Edward Merritt, Ph. D
Professor
The James A. Collins Distinguished Professor of Management
Office: 79B-2441
Email: eamerritt@csupomona.edu
Phone: (909) 869-2269
Fax: (909) 869-4805
Edward Merritt's Home Page
Professor
Dr. Ed Merritt is a professor of management at California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly), Pomona, in the Collins School of Hospitality Management. Prior to entering academe, he spent twenty-five years in the hospitality industry where his primary focus was resort club development and management.
He has held senior management positions in a well-rounded variety of settings. As Vice President and General Manager of Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club, in Southern California, he oversaw the planning, development, and management of the facility from start-up in 1990 to mature by 1996. As Vice President and General Manager of Sawgrass, he managed an equity conversion and transition of the resort from developer-owned to member-owned.
As Vice President and Managing Director of Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, he directed operations for an oceanfront resort hotel, spa, and club membership community of over 4,000 member families. As President of Merritt & Goodloe Hospitality, Inc., he founded and managed operations for the firm’s company-owned locations, as well as provided integrated turnkey services to client hospitality companies opening in Florida.
Education:
- Cornell University, Ph.D. Hotel Administration / Organizational Behavior
- Pepperdine University, MBA, Business Management
- University of Alabama, BS (cum laude), Administrative Sciences
Teaching, Research & Consulting Interests:
- Hotel, Resort & Club Management
- Computer Technology
- Management Teams and Small Groups
- Leadership
- Strategy
Professional Associations & Certifications:
- American Hotel & Motel Assn. Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) and Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA)
- Club Managers Association of America Certified Club Manager (CCM)
- National Restaurant Association Certified Foodservice Management Professional (FMP)
- International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (CHRIE)
- Southern Innkeepers Association, Past Board Member
Selected Publications & Recent Presentations:
- Hospitality Management: A Study of Burnout in Management. (March 1996).
- The Importance of Goal Setting. Cornell Quarterly (February 1998), with F. Berger.
- Burnout in Club Management. CHRIE Annual Convention (July 1998).
- Time Management for Restaurant Managers. Cornell Quarterly (October 1998), with F. Berger.
- Boosting Country Club Memberships. Graziadio Business Report (Fall 1998), with C.W. Fojtik.
- Team Processes In Clubs. A distance education course for CMAA (October 1997), with F. Berger.
- The Effect of Interpersonal Work Values and Behavior on Employee Organizational Culture. (Spring 2000).
- Workshop presenter, session presenter, and case author. CMAA World Conference (1996-present).
Awards, Accomplishments & Service:
- Rotary, Past President, Paul Harris Fellow
- Chamber of Commerce, Past Board Member
- Golden Key National Honor Society
- The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
James A. Collins Distinguished Professor of Management
Dr. Ed Merritt is Professor and the James A. Collins Distinguished Professor of Management at California State University (Cal Poly Pomona). Prior to entering academe, he spent twenty-five years in the hospitality industry where his primary focus was resort and private club real estate development and management.
He has held senior management positions in a well-rounded variety of hospitality settings. As Vice President and General Manager of Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club, the largest gated community in Southern California , he oversaw the planning, development, and management of the 36-hole residential resort club development from start-up to mature. As Vice President and General Manager of Sawgrass, he managed an equity conversion and transition of the world-famous destination resort from developer-owned to member-owned. As Vice President and Managing Director of Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, he directed operations for an oceanfront resort hotel, spa, and club community of over 4,000 member families. As President of Merritt & Goodloe Hospitality, Inc., he founded and managed operations for the firm's locations, served as principal real estate broker, as well as provided integrated turnkey services to client hospitality companies opening in Florida .
Professor Merritt has served as a faculty member for the Club Managers Association of America's executive education programs at Cal Poly Pomona and Cornell University, authored CMAA's first on-line distance education Business Management Institute, serves on the MCM Academic Council, and teaches in the Certification Review Course. Additionally he serves as a commissioner for the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA), which oversees college program accreditation, and as a board member of the National Restaurant Association's Certification Review Board which oversees more than 300,000 certifications annually.
He completed doctoral studies in management at Cornell University (Ph.D.), a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Pepperdine University , and undergraduate studies (BS) at the University of Alabama . Additionally, Merritt is thought to have been the first person to obtain industry executive certification in all four areas of hospitality management: Certified Club Manager (CCM), Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), Foodservice Management Professional (FMP), and Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE).
Dr. Merritt is the author of three books on club management: Leading Clubs Effectively , Leading Teams , and Leading the Strategic Planning Process , as well as a number of academic journal and industry publication articles. Research and consulting interests include management, leadership, and strategic planning in organizations located throughout the U.S.
Dr. Ed Merritt
James A. Collins Distinguished Professor of Management