Speakers

Jeffrey Faber | Leader, Golf Revenue Management | Marriott

Jeffrey Faber, Golf Revenue Management Leader, began his Marriott career in March 2008. Since then, he has held roles in banquet service, catering sales, event management, revenue management, regional sales, resort sales, group sales leadership, and multi-resort group strategy leadership roles. Jeff is driven by strategic thinking, collaboration, and results. In his current role, he accepted the challenge of launching a new proof of concept for golf revenue management and establishing core revenue management principles for a discipline that experienced record growth during the pandemic.

David Frem | Owner | Cyprian Keyes Golf Club (MA)

David Frem graduated from Dartmouth College and joined a startup software development company in Cambridge, MA. He then went on to co-found BarrettFrem Consulting, an IT consulting company that included clients throughout the United States, including John Deere and United Healthcare.

In 1997, he left BarrettFrem to join his family in developing Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, MA. He oversaw the IT infrastructure of the club and focused on sales and marketing before becoming General Manager in 2000. He continues to lead Cyprian Keyes as both Owner and General Manager. Cyprian Keyes Golf Club has an 18-hole championship course, 9-hole par-3 course, golf instruction, full-service restaurant, and hosts over 450 events per year. David is currently the Vice President of the National Golf Course Owners Association, on the boards of the New England Golf Course Owners Association and MassGolf, and hosts Talking Golf, a weekly local radio show.

Jeff Hoag | Co-Owner | Scott Lake Golf & Practice Center

Jeff is the co-owner of Scott Lake Golf & Practice Center, a daily fee 33 hole golf course in Comstock Park, MI, a suburb of Grand Rapids. Since 1975, Jeff and his brother Paul have been the drivers to growing the business at Scott Lake. Scott Lake was the recipient of the 2011 Michigan Golf Course Association Course of the Year, and the 2012 NGCOA Course of the Year. Together they have expanded from 18 holes to 27 holes with a large practice facility and a six-hole short course. Jeff’s nearly four decades of building and growing the business, even in the face of a national recession, has led to some exciting and progressive programs for building customer loyalty. Jeff is a past president of both the NGCOA and the Michigan Golf Course Association.

Michael Holtzman | President & CEO | Holtzman Group Hospitality Experts

Michael Holtzman brings more than 47 years of restaurant and food service industry experience, helping operations improve sales, quality and profitability. He holds a BS in Restaurant Management from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona.

As President & CEO of Holtzman Group Hospitality Experts, Michael has worked with more than 1,000 facilities worldwide, specializing in captive-market food service operations including daily-fee and public golf courses, private country clubs, resorts, yacht clubs, parks and recreation facilities, theme parks and casinos.

Michael has presented at more than 500 industry events, including NGCOA conferences in the U.S. and Canada, the Australian Golf Conference, and events in China and Thailand. His presentations focus on practical strategies for maximizing food and beverage sales and profitability while enhancing quality and the guest experience. He and his team have also designed more than 350 commercial kitchens as his expertise spans menu planning, operational efficiency, kitchen design and financial management – providing golf course owners and operators with actionable strategies to strengthen their food and beverage operations.

Jay Karen | Chief Executive Officer | NGCOA

Jay Karen is the CEO of National Golf Course Owners Association, where he leads the golf industry’s trade association and initiatives to support the success of the golf course business. In his role at NGCOA, he has chaired the board of the industry-wide advocacy coalition, We Are Golf, and served on the Golf USA Tee Time Coalition board, a joint initiative with the PGA of America, and the advisory board of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CBS Radio, New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, the Golf Channel, Golf Digest and many others call upon Jay for his insights on the golf industry. Jay has also served as CEO of two associations in the lodging and hospitality industry, and he is a certified association executive by the American Society of Association Executives. Jay currently serves on the board of directors of the US Travel Association and ASAE. Jay is an Honorary Commander for the Joint Military Base in Charleston and a mentor in the College of Charleston’s MBA program.

Jill McFadden | Vice President, Revenue Management | Marriott

Jill McFadden is a recognized commercial strategist and hospitality executive with more than 30 years of experience driving revenue growth, profitability, and performance across Luxury and Premium hospitality portfolios. As Vice President of Revenue Management at Marriott, she oversees approximately $3 billion in annual revenue and leads large-scale commercial strategies spanning Luxury lodging, ancillary revenue streams, food and beverage optimization, spa, and golf operations.

Throughout her career, Jill has been at the forefront of translating data, analytics, and market intelligence into actionable business strategies that deliver measurable results. She is known for helping hotels and disciplines optimize revenue, elevate profitability, and create sustainable growth through innovative commercial practices and cross-functional leadership.

In addition to her executive leadership role, Jill has served as an Adjunct Professor at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration for more than a decade, where she is passionate about developing the next generation of industry leaders and advancing hospitality education. Jill brings a practical, people-centered perspective to topics including revenue optimization, commercial leadership, organizational transformation, and the future of hospitality. She is committed to mentoring emerging talent while fostering high-performing teams and inclusive leadership cultures.

Don Rea, PGA | Owner, Augusta Ranch Golf Club | Past President, PGA of America

Don Rea Jr. is the Owner and General Manager of Augusta Ranch Golf Club, a public golf course, in Mesa, Arizona, which has been rated the “Best Executive Golf Course in Arizona” by the Arizona Republic and selected as “Host Club of the Year” by the Arizona Women’s Golf Association. A Member of the Southwest PGA Section, Rea served on the PGA of America’s national Board of Directors from 2016-’19. Elected as President of the Southwest PGA Section from 2013-’14, Rea also was a member of the Board of Directors for the Southwest PGA Section, National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) and the Arizona Tourism Alliance. Rea has co-hosted NGCOA’s Golf Business LIVE webcast series alongside NGCOA CEO Jay Karen since its inception in April 2020. While on the PGA Board of Directors, he chaired the Junior Golf Committee and worked with the Coaching and Player Development, and Community Golf Committees. Since 2012, Rea has owned Your Course Consulting. In addition, he founded Community Course Rescue Services, LLC in 2017. Rea spent nine years as a Minor League Baseball umpire, ascending to Triple-A. In addition, he umpired several Spring Training Games for Major League Baseball. He was awarded the 2012 Southwest PGA Section Bill Strausbaugh Award and the Section’s 2011 President’s Plaque.

Colin Tetreault | Managing Director, Climate and Sustainability Services | Ernst & Young LLP

Colin serves as a managing director for the Ernst & Young LLP Climate and Sustainability Services division. He co-leads EY sustainability strategy and services for government, public sector and public authority clients across North America, where he helps solve the most complex challenges so governments can build a stronger country, for people and the planet by empowering its residents, creating the conditions for economic success and protecting its natural systems in perpetuity. Colin also serves wide-ranging commercial clients in setting strategy, measuring impact, and unlocking value.

A national speaker and thought leader, Colin is an accomplished sustainability government, business, policy and senior scholar-practitioner with 20+ years of experience. He holds a BA in Marketing from Arizona State University; Certificate of International Business, Baltic School of Business; and an MA in Sustainability from Arizona State University.

Michael Williams | Executive Director, Cyrano Communications | Contributor, Golf Business

Michael has had success in industries ranging from High Tech companies to foreign exchange banking. But his life has been defined by his abilities in the media and communications, for his experience in world affairs and his passion for the game of golf.

Michael has established himself as a leading voice for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. His “Open Letter to the Golf Industry from a Black Man Who Loves the Game” became a template that inspired the leadership of the game to implement long-needed change. In addition, Michael’s article for ESPN about his handling of a PGA Tour professional who admitted to dressing up in blackface garnered praise from around the world and was recently recognized as one of the best articles of 2020 by the Golf Writers Association of America.

Michael is also known as one of the political world’s most astute commentators as the moderator of “Issues in the News”, the flagship political and current events program for Voice of America. A sought-after speaker and communications expert, Michael has counseled some of the most influential individuals and organizations in the world on topics including crisis management, corporate re-branding and diversity/inclusivity issues.

In 2005, Michael launched his first radio show on FOX News Radio, “Sticks and Stones”. Since that launch, Michael has established a reputation as a savvy broadcaster and as an incisive interviewer and writer. An avid golfer himself, Michael has covered the game of golf and the golf lifestyle including courses, restaurants, business, travel and sports marketing for publications all over the world.

In his first year as host of The 19th Hole Golf Radio Show on CBS Radio in Washington, D.C., Michael led the show to becoming the top-rated golf show in the 7th largest market in the United States and was named the recipient of the 2014 Middle Atlantic PGA Earle Hellen Award for the Outstanding Media Person of the Year. The 19th Hole with Michael Williams is now a podcast with 40 thousand listeners per week on GolfWRX.com.

Michael is a member of the United States Golf Association, the Golf Writers Association of America and the National Association of Black Journalists.