About Dan

Dan comes to Mission Hills from his previous role as Regional Operations Managing Director for 18 clubs within the Pacific region of Invited. This is such a special opportunity and he is thrilled with the ability to dedicate his focus to our Clubs in the desert and deliver a premier club experience at Mission Hills our Members can all be proud of. Dan has lived in the Palm Desert area for more than 15 years and raised his five children here. Like you, he considers the desert his home and Mission Hills a very special place.

About Alec

Alec’s work experience has taken him through Dorado Beach Resort, USTA Player Development, and Midtown Athletic Club in Chicago. He has enjoyed a successful career directing club operations and delivering exceptional Racquet Sports, Fitness, Wellness, Spa, aquatics, and recreation programs to the private club member. Alec is excited to bring his passion for club life, healthy lifestyle services, and creating unique sport social events to Mission Hills, ensuring that each Member’s visit to the Sports Club is the best part of their day. Be sure to stop by the club and extend a warm welcome to our new Sports Club Director.

About Catherine

Catherine comes to Mission Hills most recently from the esteemed Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club where she spent five years as Private Events Director, and previously served for 22+ years as Director of Conference Services at the Palm Springs Hilton. Catherine is delighted to be back again in the Coachella Valley and looks forward to meeting the Members of Mission Hills and leading the Private Events team.

About Brandon

Chef Brandon Testi has been classically trained in the field of culinary arts from Riverside Culinary Academy in Riverside, California, and graduated with honors in the top of his respective class. He has used his original and modern style in a variety of restaurants and resorts starting at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, and then moving on to Cielo at Casino Morongo in Cabazon, IW Club in Indian Wells, bluEmber at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas, Second Bar + Kitchen at The Archer Hotel in Austin, Texas and AC3 at Hotel Paseo here in Palm Desert.  He has honed his culinary skills, creativity and proficient techniques through the tutelage of many great chefs along the way. He has refined his artistic talent as an emerging chef over the past decade in the industry. His style of cooking tends to lean towards a fresh, clean, and contemporary California fusion approach.With a solid foundation of hard work and dedication, his resourceful and unexpected ideas have produced eye catching dishes while...

About Darrin

Born and raised in Northern Ohio, Darrin went to the University of Cincinnati in 1993 to chase his dream of playing Division 1 Soccer. After being sidelined by an injury, it was there he found his passion for the game of golf. In 1999, he decided to pursue that passion and moved to Arizona to further explore the industry and attend the Mundus Institute of Golf Course Management. After graduating, Darrin went on to become a Class A PGA Member. During his 13-years in Arizona, he worked at several courses in the Phoenix – Scottsdale area including: Moon Valley Country Club, Troon North Golf Club, Poston Butte Golf Club, and Ocotillo Golf Resort. In 2006, he married his wife Jessica and in 2012, after having their son Cameron, they decided they wanted to be closer to family and embarked on a cross-country adventure back to Northern Ohio where Darrin spent the next two-years as a Head Golf Professional with Dick's Sporting Goods. In 2014, they realized their love for year-round sunshine ...

About Stephan

Stephan grew up in Fayetteville, NC where he learned to play golf with his family.  He moved to California in 2003 and started working at a golf course during High School.  During this time while playing on the golf team, he grew to love the game and wanted to pursue a career as a golf professional.  He has spent time at various public and high-end private clubs in the desert Palm Springs area as well as in Montana including Mountain View Country Club, Rock Creek Cattle Company, and PGA West.  He brings 15 years of golf experience to Mission Hills and loves to see the Members enjoying the courses and the Club experience.  Stephan is currently enrolled in the PGA Professional Golf Management Program as an Apprentice and spends his off time with his wife, Vanessa, his daughter, Emily, and their dog, Lua. 

About Sharon

I wanted to introduce everyone to the newest member of our golf staff, Sharon Fletcher. Sharon will be our new Director of Player Development and is coming to us from Avondale Country Club. Sharon was at Avondale for the past 3 years and also worked at Shadow Mountain for 7 years as a teaching professional prior to that. Sharon grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and has created golf schools in Florida, New York, and Germany! Besides being an avid golfer she also enjoys biking and training dogs. We are excited to have her part of the Mission Hills team!

About Orlando

Born and raised in San Jose, California, Orlando moved to the Coachella Valley right after high school to start a culinary career at the Chart House before enrolling in The College of the Desert to study culinary arts and hospitality management. He spent six years at Desert Princess Golf Course as Greenskeeper with a promotion to Superintendent, earning a Turfgrass degree. Orlando spent the next two years as Assistant Superintendent at Cimarron Golf Course, and in 2002 worked for Nicklaus Private and Weiskopf Private. Orlando became Head Superintendent at Mission Lakes, maintaining Bentgrass greens. Marrakesh Country Club and Citrus Club in La Quinta were the next stops, then Mission Hills came calling - a moment of true excitement to manage a high-end multi-golf facility – and is thrilled to now be part of the team at Mission Hills Country Club. Orlando also loves spending time camping and off-roading with his wife and two daughters, Doberman Khaleesi and 12-year-old Chihuahua.