Hello to all Members of the Decatur Country Club:
I wanted to take a brief moment of your time to introduce myself and my family to you, and to include you in on a new page of the forward progression of the Decatur Country Club.
My name is John Dupes, and as of yesterday – after a lengthy vetting process by your Board of Directors – I have accepted the position of Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of the Decatur Country Club. I am fully aware of the challenges which have faced the Club over the recent past, as well as the challenges which lie ahead – however, I wish to assure you all that I will be greatly involved in all aspects of the Club operations, and along with the talent and expertise of Rick Waters and Shelia Brewster, we will work together to maintain and build upon the quality of excellence which has made this Country Club a stand-out in this community for nearly 100 years.
I bring a wide-range of experience to this endeavor including 15 years of high-level management of four of our Country’s premier Golf, Tennis, Resort, and Country Club operations; operated and owned a very specialized company for 11 years which I grew from a $750,000 annual company to a $10,000,000 annual company which I then sold in 2007; and I have spent the last three years in Private Banking as a Senior Vice President, creating sophisticated debt instruments to assist in the re-capitalization of many struggling Community Banks. I not only bring a diverse background specific to the Club operations, but also the fiscal acumen to assist in the restructuring progression of the Club as a whole.
My family has a very long history between Decatur and Courtland, and I am the son of Ted and Meme Dupes who live on Stratford Road – just down the street from the Club. My father was born and raised here, living on Cain Street in Old Decatur, and his ties to this community have been long and far-reaching for many decades. I am quite sure that many of you are familiar with my Uncle, Billy Hudson, and his wife Diane…my mother and Billy are brother and sister. We have a Family Farm in Courtland, and as I mentioned before, our family has resided here for many generations.
Colleen, my wife and High School Sweetheart of now 30 years, and I made the decision to move home in order to be around our family and friends after a nearly 18 year stint in Dallas, Texas…please know that we got back here as soon as we could!! We have three children – Justin, 28 – Lauren, 24 – and Hunter, 10…both of our older children are now married, and we actually have two grandchildren – Jayden, 8 – and Levi, 4 months old.
We have chosen to live here until it is time to retire, so I can assure you that we are not going anywhere, anytime soon!! I am excited to be a part of this wonderful Institution of Decatur which our family has held so dear for so many years.
My official date of beginning this opportunity is Tuesday, April 20th, and shortly thereafter we will forward to each of you all of my new contact information so that you will know how to reach me for any need, question or concern.
I look forward to meeting each and every one of you, as well as you meeting my family – we already have many friends who are members of the Club, but we are excited to make many, many more!
Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy this glorious weather while it lasts, and I greatly look forward to beginning new relationships over the coming months.
My Heartfelt Regards,
John V. Dupes
Decatur Country Club