Our Team
Meet The Team
Claude Thorn
General Manager
Claude moved to New Orleans in June 2025 to join the English Turn Golf & Country Club family as General Manager. Originally from the small town of Riverdale, just south of Atlanta, Georgia, Claude brings with him decades of experience in both golf operations and club management.
He began his career with the Professional Golfers Association of America as an Assistant Golf Professional at Flat Creek Club in Peachtree City, GA, followed by roles at Capital City Club in Atlanta and several years as Head Golf Professional at Houston Lake Country Club in Perry, GA. His path later transitioned into club administration, serving as a Regional Accountant for two golf management companies before becoming General Manager at Polo Golf & Country Club in Cumming, GA in 2002. Since then, Claude has combined his passion for golf with his love for hospitality, leading and growing clubs across the Southeast.
Claude studied Finance at Clayton State College and studied Ministry at Atlanta Christian College. He is a Class A PGA member, a 4DX Certified Manager, serves on the Board of Directors for RowKids International, and is a proud foster and adoptive parent. He and his wife Debbie—retired middle school principal and former assistant headmaster at Hilton Head Christian Academy—are parents to four children and grandparents to three girls.
Claude is thrilled to begin this new chapter at English Turn. “This is an incredible club with a rich legacy and bright future,” he says. “We feel blessed to call New Orleans home and are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, play, and serve in this vibrant community.
Vanessa Porto
Assistant General Manager
Vanessa brings over a decade of leadership experience in the golf and hospitality industry — including five with Troon, along with a diverse international background. Originally from Spain, Vanessa is a retired officer of the Spanish Navy and spent the last three years of her military career serving at NATO Headquarters in Italy. She is fluent in four languages—Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Italian—which has been a tremendous asset in her global roles.
Vanessa is joined by her husband, Mike, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and their 12-year-old daughter, Maria. Outside of work, she enjoys fishing and spending time with her family. Vanessa is passionate about creating welcoming, well-run club environments and is excited to support English Turn’s growth and success in the years ahead. With a strong focus on member satisfaction, team development, and operational excellence, she is committed to enhancing every aspect of the member and guest experience. Vanessa believes in leading by example and fostering a culture of collaboration, respect, and continuous improvement. She looks forward to building meaningful relationships at English Turn and helping create memorable moments for all who visit.
Mike Pizzitola
Head Golf Pro
Kevin Scott
Food & Beverage Manager and Maître D
Joseph Lozan
Executive Chef
Joseph Lozan is a New Orleans native with many years of professional cooking experience. He has worked in several of New Orleans’s most iconic restaurants, including 6 years at Mr. B’s in the French Quarter and 10 years at the Southern Yacht Club, where he was the Executive Sous Chef. Chef Joe’s cooking and leadership experience adds up to a total of 26 years. He is highly skilled in all methods of cooking, including frying, sauteing, grilling, and braising, with his specialty being barbeque. Not only does Chef Joe have excellent cooking and butchery skills, but also he coaches, trains and leads his team to become more highly skilled cooks and leaders themselves. With Chef Joe’s 12 years of fine dining experience and 3 years of past experience at English Turn Country Club, he looks forward to leading his team to create innovative and imaginative dishes for the members and guests.
Cleveland
Sous Chef
Cleveland Matthews’s extensive experience cooking in some of New Orleans’ most iconic restaurants has been greatly appreciated here at the English Turn Country Club. Some of these restaurants are Ruby Slipper, Redfish Grill, Deanie’s Seafood, Voodoo BBQ & Grill, O’Henry’s, and Commander’s Palace. Prior to coming on board at English Turn, Cleveland led the kitchen as a Sous Chef at the Southern Yacht Club. His skill and abilities have been a great asset to the Club.
Brett Vitrano
Superintendent
Brett Vitrano is a Louisiana native and attained his certification as a Golf Course Superintendent in 2004. He started his career at Nicolls State University studying agronomy, plant science, and business, and has grown in his success within these fields. Through great mentorship and experiences, Brett has gained many years of professional experience from several well-known golf courses throughout southeastern Louisiana. He thrives on the constant renovations that improves English Turn’s course and continually focuses on results and the expectations of golfers that are being fulfilled at the level they desire and for every handicapped golfer. In his free time, Brett loves hunting, fishing, motocross sports, and hiking, especially in Montana. He also loves spending time with his two daughters, who are at LSU Medical School, and his sweet yellow lab, Lucy.
Corey Dupont
Golf Services Supervisor
Corey Dupont has been with the English Turn family since 2007. He calls it family because he has a strong relationship with the members and guests. Corey’s time at English Turn has brought experience in: coordinating day-to-day operations, establishing high standards of customer satisfaction, and excellence of multi-department management in a hospitality setting.
Corey was raised in Terrytown, LA. He Graduated from Lutheran High School in 2007, where he met his wife, Kelsey. They currently live in Belle Chasse, LA with their two beautiful twin girls, Kiley and Kinsley. Outside of work, Corey enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his daughters in sports, doing outdoor activities, going on vacation, and bringing his daughters to all the exotic petting zoos they can find.