UMass Student Chapter of CMAA Wins Chapter of the Year Award 2020

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The Club Management Association of America (CMAA) recently announced its 2020 Student Chapter of the Year award recipients at the CMAA Virtual World Conference. The UMass Amherst Student Chapter of CMAA, of the hospitality and tourism management department in the Isenberg School of Management, was named this year’s winner in the middle-sized chapter category. The chapter excelled in goal attainment, membership recruitment and retention, external and extracurricular programming, club and member communications, special educational programming/tours, senior or regional chapter collaboration and extended student chapter operations and COVID19 adaptation during an unprecedented and challenging year.

The winning chapters were named on Wednesday, March 10, at the awards session of the 2021 World Conference and Club Business Expo, held virtually. 

The UMass Student Chapter of CMAA was also winner of two Idea Fair Awards, in the Senior and Student Chapter Relations and Collaboration with Other Chapterscategories.

UMass Student Chapter achievement in Senior and Student Chapter Relations was highlighted by the quick pivot the chapter made in the COVID19 lockdowns during the summer of 2020 when the chapter updated their “UMass CMAA Student Profile Booklet,” quickly adding students who lost placements either entry-level or internships that were rescinded in other sectors of the hospitality industry, most notably pronounced with hotels, restaurant and event management venues. The chapter worked hard in helping to place students near their homes that were still open and still operating in take-out or social distancing outdoor dining and that held outdoor sport activities.

While some schools went totally remote and curtailed student activities, the UMass Student Chapter embraced the new virtual world in 2020 by offering virtual tours, manager outreach and advising, regular club meetings, with both local chapters but regional chapter parent clubs, demonstrating why the chapter was selected for the Collaborations with Other Chapters Award.

The UMass Student Chapter of CMAA is made up of 42 members, with nearly 20 highly active students engaged in the daily chapter operations. The membership is driven by an engaging and purpose driven e-board comprised of Hannah Kemp, president (’21, Peabody, Mass., and two time winner of the National Joe Perdue Scholarship Award);  Jesse Feeney, vice president (’20, Merrimac, Mass.); Nastaha Prokopowich, secretary (’21, Worcester, Mass.);  Jacob LeClair, treasurer (’21, Springfield, Mass.); Michael Maroney, fundraising and events (’22, Reading, Mass.); Jessica Harrington, communications and social media, (’23, Ipwisch, Mass.); and past officer Taylor Giron, events (’21, Clarksburg, Mass.).

Hannah Kemp (’21, President) noted, “I am so proud of all of our e-board and chapter members for working so hard this year despite spending the majority of it in a virtual setting. Winning Chapter of the Year has been a goal for our chapter ever since I was a freshman and we have all worked tirelessly to reach this goal by providing the best club management experiences for our members. In a year full of uncertainty and constant change, it is great to be recognized for the ways we adapted and continued to show up for our chapter. It has been a pleasure being the president of this resilient chapter.”      

Rod Warnick, faculty advisor to the chapter noted, “This was a very special group of students who in the face of adversity and an unbelievable challenge during the pandemic drove the chapter to new heights, by turning quickly to help students with summer placements, tours, education and collaboration with NECMA and regional students’ chapters throughout the school year.  I am very proud of how the e-board and through the leadership of Hannah Kemp, the group made the best of the challenges and built on the culture and involvement of their education beyond the classroom that has sustained and built this student chapter to what it is today and the pinnacle of achievement this year.  It is with great pride to see the culture these students have created and invested in their education and I am honored to be their faculty advisor.”

For more information on the CMAA and its chapters, visit cmaa.org.