Q & A with Brendon Katon-Donegal, Manager of Club 7 at Silver Towers
Brendon Katon-Donegal
Brendon Katon-Donegal was kind enough to take time out of his nonstop schedule and discuss his work at Club 7. We discussed his responsibilities as manager, why the gym is such a popular amenity, and how he became “Baywatch material”:
What do you think makes Club 7 so appealing to residents?
First and foremost, proximity. Imagine waking up at 4:55 AM to brush your teeth, throw some workout clothes on and take an elevator downstairs to your building’s health club. The amenities that Silverstein Properties built into Club 7 are truly amazing. We have a state of the art fitness center that is updated every year, a 75-foot lap pool, a coed sauna, steam rooms in each locker room, a tranquil massage room. We have a group fitness studio and spin studio to accommodate all of our weekly classes, an open format indoor lounge where members come to relax or work, and an outdoor roof deck that overlooks the Hudson River and Times Square. Our eighth floor outdoor roof deck is complete with plush grass, picnic blankets, two large electric grills, a shower to rinse off on hot days and lounge furniture to accommodate friends and family as members entertain. Those amenities would not be complete without the Iowa Sports Management staff, which maintains the facility and serves with pride. I close each e-mail to members and remind the staff each day that “it is our privilege to serve them.”
Tell us about your One-on-One training program.
Iowa Sports Management‘s One-on-One program is an amenity that we offer to our members. Our program offers personal training, private yoga instruction, private pilates instruction, private tennis instruction, private swim instruction and massages done by certified massage therapists. In two years, I have seen members grow stronger and become healthier through our One-On-One program. Our certified instructors teach members so they can be knowledgeable about their health. Our professional program has an app, found in the App Store on your Android or iOS device, where members can simply register and review instructors’ biographies prior to purchasing the service of their choice. As always, if members have any further questions they can call or come down to Club 7, and we will happily assist them.
I understand you became a certified lifeguard for Club 7. What was that experience like?
As a General Manager you do everything. That could be something as simple as wiping down machines to moving furniture to set up for an event or saving someone’s life from time to time. When they asked me to become certified, it was not on my bucket list. I am an okay swimmer, but certainly did not think of myself as “Baywatch“ material. Put me on land and tell me to run 5 miles? Done! Swimming 12 laps in a pool? Completely different story. I knew that becoming a certified lifeguard was in the best interest of Club 7. I met what fears I had about passing the swimming part of the certification and, honestly, dove right in. A fellow manager helped me work on my strokes to gain more confidence in the water. After two days of classwork and about six hours in the pool, I passed the test.
What role do you play in making Club 7’s tenant events happen?
Whether Silver Towers, Club 7 or both parties have a joint event together, the resident experience is paramount. It’s not just the food and beverage we serve or the ambience, but how we greet them and make them feel welcome. We do what has to be done to ensure the event is enjoyable for the residents and reset at the end of the event as if it had never occurred.
What do you like doing in your time outside of Silver Towers?
Time outside of Silver Towers? There is such a thing? I’m just kidding. I enjoy being outdoors, exercising, watching classic and contemporary movies, going to the theater, performing, playing with Sammy my Boston Terrier, spending time with friends and family, being a steward at my church, reading Shakespeare and reading up on health and fitness.