Three men standing inside the UYC clubhouse, head and shoulders view.

Vice Commodore Steve Simpson, UYC General Manager Jason Stovall and UYC Chef Rudy Kremer in the UYC Clubhouse.

In May, Jason Stovall took the reins as general manager at University Yacht Club. Growing up in Snellville, he spent his youth on Lake Lanier, boating with his family. As a teen, he worked in food service and catering at Stone Mountain Park, getting his first taste of the hospitality business.

“What started out as a high-school job actually laid the foundation of my life’s career,” Stovall said. “Little did I know that my life would come full circle through the hospitality business and see me returning to North Georgia at this stage of my life.”

In all, he has more than 30 years of experience in hospitality, food & beverage and operations.

“Manager Stovall is hands-on and working hard,” said BB Benninghoff, commodore of University Yacht Club. “His interaction is one of true servant leadership and his enthusiasm is felt all around. We are glad you are here, Jason.”

Stovall moved to Arizona for a summer job at Lake Powell National Recreation Area after graduating from Brookwood High School, then attended Northern Arizona University where he pursued a degree in hotel and restaurant management.

After college graduation he landed a job at Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas in Arizona, where he worked his way into management, eventually managing the marina and Dangling Rope Marina with the National Park Service as part of Aramark Management Services.

In 2004, he moved back to Georgia where he was named general manager of Jameson Inn properties in Winder and Conyers, where he stayed for two years before being tapped by Xanterra Resorts to become operations manager of the company’s properties at Zion National Park in Utah. Xanterra is one of the nation’s largest concessionaires for national parks, providing management for lodging and hospitality services.

“I really loved it at Zion National Park because the terrain and scenery are so different than where I grew up,” Stovall said. “The canyons, mesas and rivers are stunning.

“Zion is also where I met my wife Monique, so it holds an extra special place for us both,” he said. “We often spent our time off hiking, boating and just enjoying the outdoors. It’s one of the things that drew us together and we now enjoy the North Georgia mountains, the waterfalls and the trails that criss-cross this area.”

Stovall spent more than 13 years in Utah before accepting a job in Arizona near Lake Powell as general manager of the Page, Arizona, Courtyard by Marriott.

The couple – with their Border Terrier Parky, named because they adopted him when they lived in National Parks – moved back to North Georgia in 2021 to be closer to Stovall’s parents.

“My parents Alvin and Carol Stovall, and my sister Cathy May, all live in Hoschton and it was really time to move closer to them,” he said.

When the couple came back to North Georgia, he became operations manager for R-Ranch in the Mountains, an 800-acre private resort in Dahlonega with a 13,000-square-foot lodge, plus cabins, campsites and cottages.

“When I heard that University Yacht Club was seeking a general manager, I applied for the position,” he said. “I knew it would be excellent to be closer to my parents and the opportunity to work with a club of UYC’s reputation and caliber would be an honor. The heritage and tradition of this organization is well known. I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Founded in 1951, University Yacht Club is a member of the United States Sailing Association and is listed on the registry of the Yachting Clubs of America. UYC members participate in power and sailing fleets that are berthed at club docks. The club is located on Lake Lanier in Flowery Branch. For more info, visit www.universityyachtclub.org or call 770 967-2814.

Photo: by Pamela A. Keene