Seventeen Marymount University students came together last semester to launch the region’s first-ever student chapter of the Club Management Association of America (CMAA). This national organization, dedicated to educating and connecting future leaders in the club management industry, now has a vibrant new presence powered by Marymount’s trailblazing students.
Leading the charge is senior Business major and Northern Virginia native Jason Nicola, who will serve as Marymount’s CMAA chapter president for the upcoming year.
“What drew me to Marymount was its location and the opportunity it offered to build strong, personal connections. The University’s small class sizes appealed to me because I knew that in a smaller environment, I could build a community and have those one-on-one moments that make a difference in your education.”
The idea to start a Marymount CMAA chapter came from a conversation he had with Haissam Baityeh, the COO and general manager of Washington Golf and Country Club, where Nicola has worked for the past five years.
Mark Rodoff attend a CMAA event
“Haissam is on the national CMAA board and is passionate about helping students and young professionals get connected to great opportunities,” Nicola said. “He offered to help get it off the ground, including covering the initial registration fees, and he’s been involved ever since. That support and vision made a huge difference in getting the project started.”
“I was surprised to find out that even though CMAA’s national headquarters is in Old Town Alexandria, there were no student chapters anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic region,” Baityeh added. “By working with President Becerra, faculty and students, we’ve been able to establish the first and only CMAA student chapter in the region. That means the hub of all CMAA student activities in the DMV will be right here at Marymount.”
As Baityeh laid the logistical foundations for the project, Nicola started to recruit other students for the club’s executive board. This included junior Political Science and International Relations major Mark Rodoff, who will serve as the club’s first treasurer.
“When Jason approached me about getting involved with CMAA, I wasn’t sure at first because club management didn’t align with my pre-law path,” Rodoff said. “But after more discussions, I realized this wasn’t just about club jobs—it was about access. It lets you get behind the scenes at exclusive clubs and make connections that might shape your future in totally unexpected ways. That’s what sold me on taking a leadership role.”
After securing its executive board, which also includes senior Sean Mantua as vice president and sophomore Tinleigh Rusher as secretary, the group set its sights on planning an exciting slate of events for the upcoming year. Examples include on-campus speaker events, résumé workshops and skill-building sessions for students of all majors. They are also planning a series of private site visits to various recreational and social clubs to help students sharpen their professional skills and build important connections.
“They will include visits to places like the Capitol Hill Club, the K Club in DC and yacht clubs closer to Annapolis,” Radoff explained. “When you join CMAA, you don’t just visit these places—you get full behind-the-scenes tours. That’s not something you come across every day as a college student.”
“We want to help our members build their professional toolkits through workshops that focus on things like customer service, event planning and communication,” Nicola added. “There are so many aspects to club management—golf and racquet sports, food and beverage, accounting, HR, marketing—you name it. Our events will reflect that range, so students can explore all the different paths and maybe discover something unexpected that excites them.”
Baityeh highlighted the career opportunities and connections available through the club and how its goals align with Marymount’s emphasis on career preparation.
“CMAA is built around three pillars—professionalism, education and networking,” he explained. “For students, that translates into unique access to club managers, executives and industry leaders both locally and nationally. Whether they end up in club management or not, students will leave with professional connections, leadership experience and practical skills that will benefit them in any industry. It’s a way to prepare them for the real world—introducing them to executives, helping them navigate professional environments and showing them what’s possible when they step outside the classroom.”
“I believe education isn’t just about sitting in a classroom,” Nicola added. “You need hands-on experience to grow professionally and personally. Starting CMAA felt like a way to bridge that gap between the academic and the practical, the classroom and the real world. It’s been fulfilling to build something from the ground up and know that it’s opening doors for people like me.”
