Nemacolin Woodlands welcomes new COO
Jeff Kmiec is no stranger to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington.
The former director of sales and marketing has come back to the resort to take on the duties of chief operating officer.
Kmiec said he was previously employed at Nemacolin from 2003 to 2007 around the time that the resort was hosting the 84 Lumber Classic.
“I was the director of sales and marketing and as part of that position, I oversaw all of the marketing for the classic,” he said. “I had an incredible four-year stint doing that, but when the classic ended and no more sponsorships were needed, my position was no longer needed.”
From there he took a job with Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., which was the headquarters for the PGA Tour.
After two years there, Kmiec moved north again, taking on a position at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia as vice president of sales and marketing where he helped to start the Greenbrier Classic, a stop on the PGA Tour. He was promoted to president of the resort and held that position for seven years.
From there he was hired by a company out of Williamsburg, Va., where he was in charge of taking a small portfolio of hotels and rebranding them as independent boutique hotels once their franchise expired.
He took that job, which had him working most recently in De Soto, Ga., but his wife is from Oakmont and his family was from the Greensburg area.
“My wife’s mom and my dad are up in age and one day she and I were sitting around daydreaming about how at this stage in our life, it would be nice to be closer to family,” Kmiec said. “The next day this opportunity presented itself, and I’m a firm believer that when a blessing presents itself, you follow it.”
Nemacolin president and owner, Maggie Hardy Magerko, said Kmiec’s knowledge of the resort, combined with his fresh perspective across the industry, makes him a perfect fit for the executive role.
“As we strive each day to provide extraordinary experiences and spectacular service to each guest and member, we’re thrilled to welcome Jeff (Kmiec) back to oversee all aspects of the resort,” she said.
Kmiec agreed that it is a “glove-in-hand” fit.
“I’m so unbelievably fortunate to be in the position that I’m in – to oversee and have the opportunity to steer the resort in becoming not only the best in the region, but the country and eventually the world,” he said.
The path to doing that will have the resort seeing some big changes.
“One of the first things I’m doing is reevaluating the core values and core positions of the resort,” Kmiec said. “It’s doing famously well, but I want to take a step back and figure out who we are and what we’re known for.
“Moving forward, I want to be respectful of carrying on the traditions and memories that the resort has been known for, but how can we reach out and grow year round and not just be a seasonal resort,” he added.
Highlighting and marketing the resorts golf courses as premier courses for a certain level of golfer will definitely be a focal point.
This focus on the golf amenities, coupled with the desire to showcase what the Laurel Highlands has to offer to their clientele, Kmiec already has plans in motion for changes at one restaurant.
“No matter where you go, you have to eat and Nemacolin does have a reputation for our focus on food and service, but how can we make that better,” he questioned. “We don’t want to have a complete reset in this area, but maybe just a repositioning.”
Kristin Butterworth, executive chef for Lautrec in Chateau Lafayette, has already started a garden on the grounds that she uses for her creations.
Kmiec said the fine dining experience is perfection at the resort under her expertise.
“What we’re missing is a great steakhouse,” he said. “I want to see us take The Lodge back to its roots and celebrate it for what it is and where the resort came from.”
The Lodge was the original part of Nemacolin, but once the grandeur of the Chateau Lafayette and Falling Rock hotels were constructed, Kmiec said The Lodge has moved into the shadows.
“I want to move it back into its rightful place,” he said. “Right now, it seems that The Lodge is a consolation for our clientele who couldn’t get in to the Chateau, but I want people to want to go there.
“At this point, it’s sort of a benign pass-through from the Chateau to the shops, but I want to highlight that area and celebrate its history,” Kmiec added. “It has its own check-in desk that has been dark for many years, but I want to highlight that again.”
One of the first changes to the area will be to change the style of the restaurant in The Lodge that was formally known as Autumn.
As soon as May 24, Kmiec’s vision to turn this restaurant into a premier steak house, using local ingredients tied to the Pennsylvania Allegheny Mountain region and focusing on Appalachian-style cuisine prepared with produce, dairy and meat purchased from local farms, will come to fruition.
“Back in the day, when the Rockwells owned this property, they would go out and hunt, fish or forage on the property and then bring back their harvest and turn it over to the chef to prepare a meal from it,” he said. “This steakhouse will feature game and fish from the Laurel Highlands and we’ll be depending on local farms withing the community for the lion’s share of produce, chesses and meats.
“We want to be not only a significant employer in the area, but also a significant provider for all our local artisans and farmers,” Kmiec added.
On top of the changes at Autumn, there will be other changes to The Lodge.
“Right now there is a coffee shop adjacent to Autumn that we want to turn into a gourmet “to-go” grocery store,” Kmiec said. “Right now we don’t have something for the guest who might not want to eat at a restaurant, but who would rather sit outside for a family picnic and enjoy a delicious sandwich or cheese or wine.”
Kmiec said this is something that has been needed for a long time and is something that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
“It’s another great way for us to showcase the Laurel Highlands,” he said.
There is an aggressive time-frame for these and other changes at the resort, but Kmiec has no doubt that the team assembled at the resort will be able to accomplish the goal.
“With Maggie’s (Hardy Magerko) support and the support of her family, we will get there,” he said. “This is Nemacolin. We have the absolute capability to be the best, and now we’re going to do it.”