MANAGEMENT & STAFF

Ryan Duffy, CCM
General Manager

Ryan Duffy brings a wealth of knowledge and over two decades of experience in hospitality to his role at Linville Ridge. Inspired by his father’s work as a private club chef, he has been working in the industry since he was a teenager. Ryan earned his Bachelor of Science in hospitality management at California State Polytechnic University and has worked at some of the most prestigious private clubs in the country.

Before transitioning to Linville Ridge, Ryan was the clubhouse manager at Roaring Fork Club, a Top 100 Platinum Club, where he implemented over $1,000,000 in capital improvements and led a successful team to provide an exceptional, upscale member-focused experience. He is a Certified Club Manager, Level One Sommelier, Certified TIPS Trainer and ServSafe certified.

Originally from Sioux City, Iowa, he resides in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, with his two children. An avid fitness enthusiast, Ryan enjoys exploring the outdoors, snowboarding, hiking and martial arts; he holds a black belt in Taekwondo.

Cameron Weedon, CCM
‍Clubhouse Manager

Cameron Weedon was born and raised along the sunny beaches of San Diego, California. His passion for hospitality began while working in the restaurant industry and later transitioned into management where he discovered the gratification of serving members in private clubs.
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With a proven track record of success, Cameron’s experience includes elite clubs in California, Sun Valley, Idaho, and most recently, the Roaring Fork Club in Colorado. He is a Certified Club Manager through the CMAA, a level one sommelier with the CMS and has obtained TIPS and ServSafe certifications.

After high school at Rancho Bernardo, Cameron attended California State University San Marcos and studied business management. He grew up participating in soccer, football and wrestling, eventually accepting a scholarship to play for a soccer team and ended up competing for a championship at the opening game of the 1994 World Cup.

Outside of work, Cameron can be found fishing, camping, hiking and taking road trips with his wife and two sons. In his downtime, he enjoys the gym, biking, running and lifting weights.

Steve Sheets
Development & Operations Director

Steve Sheets is a North Carolina native and has been part of The Lutgert Companies’ team since 1984. From his start as a Golf Course Superintendent at Linville Ridge, Steve has been fundamental in assisting with the growth and development of the community. Over his 43-year career, Steve held previous roles such as President of the Easter and Western North Carolina Turf Grass Association, President of Carolina’s Golf Course Superintendent Association, and served on the Turf Grass Council of North Carolina’s Board of Directors. A passionate golfer, Steve spends his spare time watching and playing the game, as well as skiing and hiking.

Denise Brown
Member Services Director & Concierge

‍Detroit native Denise Brown moved to Boone thirty years ago to attend Appalachian State University and has called the area home ever since. A licensed massage and bodywork therapist,Denise joined the Linville Ridge family in 2013, and has worked both full time in the Day Spa and as a subcontractor.

Impeccable organizational and customer service skills also make Denise a well-liked Club Concierge team member. She works in conjunction with our Food & Beverage team, Transportation Coordinator, Property Services and other vendors to meet all of your season and off-season needs.

An active member of the Boone Service League and the Boone Rotary Club, Denise was recognized by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce in 2013 for her amazing customer service. A licensed North Carolina REALTOR® and general residential builder, Denise enjoys spending her free time with her family, including daughters Madison and Allison, as well as running, practicing yoga and playing golf.

Alisa Finney-Lucas
Property Services

Originally from Plantation, Florida, Alisa is a Florida State University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in interior design. Since graduating she has worked in the design field for 12 years and spent another 16 years in office management. Before moving to NC, Alisa worked for one of the top 25 Design Firms in South Florida – Pavlik Design Team.  She also worked for Adache Associates Architect, Design Associates of Boca Raton, Designer Ira Cohen, and Robert Allen at the Design Center of the Americas.  

Alisa is a past president and current board member of the Avery County Humane Society. In her spare time, she enjoys antiques, camping, gardening and interior design.

Heather Dockweiler 
Director of Marketing & Communications

Heather Dockweiler was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. Upon graduating from high school she attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Public Administration and participated in Semester at Sea, a Travel-Study Program. She then went on to Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated magna cum laude with a Masters in Business Administration.  

In 2002, Heather moved to Naples, Florida to be closer to her family. She spends her time between Naples, Florida and Linville, North Carolina working as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Linville Ridge.    

Heather was recognized as one of Southwest Florida’s accomplished young leaders in 2005’s 40 Under Forty by Gulfshore Business magazine and was chosen as a member of the Leadership Collier Class of 2007 which is put on by The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce. Heather volunteers for various charitable organizations and is currently serving as a Board Member of the Naples International Film Festival and co-chairing the Angel Ball which benefits the Community School of Naples.

Natalie Earnhardt
Managing Real Estate Broker

Natalie began her professional life at Linville Ridge as a teenager in the mid 1990’s and has been with us ever since! She held several positions in other capacities around our mountain before finding her “home” in real estate.Natalie is dedicated to Linville Ridge and to her customers, and she will always go above and beyond to insure the best outcome for all. With a deep-seated desire to serve and make people happy, Natalie strives to do her best and live with integrity. She rests at the end of each day knowing that she gave it her all. Natalie will proudly tell you that her most important job is being a devoted wife to James, and a doting mother to four wonderful boys, Jackson, Noah, Toby, and Salem.

Natalie’s customers describe her as “attentive and responsive”, “our advocate” and “a true agent.”One client added, “At every turn she said, "Yes, I can do that for you!" with a great attitude.”

Natalie’s goal as a real estate agent is to make your buying and/or selling experience as seamless, enjoyable and stress-free as it can possibly be.

Brent Allen
Director of Golf

Originally from Conyers, Georgia, Brent Allen attended Heritage High School, where he lettered in varsity for four years in football and baseball. After high school, Brent attended Darton College on a baseball scholarship. He then transferred to Appalachian State University his junior year, but tore his rotator cuff before the season started. Even though this injury ended his baseball career, it introduced Brent to the game of golf.

During his career, Brent has held Assistant Golf Professional positions at Balsam Mountain Preserve in Sylva, North Carolina, Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach, Florida,  Country Club of Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina Colleton River Club in Bluffton, South Carolina, and the Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, FL. Brent held the Head Golf Professional position at Linville Ridge for 7 years before being promoted to the honored position of Director of Golf.

When Brent is not performing his duties as a golf professional, he enjoys exercising, fishing and working on his golf game.

Tommy Clark
Course Superintendent

Tommy Clark is a native of the country club industry, having worked in various clubs over the last 29 years. Since 1996, he has played an integral role in keeping the Linville Ridge golf course in pristine condition during the summer, and in healthy shape during the winter. A native of Morgantown, N.C., he holds an associates degree in turf management from Catawba Valley Technical Institute. He was awarded the Bayer Superintendents Awards, and is also a member of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. Fluent in Spanish, he also enjoys weight lifting, golf, snowboarding, motorcycle riding and spending time with his family.

David Maloof
Croquet Professional

David Maloof is a decorated croquet professional who has taught at Linville Ridge for the past 24 seasons. He also serves as the director of croquet at Mountain Lake in Lake Wales and will return to Florida in October for his 44th season there.

Having competed nationally for about 15 years, David has earned the National AC Rules Champion title twice and the AC Doubles Champion title twice. He also holds two National Golf Croquet Doubles Championship titles. He was been playing internationally for about a decade and has accumulated a number of accolades on the world stage, including being the runner up in the Individual AC World Championships in 2016, representing Team USA in Golf Croquet, and competing in AC Rules in New Zealand, England and the United States.

Todd Coombs - MS, CSCS, FAFS
Director of Fitness & Recreation  

Originally from Huntersville, North Carolina, Todd Coombs graduated from Appalachian State University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in public health with a minor in nutrition. His passion for personal training began shortly after graduation, when he accepted a position as an exercise specialist.

Having a place in his heart for the mountains, Todd returned to the High Country in 2007 and became a full-time personal trainer at Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville. There, he served as the alternative sports director and head personal trainer.

Throughout his career, Todd continued to educate himself and became a specialist in strength and conditioning, functional human movement and manual muscle reaction techniques. In 2017, he solidified his career as an exercise physiologist and returned to Appalachian State University in pursuit of an exercise science degree. Two years later, Todd completed all necessary coursework to become a graduate in the field of exercise science.

His many certifications include Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), National Strength and Conditioning Association; Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS), Gray Institute; and Nike Golf Performance Specialist (NG360° GPS), Nike and Gray Institute. In his free time, Todd enjoys being with his wife and two daughters. His recreational activities include resistance training, running and off-road motorcycling.

Ann Marie Connery
Fitness Training and Group Class Instructor

Ann Marie Connery brings decades-long fitness expertise to her role as personal trainer and group fitness instructor at Linville Ridge Country Club. A Banner Elk, North Carolina, native, Ann began her fitness journey when she joined the United States Air Force, realizing the importance that movement and exercise have on our health, stress and daily lifestyle. Training since the days of leotards and leg warmers, Ann began her personalized, one-on-one coaching approach once she learned how muscle imbalances impacted the body and how focusing on an individual’s specific area of need could improve their ability to move better and live better. In her free time, Ann enjoys being active, hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains with her German Shepard, Guinness, along with gardening outdoors. She is passionate about educating and training women on firearm safety and use while also providing the tools and knowledge on having situational awareness and avoiding being a victim of crime.

Robbie Brinkley
Fitness Trainer  

A 15-year veteran in the fitness industry, Robbie brings
several certifications to the team with a focus on sports exercises. He spends his time in helping his clients improve their golf game with isolated golf and other sports strengthening exercises, focusing on balance and core-
strengthening.
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Certifications: Master Personal Trainer, Sports Nutrition Specialist, Advanced Flexibility Specialist

Noelle Austin
‍Yoga Instructor‍

Noelle Austin started practicing yoga at a young age with her father. She has been teaching yoga since 2009 and graduated from Lillah Shwartz’s 200 hour Yoga Wisdom Teacher Training, after taking the program twice. She is currently working towards her 500 hour Yoga Therapy certification.  Her classes are alignment based, offering modifications and plenty of detailed action language, sure to help a beginner or seasoned practitioner. She offers specialized private sessions, catered to personal needs, and loves teaching for special events. Read more about Noelle at
rejuvenatingmotion.com

Certification: Lillah Shwartz 200 hour Yoga Wisdom Teacher Training

William Hynes 
Executive Chef

A native of North Carolina, William Hynes grew up in the hospitality industry. Influenced by his father’s work, he recognized it as his calling after watching him head the culinary departments of various renowned businesses, including Chatham Bars Inn in Massachusetts and The Breakers Palm Beach.

With a passion for exceptional gourmet creations, William has worked at the West Bay Club and Club Pelican Bay in Florida, Spruce Point Inn in Maine and the Bald Peak Colony Club in New Hampshire. He also has experience preparing satisfying dishes in several country clubs such as Jonathan’s Landing and Frenchman’s Creek in Florida, as well as the Belleview Inn and Chatham Bars Inn.

In his spare time, William enjoys culinary exploration and catching up on industry trends. He has a voracious appetite for reading and his interests include hiking, biking, fitness, skiing and music appreciation. Currently residing in Newland with his wife, he is proud to be back home in North Carolina serving Linville Ridge.