LET US INTRODUCE OURSELVES

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Deane Pappas, the golf professional, came to Arkansas from Phalaborwa, South Africa, to play on the University of Arkansas golf team. In addition to being an All-American at U of A, his name is in the university’s Sports Hall of Honor. Between 1996 and 2007, Deane played three years on the PGA Tour and won two events on the web.com tour in 2000 and 2001. He’s also won tournaments in South Africa — the 2001 South African PGA Championship and the 2009 Dimension Data pro-am.  

Deane enjoyed success for years as a junior golf instructor at his academy in Fayetteville. 

He continues to enjoy teaching children to love the game, his own included. His younger son, Devyn, is set to play on the Arkansas State University golf team. Deane jokes that his older son, Callen, would rather drive a car than a golf ball.

Deane and his wife, Shona, enjoy spending time 

on the course and making RidgePointe home. 

Vanessa Roper, the tennis professional, came on a tennis scholarship to Arkansas State University in 1984 from Johannesburg, South Africa. She played No. 1 singles and doubles for the team and was awarded the Terry Gwin Athlete Award. She has a Master of Science in Education degree with an emphasis in exercise science. After graduation, she worked for 12 years as an exercise physiologist at Healthsouth Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic.

She is on the board of the Arkansas Tennis Association and the committee of the Northeast Arkansas Tennis Association. Vanessa is a Pro-1 Certified United States Professional Tennis Coach. She also is a personal trainer, certified by the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Vanessa is rated 5.0 and plays on league teams out of Little Rock and Memphis.

Michael Jerez, the executive chef, has a culinary arts degree from La Academia de Gastronomia de Madrid in Spain. He interned at The Grand Plaza Hotel in Madrid and then apprenticed at The Dorchester Hotel in London, England. He is an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef. Michael was awarded the ACF Presidential Award, Professionalism Award of the Year, Chef of the Year, Culinarian of the Year, and various other prestigious culinary honors. He is a recipient of numerous gold medals in state and national culinary competitions.

He has worked as a chef at clubs and resorts in Arizona and Texas, and owned and operated an Italian restaurant in Mesa, Arizona, 

from 1991 to 1999.

Michael and his wife, Shelley, have one son, Ari.

Woody Sleiman has worked in the private club business across the country for almost 40 years. 

Most of his assignments have been at upscale private country clubs, but also include 

city and yacht clubs. 

He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. He later entered the College of Hotel & Restaurant Management program at the same university. He holds the Certified Club Manager designation from the Club Management Association of America and was inducted

 into its honor society in 2011. 

He and his wife, Haifa, have six grown children.

Josh Trimue was raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a major in business management.  He has worked in the food and beverage/hospitality industry for more than 20 years. He has experience in various environments from fine dining to casual dining, 

casino operations to concerts, and events 

for Isle of Capri Casino. 

Josh and his wife, Ashley, have four children.

Katlynn was raised in Augusta, Arkansas.  She attended Arkansas State University with a major in marketing and communications.  After graduation, Katlynn worked in healthcare administration for a few years.  In 2019, Katlynn returned to the area and began work in her current role at RidgePointe Country Club.  

Katlynn enjoys spending time with her daughter, Macie.