlue Airway’s to market their brand to the private club industry & premier resort properties. Thomas was able to forge lasting relationships with some of the country’s most prestigious private clubs & industry leaders.

Thomas served honorably in the US Marine Corps & had a 20 year career as a New York Air Traffic Controller. 

CEO of PKL Golf Management and Club Services

Paul Levy served as President of the PGA of America 2016-2018.  Previously, he served two-year terms each as PGA Vice President and PGA Secretary. 

Paul was President of Club Operations and Development for Sunrise Company, where he served for over 18 years. During that time from 1999-2004, he was General Manager and COO at Royal Oaks Country Club in Houston.  After moving to Southern California, he became the CEO and General Manager at Toscana Country Club in Indian Wells, California. Paul was responsible for the development and management of many other private and resort properties in California, Colorado, Nevada and Texas in his time with Sunrise.

Paul is passionate about our industry and Distinguished Golf Destinations is a natural extension of his passion to leave the industry better than when he started. Levy earned PGA membership in 1986, and has served in a leadership capacity at both the Section and National levels since 1992. 

A native of New Orleans, Levy is a 1983 graduate of LSU, where he was a golf team member. His community involvement has included creating scholarship foundations for employees of both Royal Oaks Country Club and Toscana Country Club.  He was the creator and director of the Fort Bend ISD PGA First Swing Program; and a member of Katy (Texas) School District Partners, which presented him with its Education Award of Excellence. 

Colana Sports Group, Inc, Chief Executive Officer

Smithtown Children’s Foundation Founder, Executive Director

Christine is President & CEO of Colana Sports Group since 2005 delivering golf tournament enhancement programs that cater to charities looking to raise funds & to private country clubs to entertain their members & guests.  In 2008, Christine founded the Smithtown Children’s Foundation, a not for profit, dedicated to providing financial & emotional support to families in crisis.

Prior to this, Christine spent fifteen years on Wall Street.  In 1987, she was hired by Credit Suisse as VP, Equity Research, orchestrating the daily Institutional Equity Research meetings & marketing the product to the Global Institutional & Retail Salesforce & Traders & chairing the Equity Research Stock Selection Committee.  In 1994, she was recruited by Deutsche Bank as VP, North American Equity Product Manager where she continued to run the daily institutional meetings as well as being tasked with revamping equity research products such as the Weekly Portfolio Manager’s Summary.  

Christine holds an MBA Finance/International Business from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Business Administration/Management from Adelphi University. She was named Suffolk County’s 2020 Woman of Distinction, Fortune52 2012 Woman of Excellence and has received numerous community service awards. 

Gordon is an experienced GM having worked at some of the country’s most prestigious private clubs for the past twenty five years. He has also served as Senior Vice President responsible for Professional Development for eight years at the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) with oversight of the Club Management Institute (CMI) and certification programs. He has created and directed professional development and Business Management Institute programs, written education grants, and developed and implemented educational programs. Gordon organized the World Conference on Club Management planning and executing concurrent educational programs to hiring high-profile speakers, planning activities and the associations exposition. He was also responsible for the certification programs and served as Board and Committee Member of The Club Foundation, CMAA’s charitable arm.

Gordon earned the Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation and is a member of the CMAA Honor Society and he was elected to the CMAA National Board in 1996. He is also a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE). Gordon is an accomplished author, having authored and co-authored many club resources, available through CMAA and is a contributor to Boardroom Magazine focusing primarily on club governance.

In his spare time Gordon likes to travel, spend time with family. He also enjoys a golf or pickleball match! Gordon Is the high school golf coach.

John G. Fornaro is President & CEO of The Association of Private Clubs and Directors and the Publisher & Owner of Boardroom magazine LLC, which publishes BoardRoom magazine, a bi-monthly publication founded 30 years ago and aimed at educating and informing boards of directors in the private club industry. He is also CEO of Distinguished Clubs, LLC, CEO of Distinguished Golf Destinations and CEO & President of Boardroom Institute LLC, where the latter provides online training and orientation programs for private club boards of directors with the objective to help clubs operate efficiently by optimizing the relationship between the volunteers and the paid executives through collaborative governance. John is also co-founder of Professional Club Marketing Association, an organization aimed at furthering the interests of private club membership marketing directors. John has visited over 1,000 private clubs during his 30 years in the private club industry, and a speaker, writer, and consultant for the private club industry. John lives in Laguna Beach, California.

Since 2022, Krystal has served as the Accounting Manager and in December 2024 she accepted the position of Public Relations/Operations Manager for Distinguished Clubs and Boardroom Magazine. In this role, she oversees critical operational processes and accounting functions, ensuring efficiency and financial precision across the organization. Her commitment to excellence and detail-oriented approach have been instrumental in maintaining the high standards that Distinguished Clubs is known for.

Residing in South Orange County, Krystal thrives in a dynamic community that inspires both personal and professional growth. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the scenic landscapes of Southern California, spending quality time with family and friends, and embracing activities that promote well-being.

With an unwavering focus on continuous learning and development, Krystal is committed to advancing her career in accounting and operations. Her ambition to make meaningful contributions to the organizations she serves underscores her dedication to excellence and growth in the field.

Jeff Briggs has been an important member of the Distinguished Clubs team since its inception and was the original creator of all public-facing branding and communications — from the design of all Distinguished Clubs logos, letterhead, and all informational collateral, to the design and ongoing construction of all Member Experience Verification Reports that are provided clubs that have gone through the Distinguished Clubs designation process. Briggs developed and currently maintains the technology that supports the internal business operations at Distinguished Clubs and is the UI/UX designer and architect of the ClubIQ® web-based Member Experience Polling System that is not only used in the Distinguished Clubs designation process, but is available to all clubs looking to monitor and improve their Member Experience on an ongoing basis. Briggs graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree from UC Santa Barbara, and presently resides in Corona del Mar, California.

Since 2022, Krystal has served as the Accounting Manager and in December 2024 she accepted the position of Public Relations/Operations Manager for Distinguished Clubs and Boardroom Magazine. In this role, she oversees critical operational processes and accounting functions, ensuring efficiency and financial precision across the organization. Her commitment to excellence and detail-oriented approach have been instrumental in maintaining the high standards that Distinguished Clubs is known for.

Residing in South Orange County, Krystal thrives in a dynamic community that inspires both personal and professional growth. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the scenic landscapes of Southern California, spending quality time with family and friends, and embracing activities that promote well-being.

With an unwavering focus on continuous learning and development, Krystal is committed to advancing her career in accounting and operations. Her ambition to make meaningful contributions to the organizations she serves underscores her dedication to excellence and growth in the field.

Steve brings 30 years of experience designing and building software applications to his role as Chief Technology Officer. He is the lead developer of ClubIQ and has been building applications for Distinguished Clubs for over 10 years. He has a BA degree from UC Santa Cruz and currently lives in Santa Barbara, CA.

Since 2022, Krystal has served as the Accounting Manager and in December 2024 she accepted the position of Public Relations/Operations Manager for Distinguished Clubs and Boardroom Magazine. In this role, she oversees critical operational processes and accounting functions, ensuring efficiency and financial precision across the organization. Her commitment to excellence and detail-oriented approach have been instrumental in maintaining the high standards that Distinguished Clubs is known for.

Residing in South Orange County, Krystal thrives in a dynamic community that inspires both personal and professional growth. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the scenic landscapes of Southern California, spending quality time with family and friends, and embracing activities that promote well-being.

With an unwavering focus on continuous learning and development, Krystal is committed to advancing her career in accounting and operations. Her ambition to make meaningful contributions to the organizations she serves underscores her dedication to excellence and growth in the field.

Jeff Clause is a seasoned golf industry leader with over 30 years of experience in South Africa, holding PGA Class A Professional (USA) and Master Professional (PGA of South Africa) credentials. Known for combining operational excellence with world-class guest experiences, he has held senior roles including CEO and Director of Golf at St Francis Links, and founding Director of Golf at Fancourt — host of the 2003 Presidents Cup. His leadership has earned multiple accolades, including St Francis Links being named South Africa’s Best Golf Course at the World Golf Awards and four PGA Professional of the Year titles.

Jeff has served on the PGA of South Africa Board, hosted major tournaments including the SA PGA Championship five times, and contributed extensively to golf estate governance and community initiatives. His professional network spans South Africa, Europe, the UAE, Australia, and the USA. He and his wife Liezl, also a long-time golf industry professional, are based in St Francis Bay.

Greg Sullivan, CCM, is a respected leader in the private club industry with more than 35 years of executive leadership experience at premier golf and country clubs. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his ability to elevate club operations, guide organizations through transformative growth, and deliver exceptional member experiences.

Greg recently concluded a distinguished tenure as General Manager of Rolling Hills Country Club in Rolling Hills Estates, California, where he served for more than three decades. During that time, he played a central role in the club’s evolution into one of the premier private clubs in California, highlighted by a landmark $70-million redevelopment that included a new championship golf course, clubhouse, and expanded family amenities.

Known for his collaborative leadership style and deep commitment to service excellence, Greg has built a reputation for developing high-performing teams, fostering strong governance, and creating vibrant club communities centered on hospitality, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

A Certified Club Manager (CCM) and graduate of Oklahoma State University’s School of Hospitality Management, Greg has devoted his career to advancing standards of excellence within the private club industry.

As Director of Standards & Ratings with Distinguished Clubs, Greg works with leading private clubs across North America and internationally to evaluate club operations, service standards, and overall member experience, helping clubs measure performance against the highest benchmarks in the industry.

Greg and his wife, Sofi, enjoy travelling internationally and spending summers in Sweden with family and friends.

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Heather Arias de Cordoba is a recognized and accomplished designer and artist, with more than 17 years of club industry experience in marketing, branding, art direction and design. She has won many awards for both print and animation work, including a share of an Emmy for the cartoon “Where on Earth is Carmen San Diego?” Ms. Arias de Cordoba has taught classes on communications and lifestyle marketing in the private club industry. She is educated in Fine Arts from the University of Calgary and public relations from Mount Royal College in Calgary.

Since 2022, Krystal has served as the Accounting Manager and in December 2024 she accepted the position of Public Relations/Operations Manager for Distinguished Clubs and Boardroom Magazine. In this role, she oversees critical operational processes and accounting functions, ensuring efficiency and financial precision across the organization. Her commitment to excellence and detail-oriented approach have been instrumental in maintaining the high standards that Distinguished Clubs is known for.

Residing in South Orange County, Krystal thrives in a dynamic community that inspires both personal and professional growth. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the scenic landscapes of Southern California, spending quality time with family and friends, and embracing activities that promote well-being.

With an unwavering focus on continuous learning and development, Krystal is committed to advancing her career in accounting and operations. Her ambition to make meaningful contributions to the organizations she serves underscores her dedication to excellence and growth in the field.

Krystal Seidel is a dedicated professional with a passion for operations and a keen aptitude for numbers. Currently pursuing a degree in Marketing at Western Governors University, Krystal is deepening her expertise in financial management as well as communications and public relations to drive operational excellence.

Since 2022, Krystal has served as the Accounting Manager and in December 2024 she accepted the position of Public Relations/Operations Manager for Distinguished Clubs and Boardroom Magazine. In this role, she oversees critical operational processes and accounting functions, ensuring efficiency and financial precision across the organization. Her commitment to excellence and detail-oriented approach have been instrumental in maintaining the high standards that Distinguished Clubs is known for.

Residing in South Orange County, Krystal thrives in a dynamic community that inspires both personal and professional growth. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the scenic landscapes of Southern California, spending quality time with family and friends, and embracing activities that promote well-being.

With an unwavering focus on continuous learning and development, Krystal is committed to advancing her career in accounting and operations. Her ambition to make meaningful contributions to the organizations she serves underscores her dedication to excellence and growth in the field.