A Roundup of US Hires, Promotions

Hotel News Now twice a month features a roundup of new hires and promotions for the U.S. hotel industry. To be included in the next roundup, email HNN’s Dan Kubacki. 

In the Spotlight
	Ramon Von Schükkmann, director of sales and marketing, W South Beach; Miami Beach, Florida 1 March 2016 New hire A 20-year hospitality veteran, Von Schükkmann has held various sales and marketing positions for Starwood properties in The Netherlands, Canary Islands, Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates. He fluently speaks six languages.
Executives
	Geoff Davis, chief investment officer, León, Mayer & Company 2 March 2016 New hire Before being hired to his new position, Davis co-founded HREC Investment Advisors, where he served as president and senior principal for 14 years.
	James Ewer, VP of capital projects, Arbor Lodging Partners 29 February 2016 New hire Ewer’s previous position was director of capital projects for Strategic Hotels & Resorts, and he has more than 30 years of hotel construction and renovation experience.
	Zachary Tharp, VP of sales, NVN Hotels 29 February 2016 New hire Tharp brings 15 years of hotel sale experience to his new position. He previously worked as area director of sales at Pillar Hotels.
	Tammy Lucas, VP of marketing, Best Western Hotels & Resorts 26 February 2016 Promotion Lucas’ prior responsibilities at Best Western include leading regional marketing, Best Western Rewards, brand marketing, digital marketing and brand distribution partnerships.
	Bruce Wienberg, VP of operations, Best Western Hotels & Resorts 26 February 2016 Promotion Wienberg joined Best Western in 2003, and has worked in several capacities and has received several prior promotions, including to director of international quality assurance in 2008.
	Jon Colley, chief investment officer, International Hotel Group Limited 23 February 2016 New hire Colley brings 20 years of experience to his new position and most recently worked as development director for Hilton Worldwide Holdings in the U.K.
	Mark Hawthorn, chief accounting officer, Trump Hotels 22 February 2016 New hire Hawthorn previously was VP of treasury for Kerzner International and brings more than 15 years of corporate finance experience to his new position.
GMs
	Alexandra Byrne, GM of Sofitel Washington D.C. Lafayette Square; Washington, D.C. 3 March 2016 Promotion Byrne’s most recent position was director of sales and marketing at the property. Her resume includes prior positions with AccorHotels’ corporate office and Novotel New York Times Square.
	Mindi Morin, director of operations, Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown; Washington, D.C. 2 March 2016 New hire Morin comes to the nation’s capital after her most recent position as director of operations at Fairmont Pittsburgh, which she had held since June 2014.
	Christof Pignet, GM of the Acqualina Resort & Spa; Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 2 March 2016 Promotion Pignet was promoted from the resort’s hotel manager position and has worked at Acqualina for more than four years.
	Kellie Adams, GM of the AC Hotel by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott; Dallas 2 March 2016 New hire Adams brings 20 years of experience with her to her new position. The two hotels will reside in the revamped Mercantile Commerce Building in Dallas.
	Scott Smith, GM of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough; Boston 29 February 2016 Promotion Smith’s previous position was assistant GM of the Courtyard by Marriott Boston Marlborough. In his new position, he will oversee a $3.3-million renovation.
	Devin Mahoney, GM of Amara Resort and Spa, a Kimpton Hotel; Sedona, Arizona 25 February 2016 Promotion Mahoney was previously the assistant GM at Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Phoenix and brings 10 years of experience to his new position.
	Jason Williams, GM of Hotel Zephyr; San Francisco 24 February 2016 New hire Williams’ previous position was interim GM of Sheraton Iowa City Hotel, HotelVetro and Valley River Inn in Iowa City, Iowa.
	Casey Graves, GM of The Inn at Laguna Beach; Laguna Beach, California 24 February 2016 New hire Graves previously served as GM of The Wayfarer in Santa Barbara, California. In his new position, he will also oversee operations of Laguna Beach House, a sister property to The Inn at Laguna Beach.
Sales and Marketing
	Jim Donovan, director of sales and marketing, Westin Sarasota Hotel; Sarasota, Florida 3 March 2016 New hire Donovan spent nearly 13 years with Driftwood Hospitality and his most recent position was regional director of sales and marketing for an 11-hotel portfolio. Kolter Hospitality will open the Westin Sarasota in 2016.
	Anita Rahman, director of sales and marketing, Grand Hyatt San Francisco; San Francisco 2 March 2016 New hire Rahman’s previous position was director of sales and marketing at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in Wailea, Hawaii. She has held previous positions at Hyatt properties in San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego.
	Monica Weagel, director of sales, AC Hotel by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott; Dallas 2 March 2016 New hire Weagel brings 12 years of career experience to her new position. The two hotels will reside in the revamped Mercantile Commerce Building in Dallas.
	Erica Schlatter, group sales manager, Lansdowne Resort, A Destination Hotel; Leesburg, Virginia 1 March 2016 New hire Schlatter’s prior career experience includes sales positions at Hyatt properties located in and around Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
	Barbara Mullen, national sales manager, Lansdowne Resort, A Destination Hotel; Leesburg, Virginia 1 March 2016 New hire Mullen’s resume includes prior positions with Hyatt, Marriott, and Trump Hotels International.
	Kristin Frye, national sales manager, Lansdowne Resort, A Destination Hotel; Leesburg, Virginia 1 March 2016 Promotion Frye has worked in sales at other Destination properties, including Paradise Point in San Diego.
	Jamie Hopwood, regional director of operations and sales, NVN Hotels 29 February 2016 New hire Hopwood will manage NVN’s extended-stay portfolio, and his most recent position was as a GM for White Lodging Company, where he managed various Marriott and Hyatt select-service and extended-stay brands.
	Nadine Thompson, area director of sales, Courtyard by Marriott Boston Marlborough and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough; suburban Boston 29 February 2016 Promotion Thompson will oversee sales for two suburban Boston hotels owned and managed by Waterton. She previously was director of sales of the Boston Marlborough property.
	Dolly Moreno, director of sales and marketing, Honua Kai Resort & Spa; Lahaina, Hawaii 23 February 2016 Promotion Moreno joined the Honua Kai Resort & Spa staff in 2008 as a sales manager and also worked as a reservations manager at the property prior to her promotion.
	Hedy Varga, senior sales manager, UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center; Los Angeles 23 February 2016 Promotion Varga was promoted to her new position from the property’s sales manager, and has prior sales leadership experience at multiple signature hotels in California.
F&B
	Edgar Beas, executive chef, Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi; Santa Fe, New Mexico 2 March 2016 New hire Beas’ previous position was chef de cuisine at Madera, a restaurant at Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, California.
	Catherine Medrano, executive chef, Loews Regency New York Hotel; New York City 1 March 2016 New hire Most recently, Medrano worked as executive chef at The Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson in Jersey City, New Jersey.
	Garron Gore, director of food and beverage innovation, Hospitality Ventures Management Group 1 March 2016 New hire In his previous position, Gore opened four restaurant concepts in Atlanta. In total, he has 18 years of F&B experience in both full-service and boutique hotels and independent restaurant groups.
	Allison Bird, sous chef, The Westin Phoenix Downtown Hotel; Phoenix 1 March 2016 New hire Prior to her new position, Bird spent two years as sous chef at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas.
	Laurie Williams, catering sales manager, Lansdowne Resort, A Destination Hotel; Leesburg, Virginia 1 March 2016 New hire Williams’ previous position was offsite catering sales manager at Market Salamander in Middleburg, Virginia, and has prior experience with Marriott and Westin properties.
	Oliver Goldsmith, director of food and beverage, The Garland; North Hollywood, California 29 February 2016 New hire Goldsmith spent seven years with Grill Concepts in various leadership positions, including executive GM and area manager.
	Justin Macy, executive chef of Tanque Verde Ranch; Tucson, Arizona 25 February 2016 New hire Macy spent 15 years in the kitchen at Miraval Resort and Spa in Tucson, where he started at age 17 and eventually rose to the resort’s executive chef.
	Rene Clemente, director of food and beverage, Finch & Fork Restaurant and Canary Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara, California 24 February 2016 New hire Clemente’s previous position was F&B director at Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa in Gateway, Colorado.
Human Resources
	Gina Schuster, corporate director of human resources, NVN Hotels 29 February 2016 New hire Schuster joined NVN after previously serving as assistant director of human resources at Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, a Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide property.
Meetings
	Nazgol Toumadj, executive meeting manager, Lansdowne Resort, A Destination Hotel; Leesburg, Virginia 1 March 2016 New hire Toumadj’s previous position was account manager for the Hyatt Arlington in Arlington, Virginia.
	Shelley Simpson, conference planning manager, Lansdowne Resort, A Destination hotel; Leesburg, Virginia 1 March 2016 New hire Simpson previously worked as events and marketing manager at DC Prime Steakhouse and events manager at Keswick Vineyards. Her new position marks a return to Lansdowne, where she was conference and golf planning manager in 2011.
	Compiled by Dan Kubacki.