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Our People
RDC Golf Group is a full-service golf course and country club management organization.The principals and executives of RDC have more than 100 years of combined experience in golf course acquisitions, construction management and operations, including both public and private country clubs. Christopher R. Schiavone, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer & Principal Mr. Schiavone’s experience in operating golf courses began with his family’s decades of experience owning and operating Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, a 54-hole private country club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Mr. Schiavone is also co-founder of Dartcor Food Service, which owns and operates corporate food service facilities. The New Jersey Business Magazine rated Dartcor as one of Northern New Jersey’s Top 20 Privately Held Companies. In addition, Chris Schiavone was named Entrepreneur of the Year for the hospitality industry by the Morris County (New Jersey) Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Schiavone received an AB in Government from Dartmouth College. Mr. Schiavone is involved in philanthropic activities and is a former Chairman of New Jersey Special Olympics. Mr. Schiavone co-founded the Higgins Classic charity outing at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club more than a decade ago, which has raised more than $2 million for New Jersey Special Olympics since its inception. In addition, Mr. Schiavone founded the Forsgate Foundation Charity Golf Classic which hosts an annual Pro-Am Skins Golf Tournament to benefit a variety of charities, which have included, Ronald Mc Donald House, March of Dimes, Make A Wish, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and several central-New Jersey based charities. Matthew Galvin, Executive Vice-President & Principal Mr. Galvin focuses on financial, consulting, strategic planning and business development functions. He formerly served in several project management positions of increasing responsibility for the nation’s largest owner and operator of golf courses. He was instrumental in the company’s growth from 47 courses to 111 courses in three years, representing investments in excess of $300 million. Mr. Galvin also served as project co-manager for a contract to manage more than $1.5 billion worth of resort and golf properties owned by the Resolution Trust Company, which included notable assets such as the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club, the Kiawah Island Resort and Mission Hills Resort. Matthew is a Director of the National Golf Course Owners Association and currently serves at its Vice President. He is also a past Board member of T Links, a leading tee-time reservation business. Matthew is also active in his community and serves on the Executive Committee of the Central NJ Council of the Boy Scouts of America, overseeing more 260 scouting units with 10,200 youth participants and 3,700 adult volunteers. Mr. Galvin is a recognized expert in the golf industry and has spoken at industry events, been interviewed by publications such as Forbes and Barrons and has served as an expert witness in golf-related litigation. Mr. Galvin holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BA from the University of New Hampshire. He has also completed additional coursework in real estate at New York University as well as Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Thomas Saunders, Director of Agronomy Mr. Saunders is a graduate of the Rutgers University Turfgrass program and has been employed by RDC and its affiliates since its purchase of Forsgate Country Club and has been at that 36-hole property for more than 27 years, rising through the ranks of the agronomic staff. He now oversees MGG’s projects and provides agronomic oversight of the superintendents at our managed facilities. Lemia Marinelli, Corporate Controller Mrs. Marinelli’s career in accounting began at Disney Direct Marketing Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. As Staff Accountant, Ms. Marinelli reconciled bank statements and balance sheets and was responsible for the administration of the organization’s royalty program/payments. In December 1994, Mrs. Marinelli left Disney to become Staff Accountant at the renowned Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Within one year, she was promoted to Accounting Supervisor for the club. Mrs. Marinelli joined RDC as Assistant Controller/Accounting Manager when the company acquired Forsgate Country Club in 1997. In 2003, Ms. Marinelli was promoted to Controller and in April of 2006, she was named Corporate Controller. In this capacity, Mrs. Marinelli supervises all accounting operations for our corporate office as well as the company’s owned and managed properties. Born and raised in New Jersey, Lemia Marinelli graduated magna cum laude from Rider University with a degree in Accounting. Jennifer Edelman, Director of Human Resources Jennifer began her career in Human Resources with The Sheraton Pentagon South in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1999, Ms. Hart moved to Baltimore, Maryland, to become Assistant Director of Human Resources at the 700-room Wyndham Inner Harbor. During her stint with this first-class facility she was promoted to Director of Human Resources. In July 2003, Jennifer was named Regional Director of Human Resources for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In this capacity she supervised the Human Resources operations for four hotels from West Virginia to Pennsylvania. While in Baltimore Mrs. Edelman served on the board of the Hotel Human Resources Directors of Baltimore and volunteered with the Goodwill Services of Baltimore, teaching classes on job skills and interview skills. Jennifer joined RDC as Corporate Director of Human Resources in 2005. In this capacity she oversees all human resources operations for RDC’s corporate office as well as the company’s various owned and managed properties. John Napier, Vice President Field Services |
