Danny Clemens had an idea. As a member of La Cima Club in Irving, Texas, he was looking for a structured avenue for members to network about business, and to add another dimension to a club that already boasted a rich social reputation. "Members have a desire and need to get more from this club than just a great place to eat," he thought. So he set out to make it happen. Within three months, the La Cima Club Business Alliance announced its first meeting.

"Our goal was to get five people to the first meeting in January, with a growth goal of possibly 20 by the end of the year," Clemens says. "We had 25 signed up by the first meeting. We had already met our first year’s goal with our initial meeting!"

It’s that kind of ingenuity and involvement by the members that has made La Cima one of the most visited clubs on ClubCorp’s Associate Club roster. That contagious energy recently was embodied in the club’s recognition as a Gold Circle of Excellence Award winner. "There’s something happening here," says member relations director Monty Worden. "It’s the place to be and where people want to be."

La Cima’s strong culinary reputation often has overshadowed the club’s strengths as a multipurpose business and social facility. But as members like Clemens make their desires known, the club has risen to the task of stretching its diverse wings. La Cima’s large contingent of entrepreneurial members take advantage of the club’s office-away-from-the-office amenities, hooking up to the jacks in the lounge to check e-mails and to catch up on business before heading to their next meeting or interview. Many members use the club’s flexible meeting facilities, which can accommodate from two to 200 and are equipped for videoconferencing.

The new Business Alliance has only increased the club’s business profile. Clemens, who is president of PME Manufacturing, credits the club’s enthusiastic staff with helping him establish the group so quickly. The organization has monthly breakfast meetings where members rotate talking about their business and how they can help each other. Special guest speakers are scheduled each quarter, allowing each Alliance member the opportunity to invite two non-members to experience what La Cima has to offer.

MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING
La Cima’s location on the 26th floor of the Towers at Williams Square building in the North Texas business hub called Las Colinas is key to the traffic that frequents the club. Las Colinas is what some Texans might say is "smack dab in the middle" of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Its central location makes traveling to either city’s business district very convenient, as does its proximity to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (a 10-mile, $20 cab ride will get you from the airport to La Cima). The two city’s wealth of amusements, museums, shopping, and more are just minutes away.

Texas businessman Ben Carpenter founded this 12,000-acre master-planned business and residential community in 1973 on land that was originally his family’s ranch. Its accessible locale on the edge of the Irving community allows business travelers to experience a high-end business environment, yet set apart from the traffic and noise of the downtown areas of Dallas and Fort Worth. In the early ’80s, Carpenter and his business partner Dan Williams approached ClubCorp to discuss putting a private club at the top of Las Colinas’ tallest building, and by 1986, La Cima had opened its doors.

The top-floor perch of La Cima is the best vantage point to take in all this divergent area has to offer. From there, members and guests can enjoy incredible views of both the Dallas and Fort Worth skylines, whether from the main dining room or from most of the club’s six meeting rooms. Or they can reel in their sight lines to absorb the charm of Las Colinas. Just below in the courtyard of Williams Square is The Mustangs of Las Colinas, the largest equestrian sculpture in the world, in which artist Robert Glen says he tried to capture the spirit of the people of Texas "who are committed to the freedoms of action, initiative, and expression." And adjacent to the club’s site is the Mandalay Canal, a unique waterway through Las Colinas complete with authentic Venetian gondolas for those looking for a romantic chocolate and champagne cruise or a family outing.

The European influence continues into the club, where guests’ first impression of La Cima following a welcoming greeting from a staff member is an ornate seven-ton fountain in the entryway. Italian sculptor Bruno Peotta created the eye-catching piece from stone found in the mountains of Verona. The various dining and meeting rooms are accented with handcrafted mirrors and chandeliers from Paris, Florence, and Murano, Italy, giving the club a unique persona of Old World elegance mixed with down-home Texas hospitality.

As club manager Mike Goff explains, "We want to maintain the feel of white glove service, but without the white gloves — take the stuffiness out of the experience, but still maintain the prestige of being a private club."

It’s a goal La Cima has met with great success. In other words, members are just as comfortable stopping by for a quick lunch from the ultra-affordable $5 buffet as they are dressing up for a five-course food and wine dinner experience. Evenings at La Cima are a totally different experience from the bustling lunch rush. Members and guests can appreciate sunsets in all their beauty since no other tall buildings tarnish the view from the Williams Square tower.

FULL AGENDA
Marilyn Willems traveled a great deal when she was vice president of operations for Maritz Travel, overseeing travel operations for companies such as ExxonMobil, Packard Bell, and Georgia-Pacific. She frequently used Associate Clubs across the country in her travels, but it wasn’t until she retired recently that she began to take full advantage of her own club. She enjoyed what she discovered so much that she now serves as La Cima’s membership committee chairman so she can sing the praises of the club to new members.

"I really enjoy the people I have met at the club," she says, "just expanding the bounds of acquaintances and friendships." She also stays active with new member luncheons

and cocktail parties, as well as the La Cima book club and the Las Colinas Professional Women’s Networking Breakfast, just a few of the activities available for members. But when asked to name her favorite activity, her voice raises a notch as she states without hesitation, "Matt’s cooking school. Oh, he is getting some real followers."

"Matt" is executive chef Matt McNutt, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, who has been a familiar face in Associate Club kitchens since his high school days in the late ’80s. Chef Matt has quickly endeared himself to La Cima’s members — introducing them to such signature dishes as Macadamia Nut Crusted Sea Bass and Chocolate Molten Souffle, but not messing with such La Cima mainstays as its famed Corn Chowder, Jack Daniels Ice Cream, and pepper jelly. On Thursdays, he offers "Plenty for $Twenty," a three-course meal for just $20. He also has initiated a Friday night frequent dining program called "Matt’s World Menu," which encourages participants to try different cuisines from around the world. And then there are his popular and diverse cooking classes, which have even included a lesson on outdoor barbecues taught outdoors.

Socially, the club is a favorite site for private parties large and small. One member booked two parties the first week he joined the club. La Cima also has become a premier location for wedding receptions and ceremonies. Nearly 30 are on the club’s schedule for 2004. And now that the club has received permission from the management of the Towers at Williams Square to conduct outdoor weddings on the grounds outside the facility, La Cima is even more in demand.

No holiday goes unrecognized at the club, whether it’s an Easter brunch, a mother/daughter Mother’s Day event, or Breakfast With Santa. And come July 4th, the club’s biggest night of the year, members and their families will be gathered at the wraparound windows to watch the fireworks that are launched near the canal for the most spectacular view in town. The celebratory pyrotechnics will be greeted by an infectious enthusiasm from the members that has become La Cima’s lasting legacy.

LA CIMA CLUB
Location: Towers at Williams Square, 26th floor, Irving, Texas.
Club manager: Mike Goff.
Member relations director: Monty Worden.
Membership director: Sue Lichtenstein.
Executive chef: Matt McNutt
Amenities: Just minutes from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; main dining room; six meeting rooms; business capabilities include videoconferencing, Internet access, computer jacks, concierge service for copies and faxing. Breakfast and lunch Mon-Fri. Dinner Wed-Sat. Closed Sunday.
Web site: www.lacimaclub.com

AROUND THE TOWN
Of course, La Cima Club’s central location in Irving, Texas, is convenient to such Dallas-Fort Worth attractions as the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Texas Stadium, Fair Park, Six Flags Over Texas, The Ballpark in Arlington, and Fort Worth’s must-see museum district, but there is plenty to do right in Irving. Here are a few popular attractions.

Campión Trails. This 22-mile nature preserve on the Trinity River is ideal for jogging, hiking, horseback riding, and biking.

Gondola Adventures. Gondola cruises on Mandalay Canal are available daily — from $50 "brown bag" excursions for six to $350 gourmet dinner cruises for four. (www.gondola.com)

Irving Arts Center. The art complex features two exhibit galleries and two state-of-the-art performance halls for theater and concert productions. (www.irvingartscenter.org)

Las Colinas Equestrian Center and Polo Club. This 40-acre facility offers year-round equestrian events, horseback trails, chuck wagon dinners, and a covered indoor arena. Polo matches take place every Sunday May-June and September-November. (www.lascolinasequestrian.com)

The Mustangs of Las Colinas Sculpture and Exhibit. The largest equestrian sculpture in the world is located in the Williams Square Plaza just below La Cima. A free exhibit in the West Tower detailing the creation of the sculpture is open Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m.-5p.m. (www.irvingtexas.com/mustangs.html)

The Studios at Las Colinas. Tours of this state-of-the-art movie studio are available Monday-Saturday. Highlights include sets and props from such films as The Hunt for Red October, Wayne’s World, and JFK. (www.studiosatlascolinas.com)

ALSO IN THE AREA
There are 24 Associate Clubs and affiliates in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.