Ian Chan, B. Math, C.P.G.A.
Marketing Management in Golf Operations
Retail Management in Golf Operations

Ian Chan is the General Manager and Director of Golf at the Paris Grand Golf & Country Club. Prior to his current role, Ian served as the Director of Golf at The Club At Bondhead and the Head Golf Professional at the Oaks of St.George Golf Club in Paris, Ontario. Before joining the Oaks he spent two seasons running the golf operation at Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Prior to moving to British Columbia, Mr. Chan served as the associate professional at the Glen Abbey Golf Club for four seasons. Mr. Chan began his career as a golf professional at the Centennial Park Golf Centre in Etobicoke, Ontario. Mr. Chan has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and a degree in Marketing from York University.

Vito Cirone, M.A.
Golf Course Design & Construction / Turf Management

Vito Cirone is an environmental planner and the Executive Director of Burnside Golf Services. Burnside Golf Services is a multi-disciplinary engineering and environmental consulting group specializing in golf course planning and development. Mr. Cirone obtained an undergraduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Development and a Masters Degree in Environmental Management and Planning from York University (Toronto, Ontario). Since then he has worked extensively in the areas of environmental planning and assessment for both public and private sector development projects. For the past five years Mr. Cirone has focused his efforts on managing golf course development projects and in securing permits and approvals for over 70 clients. Mr. Cirone is an accomplished writer, having written numerous articles on golf course development and environmental planning for several Canadian golf magazines.

Julia Crate, B.Comm. (Honours), C.A.
Finance for Non-Financial Managers in the Golf Industry

Julia Crate is a Chartered Accountant with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University. Ms. Crate worked with the KPMG Golf Industry Practice from 1998 to 2006 and is now an associate member of Global Golf Advisors Inc. Julia’s experience in the golf industry includes: market and feasibility studies, operational reviews, strategic plans, valuations and benchmarking / diagnostic studies for both public and private golf facilities across North America.

Ryan Crook, M.A., C.A.,
Finance for Non-Financial Managers in the Golf Industry

Ryan Crook is a partner with Global Golf Advisors Inc. and a former manager of KPMG’s Golf Industry Practice. Mr. Crook is a graduate of the University of Waterloo where he earned a Master of Accountancy (taxation specialization) degree and is a chartered accountant. Mr. Crook has been involved in various golf industry projects including feasibility studies, operational reviews, valuations, strategic plans, due diligence reviews, benchmarking / diagnostic studies, financing and golf tourism strategies for provincial governments. In addition, Mr. Crook has written numerous articles for the KPMG Golf Industry Practice publication "FORE" and is a member of the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA).

Chris Dew, C.G.S.A, G.C.S.A.A.
Golf Course Design & Construction / Turf Management

Chris Dew has served as the superintendent of the National Golf Club in Woodbridge, Ontario for the past seven years. Before joining the National, Mr. Dew served for seven years as the superintendent at the Royal Woodbine Golf Club in Toronto. Prior to that, Mr. Dew was the assistant superintendent at the Weston Golf and Country Club. Mr. Dew has attended turfgrass management programs at the University of Guelph, Ohio State University, and Cornell University. Mr. Dew serves as a Director for the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation and is a member of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

Grant Fraser, M.Ed., M.B.A.
Entrepreneurship in the Golf Industry
Marketing Management in Golf Operations

Grant Fraser is the President and founder of the Golf Management Institute of Canada (GMIC). Prior to launching the GMIC in 1999, Mr. Fraser established the first professional golf management program in Ontario at Humber College. Three years after starting the program, Mr. Fraser received Humber College’s Innovator of the Year Award. Mr. Fraser is an avid photographer and writer and is the author of “50 of Ontario’s Greatest Public Golf Courses” and “Golf Access 2003”. In addition, Mr. Fraser is on the ranking panel for two of Canada’s leading golf magazines - Score Golf and Ontario Golf News. Mr. Fraser has an undergraduate degree in business administration from Wilfrid Laurier University, an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, and has completed his Master in Education at Brock University.

Hussein Hamdani, M.A., LL.B.
Business Law for Golf Managers

Hussein Hamdani is a lawyer with the law firm of Simpson Wigle LLP in Burlington, Ontario specializing in the areas of corporate and commercial law. Mr. Hamdani received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from McMaster University, a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario. In addition to teaching for the Golf Management Institute of Canada, Mr. Hamdani is a professor of business law at Niagara College and is a golfer at heart.

Susan Hodkinson, B.A.
Human Resource Management in Golf Operations
Marketing Management in Golf Operations

Susan Hodkinson is the Chief Operating Officer at Soberman LLP. Prior to joining Soberman, Ms. Hodkinson was the Chief administrative Officer at the law firm of Goodman and Carr in Toronto, Ontario. Prior to joining the firm in 2001, Ms. Hodkinson was the Senior Vice President of Operations at ClubLink Corporation, Canada’s largest operator of public and private golf courses. Ms. Hodkinson is a founding director of the Golf Management Institute of Canada, a recent director of Golf North Properties Inc., and the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Charitable Corporation. In addition, Ms. Hodkinson is the Senior Vice President of the Women’s Executive Network. Ms. Hodkinson is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario.

Kevin Hurd, B.A.
Entrepreneurship in the Golf Industry
Marketing Management in Golf Operations
Retail Management in Golf Operations

Kevin Hurd is the General Manager of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Club and was previously the General Manager of the Brookefield and Beaverdale Golf Clubs in Cambridge, Ontario. Mr. Hurd has extensive experience in all areas of golf operations management but is especially renowned for his marketing expertise and creativity. Between 1998 and 2004, Mr. Hurd served as the Corporate Marketing Director for Golf North Properties Inc. where he was responsible for co-ordinating the marketing initiatives of all 10 golf courses owned and operated by the company. In addition to his general manager duties, Mr. Hurd co-ordinated the food and beverage program for Golf North Properties Inc.  Mr. Hurd is a graduate of the University of Guelph, McMaster University and the Golf Management Institute of Canada.

David Kaufman, LL.B., C.P.G.A
Business Law for Golf Managers

David Kaufman is the Executive Director of Menkes Developments Ltd. and the former Executive Director of one of Canada’s most exclusive private golf courses, the Magna Golf Club in Markham Ontario. In addition, Mr. Kaufman is the instruction editor of Ontario Golf News, a founding board member of the Golf Management Institute of Canada, the founder of the King's Health Centre Executive Golf Academy, the 1999 Ontario P.G.A. Teacher of the Year, and a non-practicing lawyer. A Class "A" C.P.G.A. Certified Teaching Professional, Mr. Kaufman has taught more than 10,000 golf lessons to over 2,000 students in Canada and the U.S. He has also conducted more than 200 group clinics and corporate outings, and has appeared on numerous golf telecasts as an instructor and analyst.

Joseph F. Murphy
Golf Club Governance

Joe Murphy is the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the Scarboro Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ontario. Prior to joining Scarboro in 2001, Mr. Murphy served as the General Manger at the St. George's Golf and Country Club for seven years. Mr. Murphy has been involved in the golf industry for over 20 years, commencing his career at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario. Before joining St. George's in 1994, Mr. Murphy was the General Manager of the Islington Golf & Country Club. Mr. Murphy is a member of the Canadian Society of Club Managers and was the President of the Ontario Branch of the Canadian Society of Club Managers in 1996. In 2004, Mr. Murphy was named “Club Manager of the Year” by the Canadian Society of Club Managers and Score Magazine.

Glenn Phillips
Food & Beverage Management

Glenn Phillips is the Regional Director of Hospitality for ClubLink Corporation, a position he has held since 1999. As Regional Director, Mr. Phillips is responsible for all of the hospitality requirements for 6 ClubLink properties - Glen Abbey, Heron Point, Blue Springs, Glencairn, Board of Trade, Eagle Ridge, and Lake Joseph. Prior to joining ClubLink, Mr. Phillips worked for the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) where he served as the Clubhouse Manager at the Glen Abbey Golf Club for 9 years. Mr. Phillips' industry expertise is extensive having coordinated the hospitality requirements for 11 Canadian Opens.

Terry Ruffell, B.A., C.A.
Golf Club Governance

Terry Ruffell is a Chartered Accountant who has spent over 30 years in the not-for-profit sector. He has worked both “sides of the table” in not-for-profit governance as an executive employed a by a national association and as a volunteer with community colleges, a national association and as a director and president of St. George’s Golf and Country Club. Most recently he was executive director of a charitable foundation. Mr. Ruffell is a graduate of York University.

Ryan Spring, B.Comm., C.P.G.A.
Entrepreneurship in the Golf Industry

Ryan Spring is the President of Ryan Spring Golf Financial Ltd. Mr. Spring works closely with Textron Financial Canada and was an Associate with KPMG's Golf Industry Practice from 2000 to 2004. From 1998 to 2000, Ryan gained operational experience working under the tutelage of Douglas Rankin at the esteemed Toronto Golf Club, while completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Toronto. A member of the Canadian PGA since 1997, Ryan won the Tex Noble award in 2000 for achieving the highest grade in Canada on the CPGA's annual Class 'A' examination. While with KPMG’s Golf Industry Practice, Ryan was involved in numerous market demand studies, business plans, operational reviews, benchmarking studies, valuations, long-range strategic plans, and destination golf studies for golf courses throughout North America. Ryan is a member of the CPGA's National Employment Committee, and sits of the Advisory Board for the Professional Golf Management Program at Durham College.

John Taylor, C.G.S.A.
Golf Course Design & Construction / Turf Management

John Taylor is a graduate of the first class of the Golf Course Technician program at Seneca College. After graduation, Mr. Taylor accepted the superintendent position at the Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club in Vineland, Ontario where he served for 18 years. In 2000, Mr. Taylor moved to Welland, Ontario to assume the superintendent position at the newly constructed, Graham Cooke-designed, Hunters Pointe Golf Course. In addition to serving as the course superintendent, Mr. Taylor was involved in all phases of the design and construction of the golf course. Mr. Taylor has been active in various golf associations and served as the President of the Ontario Golf Course Superintendents Association in 1995. He currently serves as the President of the Western Ontario Golf Superintendents Association.

GMIC Board of Directors

Ian Chan, B.Math, C.P.G.A., General Manager, Scenic Woods Country Club, Finance Chair - OPGA
Vito Cirone, M.A., Manager - Burnside Golf Services
Kenneth Cousineau, CAE, Executive Director - Canadian Golf Superintendents Association
Grant Fraser, M.Ed., M.B.A., President - Golf Management Institute of Canada
Susan Hodkinson, B.A., Chief Operating Officer - Soberman LLP
Steve Johnson, C.A., M.B.A., Principal - Global Golf Advisors
David Kaufman, LL.B., C.P.G.A., Executive Director - Menkes Developments Ltd.
Keith Keindel, Executive Director - Canadian Golf Industry Association
Bob Lees, LL.B., Chairman of the Board - GMIC, Lees & Lees - Barristers and Solicitors
Keith McIntyre, P.Eng., M.B.A., Past President - Mohawk College
Joe Murphy, GM & COO - Scarboro Golf & Country Club
lan Scott, C.P.G.A., GM & COO - Mississauga Golf & Country Club, VP - CSCM
Kevin Thistle, C.P.G.A., V.P. & General Manager - Angus Glen Golf Club

Honourary Board Members

Mac Frost, Owner - Spring Lakes Golf Club
Dick Grimm, Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Member - Industry Consultant