Page 1 - Boca Club News - September '22

An Independent Newspaper Serving Broken Sound & Bocaire

VOL. 16 NO. 9 www.seabreezepublications.com SEPTEMBER 2022

An Era Ends at Broken Sound, a New One Begins

John Crean Retires After 20 Years of Remarkable An Auspicious Beginning for Greg Devino,

Achievements as General Manager, COO New General Manager, COO

By Nils A. Shapiro, Editor of Boca Club News By Scott Gordon, a member of Broken Sound Club, who has been
July 29th was John Crean’s final day at Broken named Associate Editor of Boca Club News for Broken Sound. In
Sound Club after having served 20 years as its that role, he is in a unique position to bring to our wide audience
General Manager and Chief Operating Officer. He has of readers coverage of the important news and events taking place
decided to retire and focus on new and challenging at that club. Scott is a skilled writer and photojournalist. This is
opportunities, beginning with obtaining a Master’s his first assignment for the paper.
in certain Leadership and Strategic Studies at a Greg Devino, new General Manager and Chief Operating Officer
university. of Broken Sound Club recently sat down with me to discuss the
These past two decades have seen remarkable evolution of the club. He and his team are committed to an era of
achievements at Broken Sound under Mr. Crean’s John Crean with his daughter, Anna, luxurious style, functional sophistication, technological innovation, culinary excellence,
leadership, and Boca Club News has been privileged and wife Rachel. comprehensive wellness, fitness, robust sports and recreation, and enhanced membership
to cover many of them for our readers with front-page experience that will delight members of all ages.
articles in more than 70% of our issues during his management at the club. Our high level of Greg’s vision and inspiring talents over the past several months at Broken Sound are
coverage of Broken Sound has been possible because Mr. Crean instilled in every member of his influencing every aspect of the club’s resort lifestyle experience, born from his nearly two
staff full cooperation with our paper in providing such information on a regular basis, and that decades of training, management and senior leadership gained from his luxury hospitality
has been deeply appreciated. management career where he most recently led the achievement of all-time highs in both
It should be noted here that, as Editor, I have always welcomed articles and information about membership and member satisfaction as General Manager, Chief Operating Officer role
deserving events taking place at all three of the clubs whose members receive our paper: Broken at Glen Ridge Country Club, a premier, family-focused, northern
Sound, Bocaire and St. Andrews. New Jersey club. He also led that club to be recognized #16 in the
Ever since this newspaper was launched in 2005, and to the present day, our purpose has country for its culinary experience by Club Resort and Business
been to serve as a forum for the exchange of information and ideas between the members of magazine.
Broken Sound, Bocaire and St. Andrews. As Mr. Crean himself noted, the members of all three What also sets Greg apart—and has prepared him for the
clubs benefit from the fact that our circulation of readers extends beyond the gates of the clubs imminent grand opening of Broken Sound’s $30 million, two-and-
themselves to include city and county government officials, many real estate brokers, the heads of a-half-year main clubhouse renovation—is his expertise in opening
large cultural and charity organizations, and corporate executives who influence their employees’ world-class, international luxury hotels and venues, including The
decisions about the best places to raise their families. Shanghai EDITION, The West Hollywood EDITION, The Tokyo
Clearly, articles in Boca Club News that reach a wide audience promoting the advantages of EDITION and The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbor, where he served on
our three clubs’ lifestyles benefit every individual member and the overall value of homeownership the pre-opening executive and onsite training teams over the course Greg Devino
at these clubs.
Especially gratifying to me, as Editor, has been the opportunity to cover the extraordinary An Auspicious Beginning on page 3
environmental program which, under Mr. Crean’s leadership, has earned national and international
praise and awards for Broken Sound as one of the most forward-thinking private clubs in the Bocaire Golfers Take 2022
world in the important area of environmental progress and sustainability.
Over a period of years, the program has expanded from waste management...to water recycling
club’s two 18-hole championship golf courses--mindful of the need for each of us to help offset Emerald League Crown
and reclamation...to composting...to the establishment and regular care of 22 beehives on the
the toll that global warming has taken on these critical pollinators of the world’s food supply.
During his tenure, Mr. Crean has also overseen two major makeovers of Broken Sound’s elegant The Emerald League recently crowned its 2022 Champions from Bocaire Country
clubhouse—including its imminent reopening after a $30-plus million architectural re-design—plus Club. This is the first time in their ten years of participation in the Emerald League that
the addition of such facilities as the Aquacenter, the Tennis Stadium, the Fitness Center, as well as Bocaire has brought home the title. It was a spectacular finish to the season for Bocaire,
other amenities. And, of course, his arranging for the establishment of the annual PGA Champions besting Addison Reserve at their home course in the final match and Broken Sound in the
Golf Tournament on Broken Sound’s legendary Old Course. Semi-Finals.
Mr. Crean’s cooperation with Boca Club News even extended to enabling our readers to The Emerald League was founded in 1991 and is the premier interclub league for lower
better understand the horror of the Parkland high school shooting, when he gave me permission handicap male players in Palm Beach County. As the smallest club participating in the
to have his daughter, Anna—who was a student at Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School Emerald League, the commitment and perseverance of all involved is to be applauded.
that frightful day—write an article for our March 2018 issue about her experience. Anna is now Here is the winning team in its entirety:
attending university in Ireland. Danny Bell, Jim Delguercio, Gavin Golbourn. Alan Goldberg, Mark Krinsky, Jason
So it is with both personal and professional deep feelings that I announce Mr. Crean’s retirement. Levoy, Jim Morehouse, Rich Morelli, Blas Moros, Jeff Nitzkin, Dave Pollack, Ed Pomeranz,
He had already distributed a letter to Broken Sound members, and has graciously given permission Rich Romano, Cal Semel, Jay Scherr, Joe Sodano, Peter Soloway, Theo Spyer, Mitch
to reproduce it in these pages, following my own message. Weinberger. Corey Johnson is Bocaire’s Director of Golf.
Fortunately, we have not heard the last from Mr. Crean: He plans to write a book about the
management of private clubs, and that is something we should all look forward to.

(See page 8 for the letter Mr. Crean distributed to all Broken Sound members upon his retirement.)

(Left to right): Jason Levoy, Alan Goldberg, Rich Morelli, Gavin Golbourn, Blas Moros.