Resort Development Partners

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Resort Development Partners

Resort Development Partners (RDP) offers expertise in operations and strategic planning for hotels, clubs, residential and resort communities.

The Founders of RDP have over 60 years combined experience and have been involved in in over 600 revitalization projects.  RDP utilizes their wealth of experience combined with stakeholder feedback to re-concept, transform and rebrand resorts, private clubs and high-profile resorts and communities throughout the US. Our team approach focuses on reinvention through performance optimization.

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Our Team

Frank J. Denniston

Founding & Managing Partner

Frank Denniston is a seasoned hospitality professional who has a proven commitment to high quality and industry-leading hospitality operations. Frank has worked for more than two decades in all facets of the private club, resort and residential community industry. In his early career, Denniston held a variety of C-Level positions within many national and boutique clubs, as well as industry leading leisure and resort organizations. Throughout his career, Denniston set new standards in the industry for food concepting, menu creation and collaboration, and corporate management standards and leadership of field operations at more than 250 communities throughout the US. Frank’s experience is in all phases of restaurant and catering operations including conceptualization, organization, operations analysis and improvements.

In addition to his diverse hospitality experience, he has more than 20 years of development experience with varied responsibilities including new property underwriting and acquisition, strategic planning and direct management of multiple developments, finance, hospitality and sales functions. He has managed complex developments and operating budgets of more than $50 million per year with network staffing levels well above 2,000 individuals servicing independent developers as well as national homebuilders in amenity driven communities exceeding 1,800 rooftops.

W. Douglas White

Founding & Managing Partner

Douglas White has over 25 years of experience in development and operations of award-winning resorts, private clubs and residential communities. White’s career began in the private club sector at Sea Pines Country Club in Hilton Head Island, SC. After a successful tenure and turnaround of several private clubs in luxury communities throughout the Southeast and Midwest, White ascended to the corporate ranks as Vice President of Operations for Club Operations and Property Management (“COPM”). During his tenure with COPM, he was privileged to work with some of the most prominent clubs and developers at high-end residential, private clubs and resort communities throughout the US.

In the late 1990’s, White founded his own consulting and management firm, Golf Strategies, LLC. During the eight-year ramp up, White formed relationships with several high-profile resort properties in large master planned lifestyle communities with such prominent home builders as Bay Colony Development, Taylor Woodrow, Lennar and many more. White’s assignments involved developing new real estate integrated membership concepts and structuring many types of memberships including compulsory social memberships, equity, non-equity, and recallable memberships. For its residential developer clients, White was tasked with determining capitalization and exit strategies, member turnover, and the tenants of a comprehensive development plan. Mr. White’s development experience includes more than 150 residential communities, private clubs and resorts with golf and non– golf related amenities.

Jonathan R. Schoenfeld

Partner | Links Asset Trust

Mr. Schoenfeld is a PGA Member with over 20 years of experience in club hospitality, member retention, accounting and strategic procurement. A graduate of the Pennsylvania State University’s Professional Golf Management program, Schoenfeld spent his early career managing full-service private clubs and luxury resorts throughout the United States. Currently, Schoenfeld oversees the financial performance of current projects, contributes in the acquisition and transition of newly acquired company assets and implements turnkey purchasing programs to elevate brand standards and reduce operating expenses. Schoenfeld has been involved with more than 250 properties during his career and managed a national charity event with 200 host sites that raised more than $4 million for wounded veterans.

Mike Severn

Chief Operating Officer | LAT

Mike Severn is the Chief Operating Office of Links Asset Trust and has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
He held roles as Outside Service Supervisor, Assistant Golf Professional, and Tournament Director for a 54-hole property in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Mike then moved to Las Vegas, NV as the Head Golf Professional for Walters Golf.

In 2006, Mike started with ClubCorp as the General Manager at Nags Head Golf Links and The Currituck Club in the Outer Banks, NC. During his five years in the Outer Banks, his clubs received multiple awards for financial performance, membership growth, and member/guest satisfaction. In 2011, he moved to Northern Virginia as the General Manager of Piedmont Club in Haymarket, Virginia. In 2012, Piedmont Club was recognized with ClubCorp’s Gold Circle of Excellence award for their overall club performance.

In 2013, Mike was promoted to General Manager of River Creek Club in Leesburg, VA. The club was awarded ClubCorp’s Circle of Excellence in 2013, 2014, and 2015 for outstanding financial results and member satisfaction.

After four years at River Creek Club, he returned to Piedmont Club as General Manager. In 2018, Piedmont Club successfully implemented a “Dues Reset” program by achieving sixty net Golf Members in 10 months.

Mike is currently responsible for capital renovations, membership growth, employee recruitment, member satisfaction, and overall retention.

Andrea LaCesa

Director of Club Operations

Ms. LaCesa has more than twenty (20) years’ hospitality experience, holding numerous senior management, operations and sales positions in both private clubs and high volume F&B operations. LaCesa attended Bloomsburg University graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art and Art History.

LaCesa, a certified Level I Sommelier brings a quality of excellence and consistency in service and quality within each department of the club. New trendy and social rich activities are the norm for our properties under LaCesa, who is well known for team building and empowerment of her staff to deliver the highest level of product and member service.

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