A First-hand Account from Sea Island

Today’s guest post is from McGladrey Birdies for Love supporter Jignasha Voralia, regarding her first-hand experience at The McGladrey Classic.

I was very grateful to be picked as an attendee at the McGladrey Classic through the “Birdies fore Love” challenge, which was rolled out across all McGladrey offices nationwide to provide an avenue for McGladrey employees to support charitable organizations in the communities where they live and work.

 

I am proud of my office in Fort Lauderdale for raising a significant amount of money for our designated charity, United Way of Broward County. I am also proud to be a part of McGladrey, a firm that cares about the community.   

We stayed at The Cloister at Sea Island. The hotel and its surroundings are simply breathtaking and the Southern hospitality is warm and welcoming. We were greeted by many, and felt a part of something special. The hotel décor made me feel like I had stepped back in time. I remember watching the movie “The Great Gatsby” on my return flight from London to Miami recently. My room reminded me of this movie, as it was mysterious, yet charming.

On our walk around the grounds, we noticed a sign which read that lady Margaret Thatcher and her husband Dennis Thatcher had visited The Cloister in 1994, when they planted an oak tree. We both felt proud as we grew up in England when the late Lady Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. 

From The Cloister, we moved on to The Lodge. (I was surprised to learn that The Lodge itself isn’t really very old but, instead, was built to look as if it was a part of the original grounds. They did an amazing job!) While there, Roger and I observed Youth Day activities. I was pleased to see so many young children (about 600, I’m told) away from their electronic gadgets and enjoying outdoor activities.

That evening, we attended a reception at The Cloister were we met fellow McGladrey colleagues, clients and potential clients. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and met some wonderful people. The part of the evening that stood out in my mind was when Joe Adams, managing partner and CEO of McGladrey made a speech in which he drew parallels between the game of golf and the way McGladrey operates where being understood is critical, and the values or integrity, teamwork, excellence, respect and stewardship are a top priority. As Joe said, “Just as a professional golfer trusts his caddy with his game, so our clients trust us to help them achieve business and goals.”