Meet Our Staff
Say Hello!
Carl Koons
General Manager
Mr. Koons is a Class A-1 PGA Golf Professional who has been with Fredericksburg Country Club since 1989. After attending Old Dominion University, Carl began his career as an apprentice in the PGA program at The Country Club of Fairfax in Northern Virginia. Under the direction of Melvin Rowe, the legendary club professional, he worked his way up to the position of first assistant. During this time, Carl also accepted the role of head coach for the George Mason University Division I golf team.
In 1989, Carl accepted the position as head golf professional at Fredericksburg Country Club. He is a member of the Titleist Club Professional Staff and is recognized as a certified club-fitter for both Titleist and Mizuno. Carl welcomed the additional responsibility as director of both golf and grounds in 2010. His skills acquired from nearly 30 years of dedication to the success of Fredericksburg Country Club prepared him to move into his most recent position as club general manager.
Carl and his wife Laural reside in Fredericksburg and have two adult daughters, AnnMarie and Callie.
Brian Walker
PGA Golf Professional
Brian Walker was born and raised in Burlington, NC, just 30 minutes east of Greensboro. He began his career in the golf business at the age of 18 at Alamance Country Club in his hometown.
In 2006, he moved to Southport, NC where he became Lead Assistant Professional at The Clubs at St. James Plantation.
After completing the PGA Apprentice Program and being elected to Class A Membership, he was promoted to Head Golf Professional.
Brian enjoyed six years of great success and developing professional relationships in his role of Head Golf Professional at St. James Plantation. In 2014, he became Head Golf Professional at Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, NC. After two highly successful years at Country Club of Landfall, Brian decided to make the move back to central North Carolina to be closer to Carley and begin a new chapter in his career as Tournament Director at Greensboro Country Club.
Brian, his wife Carley, and their daughter Breezy have enjoyed becoming a part of the Fredericksburg community. In their spare time, they enjoy meeting new people, exploring new places, trying new restaurants, the beach, following their favorite sports teams, and spending time with family and friends.
Rob Light
Tennis Professional
Rob came to Fredericksburg Country Club in 2003, after serving two seasons as assistant men’s and women’s tennis coach at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. While at UNC-A, Rob was influential in helping guide the Bulldogs team to its first-ever Division 1 National Ranking. Before going to Asheville, Rob served as the Assistant Tennis Professional at the Roanoke Country Club. Rob taught for 5 years in Roanoke where several of his junior players went on to play tennis at the collegiate level. Rob has enjoyed an extensive playing career. He was a four-year letterman at Hampden-Sydney College where he was a three-year captain. He finished his junior and senior years as second team all conference and was named team’s most outstanding player in those two years as well. Rob holds the highest level of professional certification through the United States Professional Tennis Registry. Rob is also a Master Racket Technician which is the highest honor given to any certified racket stringer in the United States Racket Stringers Association.
Outside the club, Rob has twice been selected to coach the Mid-Atlantic junior teams. In 2004, Rob coached the Boy's and Girl's Mid-Atlantic Zonals team in North Carolina, and in 2007 Rob was selected to coach the Girls’ 18 and under Mid-Atlantic Nationals team in California.
Michael Chizuk
Information Technology Director
Michael Chizuk applies expert knowledge, industry experience, and relentless energy to solving and providing solutions to the Fredericksburg Country Club. A graduate of Mountain View High School with an International Baccalaureate diploma along with an advanced diploma. Michael is currently enrolled at Virginia Tech to earn a degree in Cybersecurity Management and Analytics. Michael began his career at FCC as a golf shop manager. Within one year, Michael became the I.T. Consultant at FCC and assisted the club in implementing new technology. Michael has always had a passion for computer growth. He competed in many computer science clubs and competitions like CyberPatriot hosted by the United States Air Force and RUSecure hosted by Radford University. While on those teams, Michael had placed in the overall top 10 2 years in a row.
Michael has always been very active within the community. He was a Boy Scout where after three years, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 13 on April 30th, 2017. With more than eight years of experience and the successful completion of many eagle and service projects, he has learned essential leadership skills to help him in the workforce. Michael can work effectively with staff, listen to their ideas and help implement the changes necessary to complete the project.
His expertise and experience have been an incredible asset to Fredericksburg Country Club and its goals.
Savannah Zielinski
Member Relations Director
Savannah started her career at the Fredericksburg Country Club in late 2020. She started as a cart washer, thinking this would be a "job." Through her first two years, she went from washing golf carts to selling merchandise for the golf shop. Where she learned so many essential skills to make her the vital asset she has become to the management team. She loves helping the membership and prospective members with questions and concerns with her incredible success and knowledge. She also enjoys helping promote the latest events to the membership.
Savannah was raised locally in Virginia, graduating from Mountain View High School in the spring of 2021. She now attends classes at Germanna Community College, where she plans to earn a degree in Business Administration. Her skills will continue to grow and help aid FCC.
Joy Kerley
Accounting Manager
Joy has worked for the Fredericksburg Country Club for 36 years as the Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable Manager. Prior to coming to the Club, she worked as the Bookkeeper for Lake of the Woods Association for 10 years.
Growing up in a military family, Joy has lived on the east and west coast of the Unites States, including the island of Antigua. After graduating from Herndon High School in northern Virginia she attended Northern VA Community College, but did not graduate. In 2008, after taking several classes and working full-time at the Club, she finally graduated and received her Associates Degree in Business Management from Germanna Community College.
Joy lives in Orange County with her husband Jim. They participate in various church activities. She has been the volunteer bookkeeper for her church for the past 12 years.
Robbie Bennett
Accounts Receivable Manager
Robbie began her career managing various family-owned businesses in the Philippines, where she was born and raised. Her father established a foundation for her in business, which was a significant influence in handling her investments. Overseeing operations of their family business in a retail store, rental property, farmstead, gaming-Internet shop, and real estate provided her training in becoming an entrepreneur at a young age.
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She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy degree in 2003 and worked as an Accounts Payable Administrator at Playa Papagayo Beach Inn Resort. In 2009, she also earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Robbie came to the United States when she married her husband, Daniel, in 2009. She worked as a front desk manager at Candlewood Suites for five years, her first job in this country. She also trained as a Food and Beverage Manager at Cannon Ridge Golf Course; when the club closed in 2017, Mr. Carl Koons hired her to work at Fredericksburg Country Club. It has been five years, and Robbie continuously appreciates her co-employees as they work as a team. She also feels incredibly privileged to assist members as she manages bills and accounts receivable.
Chris Lopez
House Maintenace
Chris has over 35 years of experience in the maintenance field. He also has a universal commercial and residential HVAC certification and the Certified Pool Operator certification.
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Before joining the team at FCC, Chris supervised the daily operation of some multi-unit apartment complexes and a large mall complex.
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He takes care of any maintenance issues that arise at the clubhouse. In his free time, Chris enjoys learning new skills that can better his skills and working on projects in his personal life.
Felicity Caretti
Director of Member Dining
Felicity joined the club in May of 2022. She started her career at the poolside in the Snack Bar, where she learned about the club atmosphere. Quickly management noticed Felicity had many talents to offer. After the summer season, she was offered her current position as Front House Manager. She strives to make the membership happy and meets new people. Before joining the team, she graduated from South University with a bachelor’s in criminal justice at the top of her class. When she is not working, you can find her spending time with her boys Rylan and Kylen as she loves reading or making people laugh.
Jackson Flint
Executive Chef
Chef Jackson Flint is a creative culinary mind from Spotsylvania, Virginia. He began cooking at a young age
by his mother's side. These early experiences are the framework of Jackson's cooking philosophy - elegant yet uncomplicated. Jackson began cooking professionally during his undergraduate studies and quickly identified it as his passion. Returning home from an inspiring European culinary journey, Jackson worked at FOODE in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Here, he mastered the southern classics and learned the essentials of a successful farm-to-table concept. Jackson then went to work as Sous Chef for Chef Scott Myers at Vintage Restaurant of the Inn at Willow Grove in Orange, Virginia. Here, Jackson learned a host of more modern and old-world techniques. He is adept in the arts of whole-animal butchery, curing meats, and preparing charcuterie. In 2015 Jackson's talents earned him the Executive Chef role at the Inn at Kelly's Ford in Remington, VA. He spent three years there providing fine dining food, pub fare, and large-scale catering for
the Inn's beautiful wedding venue. Most recently, Jackson was at the helm of one of Fredericksburg's top restaurants, Fahrenheit 132. He led the culinary team there for several years and received many accolades for his cuisine.
Jackson's talent and experience are an ideal complement to the pursuit of perfection and exceptionally high standards found at the Fredericksburg Country Club.
Savannah Minx
Golf Shop Manager
Savannah was born and raised in south Stafford and graduated from Stafford Senior High School, with an Advanced Diploma, in the spring of 2022. Currently, Savannah is studying at Germanna Community College to earn her degree in Early Childhood Development. Then she plans to get her Early Childhood Education degree to become a teacher.
Savannah began working as a cart attendant at Fredericksburg Country Club in late 2020 and has become the FCC Golf Shop Manager. Savannah enjoys aiding and assisting members, and their guests, when it comes to their merchandise purchases and in-shop needs.
Crystal Pham
Head of Marketing
Coming Soon!