Bay Window Magazine | September 2020 | Page 18

[ PROFILE ] Making a Mark STARTING A NEW ROLE AS MEMBER RELATIONS COORDINATOR JUST BEFORE THE LOCKDOWN STARTED MAY HAVE HINDERED SOME, BUT KATHERINE FEEHAN TOOK IT AS PAR FOR THE COURSE. BY ASHLEY RYAN Katherine Feehan came to the Newport Beach Country Club six months ago, just before the world turned upside down. “I started working 10 days before California got shut down,” she explains. “This was a unique experience for me because they had to reinvent my job to be able to work from home.” So that is just what they did, and Feehan handled it like a pro. Through screen sharing, she was able to learn from Victoria Shea, the club’s marketing manager, and has since made her return to the office, where she is further finding her footing. There’s no doubt that jumping into a new role in the midst of a pandemic isn’t an easy thing to do, but with a background based in athletics, she’s no stranger to ever-changing environments. Feehan graduated from the University of Arizona a little more than a year ago with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in sports management, during which time she worked in recruiting and player personnel development for the college’s football team. Upon graduation, Feehan was selected for an internship here in Orange County at Athletes First, a National Football League agency based in Laguna Hills. Her work in the firm’s client relations department perfectly prepared her for her work here at NBCC, where she has served as the member relations coordinator since March. “The best thing about working here is that every day is different and each day is never the same in regards to hours, tasks and the people I am around,” Feehan says. “It is such a good environment because everyone is so friendly, happy and outgoing.” Her day-to-day tasks are always changing, but she is always up for the challenge. Whether she is designing marketing flyers, posting and connecting with members through the club’s social media accounts, organizing member events or assisting with the kid’s clubs and camps. Although she says that she doesn’t have a dream job beyond what she is working on at the moment, she is happy to be back in Orange County. “I [grew up] … in Southern California and I have always known that I want[ed] to end up back in SoCal. I was lucky enough to find a job that was so close to my hometown and in an area that I was familiar with,” Feehan says. When she’s not at work, Feehan enjoys going to the beach and spending time with her friends and family, including her parents Adrianne and Dan, her older brother Mike and her twin brother Kevin. And even though her start with the company didn’t go as she originally planned, she is now in the flow of things. “I am so grateful that NBCC kept me through these COVID times,” she says, ready to make her own mark on the NBCC community. As she moves forward in her new role, she hopes to further dive into the community that NBCC has so thoughtfully crafted. “My goal this year is to meet and get to know as many members as I can,” she explains. If you spot Feehan around the club, feel free to say hello and welcome her during this crazy time. 16 BAY WINDOW