March 5, 2015 -- Garden of the Gods Club and Resort owners Judy Mackey and Brenda Smith, along with Gemstone Hotels & Resorts; our management partner, are pleased to announce the permanent appointment of Laura Neumann as General Manager. Laura has proven herself as a transformative and collaborative leader whether through her role as strategic leader and public spokesperson of "City for Champions" this past year; or her role as Chief of Staff for the City of Colorado Springs; or her 24 years with Benchmark Hospitality International. During her tenure with Benchmark, she served seven years at Cheyenne Mountain Resort and The Country Club of Colorado as Vice President and General Manager where she was responsible for successfully repositioning the owner's asset and secured the AAA Four-Diamond award for the first time in property's history and achieved "Best Companies to Work for in Colorado" and led Benchmark’s philanthropic efforts for all 32 properties for three years prior to her departure. When asking Laura where she gets her greatest professional fulfillment; she will quickly say her joy is in leading and developing people; which is echoed by many who have worked for her over the past two and half decades; with eleven of those years here in the Springs. Laura, who has consistently stated her priority is with her family, was honored that Judy and Brenda not only recognized such, but embraced similar values. To learn they were willing to design a job-sharing proposal with Gemstone that respected her time limitations while aligning her experience and expertise with their business needs was compelling. "To have the opportunity to do work I love, at a destination rich with history, with owners of legendary vision, with a group of dedicated people with unlimited potential while not working a traditional schedule? How could anyone possibly resist? These women and the management group they have partnered with are remarkable in so many ways!" As Judy and Brenda explained; "Our vision of wellness and life enrichment focuses on the well-being of the individual. All of us have seasons in our life where the devotion of our time shifts from one area to another; career, family, education, creative pursuits. We recognized Laura's need for time with family, know she shares our vision, and were willing to make accommodations for her in order to have her leadership and expertise. We're simply ‘walking our talk’ on our own life journeys". Noted as "One of the Top Women to Watch in Colorado Springs in 2015" by Colorado Springs Business Journal, Laura Neumann has set excellent performance as her standard. With intelligent direction, compassionate leadership and skillful execution, Laura will be a significant catalyst for elevating the prominence of the Garden of the Gods Club and Resort in the hospitality industry. We are exceptionally honored to have Laura as the Resort’s General Manager and welcome her in her new role.
March 14, 2014 -- Garden of the Gods Club and Resort will begin a renovation project that will bring elegant design and modern upgrades to our Colorado Springs gem. Upgrades include a newly designed lobby and front desk. The Front Desk will receive a complete redesign, equipped with a new gift shop. The Lobby will undergo updates to the façade and include a new state-of-the-art café and bar. Renovations are expected to begin on March 16, 2014 and be completed by early June 2014. We’ve carefully scheduled the construction to minimize interruptions for our Members and guests. The current renovations are only affecting the Lobby and Front Desk; renovations to the guest rooms will occur at a later date. This is an exciting time for the Club and Resort and it is our hope you share in our enthusiasm!