It’s official: He’s part of the club

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- The bay and the ocean may be why Ronald Banaszak is

in business. But from his office windows, the general manager of Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club overlooks a parking lot rather than boats. Not that

he minds, however.

“I love it,” said Banaszak, who came to the club in 1995 and has held

his current position for the last three years. “I know what’s going to

happen before it happens.”

In a way, the 29-year-old sees himself as the head of a “family

serving a family,” as the club’s motto states.

During the off-season, 50 employees take care of club members. During

the summer, an additional 15 people work at the club.

Banaszak said the close-knit atmosphere, where guests are regulars

rather than occasional visitors, is what attracted him to private clubs

in the first place.

Bahia Corinthian’s 450 members come to escape their daily lives, he

said.

“They want to forget about life and their worries,” he said. “They

have a nice meal on the water, a cool drink and relax.”

After starting his career in the hospitality business as a dishwasher

when he was 14 in Benicia, Calif., Banaszak worked for several country

clubs. But eventually he fell in love with the casual style of his

current workplace.

“Here it’s much more relaxed,” he said. “People wear khakis and polo

shirts. It’s slacks and collar shirts at country clubs.”

Banaszak said he did his share of sailing while growing up in the Bay

Area, but now rugby, jogging and other workout routines now take up most

of his free time.

A clock on his wall inscribed with “Arabian Rugby, Ronald Banaszak,

Most Valuable Player” and a rugby helmet on a shelf are reminders of his

current passion.

Plaques citing the successful completion of management courses also

cover Banaszak’s office wall. But a diploma for his latest achievement

hasn’t arrived yet.

In November, Banaszak successfully completed the Club Managers Assn.

of America’s certified club manager program, joining about 1,000 other

club managers worldwide.

After years of preparation and two months of nonstop studying,

Banaszak answered questions about club administration, principles of

management and food and beverage operations.

“The test was brute, man,” he said, adding that he plans to try out

for even higher levels of accomplishment in future years.

Working at a marina with 85 slips for boats ranging in size from 25 to

60 feet might seem like the perfect playground to revive his old hobby,

but Banaszak said he rarely joins members on outings.

“It’s breaking the invisible barrier between employer and employee,”

he said. “I would love to, but I don’t.”