By Kari M. Foster, Chief Financial Officer

To be effective in club management is to understand the operation and how decisions impact the bottom line. Maintaining integrity in everything we do sets an important example for staff and membership that we can be trusted to take care of the Club and all its assets, including physical, financial, and our most important asset class, people or human capital.
 
Since joining the Missouri Athletic Club six months ago, I intend to use my experience to the long-term benefit of the Club. Spending more than 30 years in private wealth management, education, manufacturing, and private clubs has afforded me a unique lens and perspective. I approach both financial and operational management by understanding how decisions impact the entire organization, then contributing pathways to support future needs and goals.
 
The MAC enjoys members who have called the Club home for many years and continues to attract new members who are intrigued both by the historical footprint and the new MAC Clayton addition. Having a multi-generational membership creates a unique opportunity for leadership to preserve traditions of the past, while ensuring the Club has the capital to make needed improvements to sustain and modernize club assets in the future. Improving current assets does not mean forgetting the past. Improving assets enables staff to do their jobs more efficiently, minimizes the need for emergency repairs, and enhances the “look and feel” of the Club, which proves to attract new members. The value of the MAC is immense. While most private clubs only have one location, the MAC has enjoyed two locations for over 30 years. The addition of MAC Clayton significantly improves the value of membership and sets the Club apart on a larger scale now with three locations.
 
While MAC Clayton is an elevated experience that promises heightened experiences and overall excellence, the game changer for the MAC and its member-owners will be to create a responsible strategy that will provide capital for future investments. Having a healthy reserve for capital enables the Club to participate in new opportunities and minimize deferred maintenance. Consider a personal home that needs timely maintenance of air conditioning systems, roofs, and hot water heaters. The Club’s needs are the same, except it is a “house” with two locations, both with large footprints. The need to fund capital reserves at adequate levels is paramount. As the Club is a 501(c)(7) member-owned private club, all funds come from members via operating dues and capital maintenance dues. New memberships contribute to capital via initiation fees that should be used for aspirational or “new build” projects. 
 
Change is constant. Change can be transformational. Change is good! There are several things to be excited about as we move into the latter half of FY 2026 and embark on building the FY 2027 Budget. It is important to anticipate needs, set meaningful goals, execute plans, and deliver consistent performance. That is the overarching idea of a business philosophy called, “Kaizen,” translated as continuous improvement. Whatever the goal or how insurmountable the project appears to be, progress is certain when you work toward the goal in a consistent manner. It is by doing the right things every day when no one is watching. It is striving for excellence in every action. It is communicating effectively to engage membership and staff in these efforts.
 
The future is bright, as the MAC is certainly in a growth period. We look forward to the future with stable membership, sound business principles, and responsible management, who act with a continuous improvement mindset to provide adequate resources. Continued success is possible by encouraging behaviors and traits that are everlasting. By demonstrating integrity in the numbers and everyday actions, honesty in the representation and communication of efforts, and consistency in performance and results, our members can rest assured that the Club will remain viable for many years to come. 
 
I am your new CFO, and I am happy to be part of “The Renaissance of the Missouri Athletic Club!”
 
Cheers to the future!