CA Field Experts

As the Manager of Open Space Operations at Columbia Association, Christopher Clem leads the Open Space and the Landscape Services divisions in the Community Operations Department. Chris strives to continuously improve the quality of Columbia’s Open Space and several of CA’s numerous amenities for the community — from our play spaces, Pathways, and Lakefront Programming. He also seeks to empower his team to embody the mission of serving the community and apply best practices in all aspects of their role.

Chris has over 20 years of experience in the Parks and Recreation field, facilities management, turf program implementation, and Sports Field construction and management.

Chris joined CA in 2019 as an Assistant Operations Manager to help Community Operations with asset management and daily operational goals. One of the biggest accomplishments Chris has contributed is the design and implementation of several programs used by the department to assess the current condition of assets, inspections, and work order distribution systems. Chris was named Manager of Open Space Operations in September 2023.

Before joining CA, Chris managed over 415 Park Properties in Montgomery County. This consisted of construction and capital projects, routine maintenance and planning for sites assigned to him.

Chris has lived in Columbia for 14 years and enjoys spending time with family and friends at CA’s many resources and programs.

As the general manager at Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club and Fairway Hills Golf Club, Rodney Green manages and oversees all golf operations at the courses.

Rodney has over 25 years of experience coordinating and managing golf courses in various locations across the United States. He got his start at Hobbit’s Glen while attending Oakland Mills High School, and won the Medal Play Club Championship in 1984 and the Match Play Club Championship in 1985.

He has a bachelor’s degree in counseling education from South Carolina State University, where he attended on a full golf scholarship. In 1995, he was elected to Membership to the PGA of America and in 2020 had the distinct honor of becoming a member of its Quarter Century Club.

As the Assistant Director of Community Programs and Services at Columbia Association, Anish Manrai leads the strategic development and operational efficiency for a diverse set of sports and recreation programs and services.

Prior to his current role, Anish served as CA’s Assistant Director of Sport and Fitness. In both capacities, his emphasis on long range planning, community engagement, employee training and development, systems implementation, and enhancing member/ guest and resident quality of life helped CA significantly improve participation and inclusion as well as be recognized as a national and regional leader.

Anish’s 20+ year career in the sports, health, fitness and wellness industry has been focused on creating a sense of belonging by pioneering transformational change, developing high performance teams and implementing operating standards that align with organizational mission and values that fosters a culture of diversity, inclusion and a sense of shared purpose. Before joining CA, he was a senior leader at Midtown Athletic Clubs.

Anish has been featured in well-known industry publications, including Clubs Solutions Magazine, United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) publications and United States Tennis Association (USTA) publications and presented at conferences for Club Solutions Thought Leaders, USPTA, USTA and the Tennis Mavericks Business Summit. He has won several awards including USPTA General Manager of the Year and the USTA Innovation award. Under his leadership, CA’s Long Reach Tennis Club was recognized as one of the top 24 facilities in the country in 2018 by the USTA.

Anish has a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from Mumbai University and a master’s degree in international business and marketing from University of Sydney. His favorite thing about Columbia is the way people care for and connect with one another, making it extremely welcoming. In his spare time, Anish loves to travel with his wife, who is a nurse practitioner in pediatric infectious diseases with University of Maryland.

As the Wellness and Fitness Director, Tavia Patusky provides operational and programming leadership to Columbia Association’s fitness club teams. Tavia also supports CA’s health and wellness initiatives in the greater Columbia community. With the belief that wellness is truly for everyone, she is dedicated to finding new, innovative ways to celebrate movement and reach the entire community.

Tavia brings over 20 years of operational, programming and team development experience from the fitness industry. She is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist with Exercise is Medicine credentials. Tavia has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Boston University and a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology from Northeastern University.

As the Landscape Design Manager for Community Operations at Columbia Association, Tim Prigg is responsible for projects that enhance outdoor spaces in the community. His designs reflect a commitment to the environment, safety, aesthetics, and the needs of other teams involved in the project. Creating places for people is a longtime passion and he is equally comfortable designing in the natural realm as in the built environment.

With over three decades of professional experience as both a Landscape Architect and small business owner in the Baltimore-Washington area, Tim brings a wealth of experience to his role. While he is a recent addition to the CA team officially, his impact throughout his career on the Columbia open space projects has been significant. He has contributed directly to the fabric of the Columbia Association Open Space on numerous projects and finds pleasure recognizing his influences throughout Columbia.

As an integral member of the Community Operations Team, Tim actively collaborates with colleagues on projects of all scales, believing in the significance of good design on the quality of everyday life.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Tim finds joy in various creative activities, whether it’s tinkering in his ‘maker space,’ capturing landscapes through his camera lens, exploring nature trails with his faithful four-legged companion Chester, or unwinding with friends and family.

As the Senior Manager of Communications and Media Relations, Dannika Rynes is passionate about telling the story of Columbia Association. In this role, Dannika serves as a spokesperson for CA, an advocate for team members and a champion for the values that Columbia was built on. Dannika and her team are often out in the community, connecting neighbors and visitors from all walks of life with CA and sharing the widereaching impact that CA has in the community. She joined the team in August 2020.

Prior to her position at CA, Dannika spent a decade in broadcast news as an award-winning, Emmy-nominated reporter and anchor in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Madison, Wisconsin. As a newsroom leader, she created and guided impactful stories on a wide range of topics, including important initiatives surrounding mental health. She brings her passion to craft and share dynamic, engaging content to CA.

Dannika has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Elon University and is a proud graduate of the Leadership Essentials program out of Loyola University Maryland. When she’s not serving the Columbia community, Dannika enjoys hiking, live music and cheering on the Ravens and Orioles. Her dog Wrigley is a namesake to her husband and her mutual love of sports. Dannika’s parents are Columbia natives and high school sweethearts out of Oakland Mills High School (go Scorps!).

As the first-ever Community Engagement Manager at Columbia Association, Robin spearheads initiatives that position the organization as a leader and key partner in Columbia, Maryland.

She is passionate about advancing the CA mission and vision by helping to develop and maintain policy, service standards and protocols around programs and outreach. In her role, she researched, cataloged and tracked over 450 touchpoints that CA team members have fostered within the community in recent years.

Robin credits her social work experience as key in her ability to advocate, educate and facilitate connection. By prioritizing the tenets of DE&I and trauma-informed care, she has been able to cultivate essential resources and programs for those in need, which include educational workshops, grassroots advocacy, multimedia content, tailored peer support and connections, and innovative workplace change initiatives at various local, state and national levels.

From 2016 to 2021, Robin was appointed to be on the Victim Services Advisory Board (VSAB) for the Montgomery County, MD, Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program (VASAP). In 2019, she was selected as one of nine Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD) victim specialists in the country to serve on their National Victim Services Advisory Board. In 2023, she was recognized as a leader in philanthropy by the Howard County Women’s Giving Circle. Some highlights from previous experience include:

• While at Community Action Council of Howard County, she managed a project integration of the Rapid Response and the Howard County Food Bank programs from 2017-2018.
• Conducted legislative advocacy that included in-person testimony in front of the Maryland General Assembly; and drafted an op-ed that was published in Maryland Matters in order to improve laws around highway safety.
• Collaborated with local grassroot advocates to create the Family Justice Center in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
• During her graduate program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Robin was selected as one of sixteen students to participate in a 6-week Interprofessional Education (IPE) fellowship with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

She has a bachelor’s of arts and humanities in history from the University of Maryland College Park, as well as a master’s in social work from the University of Maryland Baltimore.

Natalie Yee is the Environmental Program Manager with the Sustainability division of Community Operations. She is community-facing and works with volunteers who are interested in helping the environment. Some of the projects she leads are Weed Warriors, Stream Waders, and Columbia Cleans Day. Natalie also supports other sustainability initiatives including monitoring the electric vehicle (EV) charging stations located at a number of CA facilities. She joined the team in October 2021.

Prior to her time at CA, Natalie worked in the waste management and recycling field. She advised on and implemented key components of the recycling program for her clients, such as analyzing waste stream tonnage and coordinating with restaurant managers to conduct a pilot composting program. Natalie has her bachelor’s in environmental policy and management from Towson University and her master’s in environmental science from University of Maryland, College Park. Her thesis focused on the ethics of the African vulture population declines.

Outside of work, you’ll likely find her taking a long walk (and hopefully she won’t be lost), jamming to music, or playing board games and video games with her friends.