MSU Denver’s CMAA student chapter kicks off its second semester and is making big moves to expand even further.
November 20, 2025
Welcome to MSU Denver’s CMAA Student Chapter, where students not only learn how to grow professionally, but get the incredible opportunities of being invited to country clubs across Colorado like The Denver Country Club, and attend seminars, workshops, and most importantly, network!
These initiatives are so impactful for students where they get hands on experience in the Food & Beverage industry, the Club Management industry, and the Hospitality industry, in ways that normal students at MSU Denver usually don’t have access to. CMAA has seen incredible growth in its chapter and these club visits only motivate our students to grow even more.
Our club had the amazing honor of being invited to Denver’s Country Club to attend an event they were hosting for club management professionals on the 19th of November.
Upon arriving, we were immediately greeted by Cortney Murphy who had already set up a table with CMAA’s logo as well as a banner next to the entrance. Cortney is the Executive Director of the Mile High Chapter of CMAA, the liaison between the CMAA National office and the local Mile High Chapter, and one of the pillars behind our club.
“In an effort to grow the CMAA, creating a student chapter with MSU Denver not only provides students a pathway to CMAA membership, but also provides a pathway to recruiting great local talent for our Club Managers. Winner, winner.” – Cortney Murphy, Executive Director of the Mile High Chapter of CMAA.
We started by having a delicious breakfast served by the country club where we all got to enjoy some intricately prepared, delicious food while meeting people from different country clubs hailing from all around Colorado. Cortney then provided some CMAA updates and introduced our first speaker of the day – Stav Mallookis, who owns a canopy business and discussed everything in regard to canopy solutions in relation to club events and outdoor experiences. Next up, we heard from Martin Tzankov and Kelly Simons, both of which are GGA Directors (Global Governance Advisor) with over a decade of experience in club management. They introduced fascinating ideas about strategic planning in terms of amenities provided and membership rates, offering compelling insight into methodologies clubs can use in order to maximize ROI and profit margins, as well as reach their full potential.
Lastly, we were joined by Carrie Eyler, Director of Business Development, whose presentation revolved around innovation within Food & Beverage, unlocking market trends, technology, and sustainability within F&B solutions. Carrie opened up avenues of questions and ideas in our brains and was such an enthusiastic and exciting speaker.
As the event wrapped up, Cortney invited our leaders Matt, Quinn, Jordan, as well as our faculty advisor Joshua Wilson to come forward and each receive a plaque of honor for all their efforts in pioneering this club thus far. Insanely well-deserved recognitions, and a great initiative from Cortney and CMAA as a whole.
Reflecting back on this event, we have since been expanding our social media and marketing presence, trying to implement recruitment strategies, and we’re preparing for leadership elections this upcoming December.
If you’re interested in joining MSU’s CMAA Chapter, contact us and we’d be more than happy to assist or even just answer questions.
Nour Itani: [email protected]
Quinn Fisher: [email protected]
Jordan Hamilton: [email protected]
Lastly, follow us on our newly launched social media pages to keep up with all our events and updates!
Support comes from MSU Denver’s College of Business, offering flexible programs with real‑world projects and support. Committed to empowering graduates to lead, solve, and inspire.
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