University Club membership director holds a job with a view

News

Staff Writer

Some people discover Downtown is a place to live. Others discover Downtown is a place to work. Still more people discover Downtown is a place to play.

Sarah Bernstein discovered it’s a place for all three.

Born in Chicago and raised in Atlanta, Bernstein graduated from Clemson University with a degree in communications and went to work for an advertising and marketing firm based in Daytona Beach.

Bernstein worked from her St. Petersburg home until she decided she was tired of the three-hour drive to the office for meetings. With Jacksonville an hour and a half closer, Bernstein packed up and headed northeast eight months ago. After exploring the area, she decided Downtown was the place to live and moved into a Southbank high-rise condominium.

“And then I joined the University Club for the business and social networking opportunities,” she said.

A couple of months later, the membership director’s job came open. She applied and was appointed last September.

“As a member, I realized what a great place it is to entertain clients and then I ended up working here,” said Bernstein.

She learned the club’s history dates to 1968. The University Club was on the blueprint as soon as the Gulf Life Insurance Company decided to build a headquarters tower in Jacksonville. She also learned it was the largest precast concrete structure in the world.

The building was renamed Riverplace Tower after its sale in 1993 to Gate Riverplace Co.

Bernstein said the University Club is part of the ClubCorp network of more than 200 business and sports clubs and is its oldest.

One thing that hasn’t changed, she added, is what members and guests experience as soon as they arrive on the 27th floor. “When you get off the elevator, you’re in an environment that’s second to none,” said Bernstein.

That environment has become the choice for more than 1,200 members. Many organizations, including the Rotary Club of San Marco, the Uptown Civitan Club, the Exchange Club, Tiger Bay and the Christian Legal Society, meet there.

Part of the attraction is the view. The club’s dining and lounge areas offer a full view of the Jacksonville area.

“When Wayne Weaver was making his presentation to the Super Bowl Committee, he did it here at the club. The view took the place of a PowerPoint when he showed the committee what Downtown has to offer,” she said.

The club’s diverse membership in terms of gender, ethnicity and age offers an opportunity to provide a range of business and social experiences, with an emphasis on hospitality.

While the atmosphere during the day is mostly business-oriented, there’s a different theme almost every evening. Tuesday is Ladies Night, including a spaghetti dinner. Every Wednesday, live Maine lobsters are jetted to Jacksonville in the morning and prepared in the kitchen that evening. Bernstein said the club’s Thursday night prime rib is a club favorite.

The club also offers special events during the month, including cooking classes with the chef, family dining nights and member appreciation happy hours.

“People might think the University Club is just a restaurant, but we’re much more than that. We’re a home away from home,” said Bernstein.