BOCA RATON, (Fla)., September 05, 2023 – The official publication for the Association of Private Club Directors, The Board Room, celebrates its 27th year of educating the industry. This year’s publication featured ‘Dan Kaplan,’ the president and CEO of the board of governors at The Polo Club of Boca Raton.

Mr. Kaplan shared his insight about the agenda “What Makes a Great Country Club?”. His view about the idea is that the core values of a club should remain the same even if the board members change.

He emphasized the importance of having a strategic plan and effective leadership program to keep the core values intact. He pointed out that most clubs claim to have a plan but focus on monetary values or reputation. These aspects are essential, but the concentration should be to assess strengths and weaknesses to give the best member experience.

He stated that The Polo Club of Boca Raton has recently updated its strategic plan, highlighting multiple action plans for the management team. “We redefined our purpose (“Why we exist”), mission (“What we do”) and core values (“How we conduct ourselves”) to encompass not only our members but also our employees and external service providers”.
He also added that the Club launched its ‘NEXT’ program three years ago to identify and nurture future candidates for committee leadership roles. He gave an overview of the program and the requirements for a member to become a worthy candidate.

“Since the majority of our members spent many years in leadership roles in their professional careers, there is an enormous untapped resource that can benefit the club while at the same time filling a void for those who have retired from those roles,” he added, “Graduates” of NEXT are recruited for the roles that best fit their background and skills, leading to a more effective governance process.”

This way, the Club can adapt to changes while remaining true to its core values without compromising its excellence and member experience.

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