The Staff of Life
Maggie Denison-Marketing Manager
We begin September with the celebration of Labor Day, and we wanted to take a minute and celebrate those that are “laboring” for Callawassie Island all year. You might say that they are the staff of life as we live it here. The warmth, balance, and connection that make Callawassie Island unique are embodied in the people who work here, as much as in the people who choose our Island as home.
Blessed with a Dream Cast
No matter what the subject – whether it’s art, photography, fitness, golf, boating, and kayaking, tennis, theatre, or gardening – eventually the story includes a member of the Callawassie Island staff.
Certified Arborist Billy Bagwell with his easy going manner and passionate, expert knowledge of our ancient oaks. Marketing Manager Maggie Denison, who makes sure Callawassie Island is known and known well. Executive Chef Clayton Rollison, who breaks the barrier between fine dining and home cooking, making every day a bit of an occasion at the Club. From cordial, confident, and competent Club Concierge Jennifer McMahon, whom everyone sees regularly, to Security Director Tamara Atkins, whose work is mostly behind the scenes, Callawassie Island is home to a cast of stars.
Billy Bagwell-Agronomy Director
Guided by a Rare Quality
Jennifer McMahon-Club Concierge
These folks and more, too numerous to name here, reflect the pattern of alacrity set by General Manager Jeff Spencer and Assistant General Manager David Spivey. That word, alacrity, isn’t used much anymore – possibly because the quality is rare. It means cheerful willingness. The ability plus the readiness, the expertise plus the character – the team at Callawassie Island reflects the high value our leadership places on alacrity.
We know a friend who got acquainted at one of our monthly breakfasts at the Club with the General Manager. A specialist whose career brought an acquaintance with many of the gated resort communities of the Carolina coast, our friend remarked from the beginning that the trust and confidence he saw in that meeting, the mirror images of leadership reflected in the questions as well as the answers, was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
The elements, the chemistry, the lessons we’ve learned together, have grown here an environment not often seen in any community. It’s what people want to feel, this confidence and comfort, yet no one person can bring it into being alone. Our staff, as much as our neighbors, our fellow owners and residents, make this rare environment possible. The beauty of the unseen matches the beauty we can see, here on Callawassie Island.
David Spivey- Assistant General Manager
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
We suppose it’s possible to learn all the wrong things in a dining hall or bar. Yet, like elsewhere in life, it depends on what you’re looking for. Maybe the best face of it – the fellowship, the loyalty, the service, and hospitality – was illustrated in that theme song from the long-running TV series, Cheers. Many food and beverage positions that begin in that environment don't let their story finish there.
We've had many staff take on new roles and duties on our team from where they began. Some held similar prior positions and once our management is familiar with the quality of their work with our team, we just know they are ready for more. Sensing this ability and a team members capacity to keep on growing is an asset for our team and its success.
Our team members learn quickly that the Callawassie Island Club is an extension of our residents’ homes. “Everybody’s a regular here,” it's often said. People noticed right away that they were greeted sooner, more cordially, and that the staff was attentive to their preferences, tastes, and opinions, to what makes a resident unique.
“We’re part of people’s memories, too,” Spencer explained. “What people experience here at the Club leaves a lasting impression, even when it’s just an everyday visit.”
"Listening turns out to be a major hospitality skill for our staff at the Club and many team members bring that lesson from previous experiences. They find quickly that the residents here are awesome and it's a pleasure to learn where they come from and how things look to them. Our teams often see residents who eat here all the time, and it’s up to us to make that worthwhile.” shares Spencer. The fact that hometown dishes, from the cities our residents came from, often find their way onto the menu at the Callawassie Island Club is not because of research. “We just listen to our owners,” Spencer said. “People tell us their stories, and that leads to their hometown. It’s easy to see what is special to them.”
Part of Our Island Ways
“You have to understand that you do make a difference.” It’s one of the first things we teach our Food & Beverage people when they arrive. It’s a realization that radiates throughout our staff, to every point on Callawassie Island. The basics of service, consistency, and imagination are fundamental here.
In this region, “hospitality” is sometimes used as the name of an industry. On Callawassie Island though, our staff seems to know that hospitality is actually a holy thing in some cultures. The considerate, generous reception and treatment of guests, whether neighbors or strangers, is valued as a real element of civilization, to be practiced avidly and guarded carefully. That value is alive and well here. It is the very atmosphere in which Warmth, Balance, and Connection live and grow, and our staff plays a crucial role in bringing that atmosphere to life every day.
Maggie Denison-Marketing Managerr
The Staff of Life
We begin September with the celebration of Labor Day, and we wanted to take a minute and celebrate those that are “laboring” for Callawassie Island all year. You might say that they are the staff of life as we live it here. The warmth, balance, and connection that make Callawassie Island unique are embodied in the people who work here, as much as in the people who choose our Island as home.
Billy Bagwell-Agronomy Director
Blessed with a Dream Cast
No matter what the subject – whether it’s art, photography, fitness, golf, boating, and kayaking, tennis, theatre, or gardening – eventually the story includes a member of the Callawassie Island staff.
Certified Arborist Billy Bagwell with his easy going manner and passionate, expert knowledge of our ancient oaks. Marketing Manager Maggie Denison, who makes sure Callawassie Island is known and known well. Executive Chef Clayton Rollison, who breaks the barrier between fine dining and home cooking, making every day a bit of an occasion at the Club. From cordial, confident, and competent Club Concierge Jennifer McMahon, whom everyone sees regularly, to Security Director Tamara Atkins, whose work is mostly behind the scenes, Callawassie Island is home to a cast of stars.
Jennifer McMahon-Club Concierge
Guided by a Rare Quality
These folks and more, too numerous to name here, reflect the pattern of alacrity set by General Manager Jeff Spencer and Assistant General Manager David Spivey. That word, alacrity, isn’t used much anymore – possibly because the quality is rare. It means cheerful willingness. The ability plus the readiness, the expertise plus the character – the team at Callawassie Island reflects the high value our leadership places on alacrity.
We know a friend who got acquainted at one of our monthly breakfasts at the Club with the General Manager. A specialist whose career brought an acquaintance with many of the gated resort communities of the Carolina coast, our friend remarked from the beginning that the trust and confidence he saw in that meeting, the mirror images of leadership reflected in the questions as well as the answers, was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
The elements, the chemistry, the lessons we’ve learned together, have grown here an environment not often seen in any community. It’s what people want to feel, this confidence and comfort, yet no one person can bring it into being alone. Our staff, as much as our neighbors, our fellow owners and residents, make this rare environment possible. The beauty of the unseen matches the beauty we can see, here on Callawassie Island.
David Spivey- Assistant General Manager
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
We suppose it’s possible to learn all the wrong things in a dining hall or bar. Yet, like elsewhere in life, it depends on what you’re looking for. Maybe the best face of it – the fellowship, the loyalty, the service, and hospitality – was illustrated in that theme song from the long-running TV series, Cheers. Many food and beverage positions that begin in that environment don't let their story finish there.
We've had many staff take on new roles and duties on our team from where they began. Some held similar prior positions and once our management is familiar with the quality of their work on our team, we just know they are ready for more. Sensing this ability and a team members capacity to keep on growing is an asset for our team and its success.
Our team members learn quickly that the Callawassie Island Club is an extension of our residents’ homes. “Everybody’s a regular here,” it's often said. People noticed right away that they were greeted sooner, more cordially, and that the staff was attentive to their preferences, tastes, and opinions, to what makes a resident unique.
“We’re part of people’s memories, too,” Spencer explained. “What people experience here at the Club leaves a lasting impression, even when it’s just an everyday visit.”
"Listening turns out to be a major hospitality skill for our staff at the Club and many team members bring that lesson from previous experiences. They find quickly that the residents here are awesome and it's a pleasure to learn where they come from and how things look to them. Our teams often see residents who eat here all the time, and it’s up to us to make that worthwhile.” shares Spencer. The fact that hometown dishes, from the cities our residents came from, often find their way onto the menu at the Callawassie Island Club is not because of research. “We just listen to our owners,” Spencer said. “People tell us their stories, and that leads to their hometown. It’s easy to see what is special to them.”
Part of Our Island Ways
“You have to understand that you do make a difference.” It’s one of the first things we teach our Food & Beverage people when they arrive. It’s a realization that radiates throughout our staff, to every point on Callawassie Island. The basics of service, consistency, and imagination are fundamental here.
In this region, “hospitality” is sometimes used as the name of an industry. On Callawassie Island though, our staff seems to know that hospitality is actually a holy thing in some cultures. The considerate, generous reception and treatment of guests, whether neighbors or strangers, is valued as a real element of civilization, to be practiced avidly and guarded carefully. That value is alive and well here. It is the very atmosphere in which Warmth, Balance, and Connection live and grow, and our staff plays a crucial role in bringing that atmosphere to life every day.