Partners & Directors

  • Shane T. Gardner

    Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Shane Gardner brings over 25 years of golf experience to Orion. Participation in competitive collegiate golf enhanced a love for the game, while interest grew towards the business side of facility management. Once a Bachelors Degree was completed at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in Marketing Management and Personnel Management, Shane began to work towards completion of his Professional Golfer’s Association of America (PGA) credentials.

    Shane was then offered the General Managers position at a struggling semi-private facility. In his five-year tenure the course showed a 125% increase in rounds of golf and erased a yearly deficit only to replace that with a substantial profit. Later Shane moved to Kansas City to begin a seven-year career working for national full service golf course management firm. During this seven-year period of time, Shane assisted with the tremendous growth the company experienced while increasing their portfolio from eleven facilities to over fifty facilities.

    During this time of prosperity, Shane’s experience thrust him into the role of Regional Manager. While in Kansas City, Shane assisted with the opening of four facilities in both Kansas City and St. Louis. After moving to Atlanta to help with East Coast operations, Shane worked with an additional four courses in three different states.

    In 2000 Orion Management Solutions was created and based in Leawood, Kansas. Shane brings extensive knowledge of municipal, upscale public, semi-private and private club experience to the management team of Orion.

  • Matthew Roberts

    Matt Roberts recognized early on in life that the golf business was a passion he would carry with him for the rest of his career. After a standout career as a collegiate golfer, Matt began working at a university owned golf course where he started to build an extensive knowledge of government owned golf facilities. In 1995 Matt moved to Kansas City and began work to open a Municipal course. While under his leadership, he gathered several accolades including “Best Public Access Course in the State of Kansas” by Golf Digest.

    As Orion Management Solutions was formed in 2000, Matt’s forte for operations management were recognized. Strengths such as development of business plans, budgets and marketing programs are all talents Matt provides with a high level of expertise.

    A graduate of the University of Central Missouri and a native of Missouri, Matt Roberts is a member of the Professional Golfer’s Association of America (PGA) and also involved with other associations such as the USGA, First Tee program, and the Executive Women’s Golf Association.

  • Anthony “Tony” Bertels

    Orion’s Director of Agronomy, Tony Bertels, contributes a wealth of experience and knowledge to the daily operations of Orion. Tony is a twenty year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Throughout his career he has worked growing in golf facilities, played host to National Collegiate Golf Championships and PGA Senior Tour events.

    Having been involved with a myriad of operating budgets from small to large, he is adept at utilizing the resources available and optimizing their results. Tony is skilled at construction and special projects. He holds Commercial Pesticide Applicators licenses in both Kansas and Missouri and is well versed in implementing chemical and fertilization programs for cool, as well as warm-season turf managed in the Transition Zone.

    Tony is an honors graduate of the Rutgers University School of Professional Golf Turf Management, New Brunswick, NJ. In 2004 he was awarded the Rutgers Alumni Award for Professional Excellence for his work in the golf profession. In 2006, he was named the C.H. Mendenhall Award recipient, an honor bestowed to individuals who have successfully dedicated years of service to the profession and mentoring future Superintendents.

  • Mary Murphy

    Mary Murphy of Back9 Marketing joined our team in January of 2019. She is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of all of Orion's marketing strategies, communication, and public relations activities, both external and internal. This includes website development, email marketing, newsletters, and the creation of promotional materials (posters, flyers, offer cards, advertisements, etc.)

    She received her Bachelor's Degree in Communications at the University of Missouri-Columbia before moving to the Kansas City area in 2013. With over 7 years of marketing experience and a passion for golf -- Back9 was the perfect fit for Orion. She is an asset to our team daily, as she promotes all of our golf courses, events, and promotions to drive revenue and ultimately contribute in growing the game of golf.

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