The Cliffs announces new club leadership at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove
April 27, 2020
The Cliffs is pleased to welcome four to its club leadership team at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. Joining the team are Alban Qemali as general manager, Edwin Bloodworth as executive chef, Mike Steele as director of golf, and David Quiroz as head golf professional. The four new team members bring a wealth of experience to The Cliffs and will help elevate the member experience at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove located just minutes from Asheville.
Qemali brings 20 years of industry experience in high-end private club and dining operations to The Cliffs. He most recently worked as clubhouse manager at Mountaintop Golf and Lake Club in Cashiers, NC. He has also held positions at various clubs within the Discovery Land Company portfolio and worked for The Madison Club and High Hampton Inn & Country Club. Qemali completed his Introductory Sommelier Course with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is a member of the Club Management Association of America where he serves as the education co-chair for the Mountain Region, Carolina chapter.
Bloodworth is a native Carolinian and most recently served as executive chef for the Red Stag Grill at the Grand Bohemian Asheville. He has also held positions with Balsam Mountain Preserve and Heirloom Hospitality Group. He started in the kitchen at an early age and has had numerous career opportunities that have developed him into the chef and leader he is today. Bloodworth was named to the Food Service Restaurant Magazine 40 under 40 list in 2016 and featured as one of the Best Chefs in America in 2013, a program that recognizes premier chefs nominated by their peers in the culinary field.
Steele has been involved with golf for his entire career and most recently worked at Champion Hills Club in Hendersonville where he served as an assistant golf pro for five years and head golf pro for eight years. He has also worked at premier clubs across the country including the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio; The Loxahatchee Club in Jupiter, Fla.; Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich.; and The Club at Mediterra in Naples, Fla. Steele is a certified PGA Class A Professional and is certified by the Titleist Performance Institute.
Quiroz was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and raised in Washington State. Now in his fourth year at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, he was recently promoted to head golf professional. Prior to joining The Cliffs, Quiroz began his career in the golf industry in 1995 at Phoenix Country Club and returned to his home country for 11 years, developing his skill set at Vista Vallarta Club de Golf and Querencia Club de Golf. He was elected as a Class A PGA Professional in 2014.
“We are pleased to announce these four strategic hires as we continue to take The Cliffs at Walnut Cove club offerings to new heights,” said Rob Duckett, president of The Cliffs. “Alban, Edwin, Mike and David bring exceptional talent to our team and all have the natural ability to create memorable experiences that go above and beyond expectations. We look forward to their leadership and contributions to The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.”
Inspired by the ageless villages of Europe, The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is nestled in a lush valley and bordered by the Pisgah National Forest and Blue Ridge Parkway. The private club community features a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, an expansive club village with a tavern and restaurant, an impressive wellness center, nearby hiking trails, and Creekside Farm, a Community Supported Agriculture program providing members with fresh, seasonal produce.
About The Cliffs
The Cliffs is a collection of seven private, luxury residential mountain and lake club communities located in the Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, between two of the nation’s top award-winning cities for quality of life — Greenville, S.C. and Asheville, N.C. — and Clemson, S.C., home to top-ranked Clemson University. The Cliffs’ suite of amenities for members includes seven clubs, seven nationally recognized golf courses, six wellness centers, multiple tennis complexes, a marina, beach club, and equestrian center, boating, watersports, cycling, paddle sports, hiking trails, wakeboarding, wine clubs, more than a dozen restaurant and private event venues, an organic farm, and over 2,000 year-round programs and social activities to create timeless experiences. Homes at The Cliffs range in price from $500,000 to $6 million+; homesites, from $125,000. For more information about The Cliffs, visit www.cliffsliving.com/buzz. Contact The Cliffs at 864.249.4364 to learn more about real estate, membership, or to arrange a visit.
