CLUBS & MEMBERS: IT STARTS WITH AN IDEA
Put a clamp on it ... Out to sea ... Building relationships ... Valet talk.

Edited by Louis Marroquin

POCKET MONEY
Chip Thomson knows the last thing a golfer wants to deal with on the course is a bulky wallet. “Golfers struggle with back problems, and a lot of back problems are caused by sitting on a wallet,” says Thomson, a PGA Tour instructor, CBS golf analyst, and member of the country club at Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. Still, he could never find a money clip that worked — until he invented one of his own. Inspired by the paper binders he and some golf buddies were using to hold their cash and credit cards together, Thomson experimented for three years until he designed a money clip that would lock down on wallet contents and spring back at any thickness. The Money Clamp, which carries up to 12 credit cards and 25 bills, was introduced in department stores in 2005. In 2006, two Dallas-area investors gave Thomson’s company, beza, the capital and connections it needed to launch the Money Clamp on QVC. “It just needed somebody to give it some legitimacy,” Thomson says. “All of a sudden, sales just skyrocketed.” More than one million Money Clamps have sold to date, with projected 2008 sales of $2 million. Thomson also discovered, on a tour of the White House, that the Money Clamp has made its way into the gift shops there. Best of all, he’s finally found the money clip he always wanted. “It’s minimal, there’s very little to it, it keeps everything secure,” he says, “and it’s cool.” — Janet Mefferd
Photography by Wyatt McSpadden

WATER WORLD
Sabrina Farmer earned her sea legs on super yachts as a private chef for high-sailing executives and even the royal family of Brunei. While these days this mother of three children, under age 7, is more likely to be spotted on a Florida beach than on the open sea, she still creates first-class experiences on luxury boats. Farmer and husband Adrian, a master engineer, who met onboard one of their working adventures, are co-founders of International Maritime Associates, a full-service company that takes an “owner-advocacy approach” to supporting the entire life cycle of owning a megayacht — from pre-purchase consulting on buying, designing, and constructing, to providing operational support, including maintaining and selling the vessel. The pair, members of the Tower Club in Fort Lauderdale, along with partner Mark Tortora, wants the company to be “the primary contact in the yachting industry,” says Farmer, the firm’s chief financial officer, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America. She originally set out to be a surgical nurse, but a stint working for a Maine sailboat charter business changed her life’s direction. She recently was honored with an award of excellence by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. “My passion for the industry draws me to be involved in so many different aspects of it,” Farmer explains. “Every day is a new experience for me.” — Helen Bond
Photography by Michael Price

FAMILY INFLUENCE
When entrepreneur Alison Schmidt moved from Los Angeles to San Diego in 2005, she knew only her parents, members of University Club Atop Symphony Towers. Turns out she had the right connection. Alison’s father, David H. Schmidt, had been busy creating his own ways to encourage fellow members to meet and greet. Together, the pair has been a formidable force in making it easy to network at the downtown club. “You have a tremendous number of influential people who belong to these clubs, and because of that there is a tremendous amount of wisdom and giving back to the community to be found,” says David, president of The Schmidt Group, a real estate investment and brokerage company. He has helped organize the club’s Distinguished Speaker Series, a networking lunch called EnterpriseXchange, and a Lamp for Learning event, featuring fellow member Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager. (The latter event raised $15,000 for a college scholarship fund.) For Alison, president of ALS Group, a strategic management company, her commitment as a committee member for these club events has enabled her to quickly get her finger on the pulse of the San Diego business and charitable community. Both father and daughter hope to spread the networking foundation created to other clubs so members can connect wherever they go. “It’s about relationship building,” Alison says. — Helen Bond
Photography by Tim Mantoani

SECRET’S IN THE SAUCE
Maxime Ribera was just a child when he found his true calling. “I would go out to eat with my parents at the best restaurants in France,” recalls Ribera, the renowned master chef who also is a member of Countryside Country Club in Clearwater, Florida. “I always loved good food.” At the age of 15, he apprenticed in a kitchen in France and, after learning his trade, moved to New York City in 1958. Only 21 at the time, he was single-focused on owning his own restaurant. “I worked in Café Argenteuil and started saving my money. Five years later, I bought 10 percent of the restaurant.” He continued saving his money and buying an additional 10 percent share of the restaurant every year until he became the sole owner. “Then I took a partner so I could open other restaurants.” And that is what he became known for. Over the years, Ribera opened eight successful restaurants — many of them in New York. He also opened one in Miami about 23 years ago, so when he began eyeing retirement nearly six years ago, it was an easy decision to return to Florida. Through the years, Ribera’s name has become revered in culinary circles, and he has trained chefs such as Gary Mennie and Seth Woods. The secret, he says, really is in the sauce. “Anyone can cook, but not everyone can create beautiful sauces. Being able to develop sauces is the most important part of the cuisine.” Although Ribera is plagued by recent health problems, his passion for all things culinary remains unabated. “You must love what you do,” he says. “When you love to eat, and you love food, cooking is just the most wonderful thing in the world.” — Paula Felps
Photography by Riku+Anna

FELLOW TRAVELERS
When Ian and Tonya Fitzpatrick talk about their weekly radio travel program, they speak of bridge building and making connections. So it’s no surprise that the two are bridging the gap off-air, too — between their dreams and reality. Simultaneously, they’ve juggled full-time careers (he in law, she in politics), started a full-service travel agency that’s grown to a full-time business and sparked numerous TV appearances, and last summer began hosting the radio show Travel’n On. It’s all about going after your dreams, say the charismatic duo, members of the City Clubs of Washington in D.C. Their Bronze World Travel agency is a manifestation of their love of travel (each has lived in and traveled to numerous countries) and interest in global citizenry. That led to the radio show, the only one in the mid-Atlantic, which educates listeners on everything from legal issues to passports and passenger rights. Soon the Fitzpatricks will broadcast live from destinations. The two took turns running Bronze World until Ian left his law firm to man the helm full time, developing additional travel-related products and ventures. “We’ve stepped out of a financial comfort zone to pursue a dream,” Tonya says. “The personal growth we’re experiencing is worth the ride.” — Mary Sue Lawrence
Photography by Katherine Lambert

GROUP EFFORT
When Doug Soderberg’s daughter Karen was born 36 years ago with Down syndrome, finding support was a problem. “We tried to find local [recreational] groups that she could be part of, and there really didn’t seem to be many,” says Soderberg, a member of Ipswich Country Club near Boston. So he and his wife, Frances, decided to become part of the solution. In 1987, the Soderbergs started a large yard sale in their hometown of Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Staffed by local volunteers that include Karen, the sale offers everything from raffle tickets and sports equipment to clothes and games, which Soderberg collects and stores in his basement until the big day. All of the proceeds go toward recreational and educational programs for a group of about 12 special needs young adults in the area. “A lot of people like to come up and get a good buy,” Soderberg says. “It’s good for everyone.” Now in its 20th year, the sale has raised funds for camping trips, tennis lessons, and a recent cruise of Boston Harbor, where the young adults enjoyed live music and dancing. “It gives some people who usually wouldn’t have an outlet [a chance] to have something to do,” Soderberg says. — Janet Mefferd
Photography by David Shopper

CHECK MATE
Andreas Pavlakos was just 4 years old when he first sat down at a chessboard. “I was in a sports camp, but it was too hot outside,” explains 9-year-old Andreas, whose parents, George and Eleni, are members of East Lake Woodlands Country Club in Oldsmar, Florida. “When I went to sign up for indoor activities, the only thing left was chess.” The opening proved to be a fortuitous one. At the end of the two-week camp, Andreas walked away with a chess trophy — and a new passion. By the time he was in first grade, he was ranked sixth in the state of Florida, and he most recently won 20th place in the chess nationals. “I like chess because it makes you think. There’s lots of strategy. It’s fun,” he says. “But sometimes, I’d rather play baseball or do karate. I like doing a lot of different things.” Andreas hopes to one day become a chess master. In the meantime, he’s learned a strategy that seems to work well for life as well as for chess: “You have to practice. You have to think,” he advises. “And you have to look at all the pieces before you make your move.” — Paula Felps
Photography by Riku+Anna

ALL NIGHT LONG
Working as a police officer on the graveyard shift, Patrick Gallagher has his share of long nights. “It’s like dog years — every hour is like seven hours,” jokes Gallagher, a member of Gleneagles Country Club near Dallas, who works for the nearby Addison Police Department. But it’s a deliberate career choice if there ever was one. Gallagher, 57, worked most of his career in the technology sector for companies like IBM. In 1995, he volunteered with the reserve police officer program in Addison, which took him through the police academy and onto the streets every evening as a backup for police officers. “Once I got in there, I really liked the guys, the team camaraderie, and everybody watching each other’s back,” he says. He went full time with the force for four years, only to return to the technology business. In 2006, the Addison force accepted him back — even though he was older than most officers. Gallagher’s on the job from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. three days a week, and though he’s had no serious injuries, he accepts the potential dangers. “I really like this job best of all,” he says. “There is a tremendous satisfaction if you do help somebody.” — Janet Mefferd
Photography by Lisa Means

BRIDES & BABIES
Magazine publisher Robyn Mangrum has weddings and babies covered. She’s the founder and publisher of Weddings and Premier Baby & Child, two free publications distributed annually in the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill areas of North Carolina. A former model, Mangrum worked for several monthly magazines in Washington, D.C., before purchasing Premier Bride magazine in 1995. In 2002, she launched Weddings, followed by Premier Baby & Child in 2003. With helpful tips and topics, the magazines cater to busy moms and brides-to-be and link them to local advertisers through parties and informative articles. “We’re kind of like Martha Stewart on a local level,” says Mangrum, a member of Devils Ridge Golf Club in Holly Springs, North Carolina. As the mother of two boys, Mangrum can relate to the positive feedback she hears from her readers. “I get e-mails from moms all the time, saying, ‘We use your magazine for everything.’” — Janet Mefferd
Photography by Charles Harris

ROCK STAR PARKING
Roger “Chip” Patterson was a local Atlanta kid, about to enter Georgia State University, when he began parking cars at the popular Otto’s restaurant in the Buckhead section of the city. Twenty-two years later, Otto’s is gone, but Patterson is still in the driver’s seat as the CEO of AmeriPark, a boutique provider of parking management services at some 200 malls, restaurants, and other venues around the country. That includes the Buckhead Club, not far from where the owner of Otto’s offered to lease the parking concession to the 18-year-old for $500 a month. Not surprisingly, Private Clubs caught up with Patterson in his car — though he insists he wasn’t looking for a parking spot.

Take us back to those early days at Otto’s …
I began charging $2 a car, which was enough to offset my $500 lease. Things were going well when a lightbulb went off — that was the idea to duplicate the Otto’s model by leasing spots at other restaurants and clubs around town.

When did you and AmeriPark move beyond restaurants and clubs?
Our big break came about five years later when I got the parking concession for Lenox Square mall, run by the Simon Property Group. We were one of the first, if not the first, mall on the East Coast to offer valet parking to shoppers — and they loved it. We parked tons of cars and created a good revenue stream for the mall owner.

So how did you become a national company?
We had a good business going, but things weren’t that exciting until about six years ago when Simon awarded us a valet contract for all of their malls nationwide. In about four months, we went from a local Atlanta company to a national company. Today, we’re handling cars at about 35 Simon malls from Boston to South Florida to California, and along the way we’ve added other malls and shopping retail centers (including General Growth and Westfield), upscale hotels like Ritz-Carlton and Loews, airports in Jacksonville and Birmingham, and restaurant chains like P.F. Chang’s and The Cheesecake Factory. We now have about 3,000 employees, and I expect 2007 revenue to approach $80 million.

That’s quite an achievement in a business where people think anyone can park a car. What’s different about AmeriPark?
I think the difference is AmeriPark’s commitment to select the best people in the service industry. We put a special emphasis on our employees, who in turn take special pride in doing a lot more than park cars. Our growth has enabled us to offer a clear-cut career path for all our valets and parking attendants to someday operate their own lot — or more. Everyone from new attendants to the CEO is shooting for the same goal, which is to constantly exceed client expectations.

Things can’t always go smoothly, Chip — we’ve all had valet horror stories. What’s the one that you remember most?
Well, there was the time one of our valets jumped into a classic, 1960s-era Jaguar and put it in drive. Only problem was, the valet didn’t realize the steering wheel was on the other side of the car. Let’s just say he hit a little wall.

Doesn’t look like AmeriPark is hitting too many walls these days. What’s ahead for you and the company? Honestly, I can say we’re just looking for more of the same. I’m very grateful for the success AmeriPark has enjoyed so far. I have the best management team in the industry and I’m confident we can expect great things in our future. — Dave Orman
Photography by Marc Climie

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Lisa Marie Platske believes life’s journey is full of unlimited possibilities — you just have to know where to look. Platske, a member of Canyon Crest Country Club in Riverside, California, is president of Upside Thinking, a national leadership company that uses a mind, body, and spirit approach to help clients succeed. She recently published the book, Designing Your Destiny: Achieving Personal and Professional Success Through Upside Thinking and received the National Association of Female Executives Woman of Excellence Award in 2007. Upside thinkers, Platske says, write down their mission, communicate clearly, serve others, recognize their own talents, understand the power of strategic partners to share information rather than horde it, and live with an attitude of gratitude. Upside thinking requires you to be intentional in all you do, both personally and professionally — a way of life that goes way beyond the overused mantra of the power of positive thinking. You are, she says, where you choose to be. “If you are serving someone cat food for dinner with hot fudge over it and tell them it is delicious, you are still giving them cat food underneath,” Platske says. “Upside thinking is about finding the possibilities in anything in life.” — Helen Bond
Photography by Thomas Alleman

HEALING SPIRIT
While operating a disease-management pharmacy for hemophiliacs, Brian McDonald, a pharmacist by training and member of East Lake Woodlands Country Club in Oldsmar, Florida, decided he wanted to offer more to his patients. Today, McDonald continues to aid the bleeding disorders community, as the co-founder of the Hemophilia Foundation of Greater Florida, an organization created in 1996 that offers patient assistance programs to help pay for doctor visits and medications and provides wheelchair lifts for cars. Each year, he and wife Rhonda, whose former husband was hemophilic, co-chair an annual golf tournament that last year raised $116,000 to benefit people with hemophilia, a disorder found primarily in males where blood lacks the normal ability to clot. “The lack of clotting causes fluid to build up in the joints,” McDonald explains, noting that hemophilia is one of the most expensive therapies in medicine today. “Over a period of time, joints can become destroyed, causing crippling and arthritis.” Proceeds from the tournament also benefit Camp Spirit, a medically supervised camp for boys affected by the disorder. “The kids really expand their life experiences in that week,” McDonald says. “They learn what they feel is no different from what the other kids feel.” — Ariel Hammond
Photography by Riku+Anna

GAINING GROUND
Susan Jacobs gets people moving. As founder and president of Wheels of Success, a Tampa-based nonprofit that provides transportation needs to low- and moderate-income families, Jacobs supplies clients with the tools they need to get to and from work. Created in 2003, the foundation offers vehicle replacement, car repair, licensing, car payment, and down-payment assistance. To date, the organization has helped 210 families and donated 165 cars. “There were transportation programs in place before, but one just did loans, one just did repairs,” says Jacobs, a member of Tampa’s Centre Club, who got the idea while running a staffing agency. “I could find people jobs but they could never get to work,” she explains. “They would tell me the bus doesn’t run during those hours or their car isn’t going to make it.” With welfare-to-work type programs in place, Jacobs wanted to help people who were already working. To qualify for the program, clients must be working full time, fall above poverty level, and be referred by a social service agency or employer. “The goal is to keep you working, but having a reliable car also gives you the opportunity to take the kids to the doctor or go to the grocery store,” Jacobs says. “It helps you become self-sufficient and a contributing member to the community.” — Ariel Hammond
Photography by Riku+Anna

SHORT TAKES
Haile Plantation member Urban Meyer coaches University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow to a Heisman Trophy-winning season. Tebow is the first sophomore in college football history to win the Heisman. … Golf Magazine names the Cascades Course at The Homestead one of the “Top 100 Golf Courses to Play.” The honor reflects the 80-year-old course’s elevated level of play since its 2006 bunker restoration. … Brenda Lawrence, the mayor of Southfield, Michigan and a Skyline Club member, celebrates as Forbes magazine selects the city as metro-Detroit’s “most livable” community. The selection was based on the city’s large commercial district, affordable housing, quality schools, and safe neighborhoods. … Members of La Cima Club in Texas release a heritage cookbook to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Salvation Army. The cookbook, which sells for $20, features more than 300 recipes from members, their families and friends, and employee partners. So far the project has raised more than $1,750. ... City Club on Bunker Hill member Henry Jones gets the call to represent retirees on the $259 billion California Public Employees Retirement System Board of Administration. Upon accepting the post, Jones said, “I am proud to have received the support from retirees, associations, and labor unions throughout California. For the past eight months, I have traveled throughout the state to meet with retirees to hear their concerns about issues ranging from health care to the preservation of defined benefits.” … 16-year-old Tyler Whitehurst, the son of Countryside Country Club members Jim and Amy Whitehurst, places second in Florida for the 9-hole division during his first trip to the Special Olympics. Tyler had never played nine holes before his local qualifier. Congratulations! … Shadowridge Country Club in California recognizes member Kathy Schwartzberg with its Hossalla award for her outstanding contributions to the club. This year, Kathy served on the Board of Governors, was first vice president and tournament chairperson for the Women’s Golf Association, and is a member of the Food & Beverage Committee. … Brookhaven’s Career Women’s Tennis Association joins forces with the Men’s Tennis Association to raise nearly $10,000 for Wipe Out Kids Cancer during the Texas club’s Grand Slam Cup. … Several members at Coto de Caza engage in some spirited competition with members of the University of California, Irvine’s men’s tennis team to raise money for the school’s tennis stadium renovation efforts. The event raised nearly $4,000 toward UCI’s Anteater Tennis Stadium. … Tennis News: The 10.0 team at San Francisco Tennis Club hits the jackpot in Vegas with a victory at the National Western Championship. Meanwhile, Braemar’s 4.5 and 3.5 teams snag the national World Team Tennis championship title in Palm Springs. ... J.R. Thomas, executive chef at South Carolina’s Golf Club at Indigo Run, creates a vegetable garden to take food from farm to fork right on the property. The garden is expected to yield tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and other vegetables.