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People & Places Presented by Association News (September 2014)
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CVBs/DMOs

Beth Marchetti has been named executive director of the DuPage (Illinois) Convention & Visitors Bureau. Marchetti, formerly the bureau’s deputy director, will replace Skip Strittmatter, who is retiring after more than 20 years at the group’s helm. Before working at the DuPage CVB, Marchetti served as marketing manager for the Chicago Office of Tourism.
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Chip Stuckmeyer has been promoted to senior vice-president for global sales and marketing at the Orange County (California) Visitors Association. His former title at the CVA was vice-president for project management.

The Albuquerque (New Mexico) Convention & Visitors Bureau has appointed Jeff Poole director of sales. He will divide accounts in the Northeast and Washington, D.C., markets with the bureau’s associate director of sales. Poole previously owned and operated his own business, managing group sales accounts for five mid-size destinations.

The Valley Forge (Pennsylvania) Tourism & Convention Board has hired Lisa Karl as vice-president of sales and strategic partnerships, Shannon Reagan as convention sales manager and Jeffrey Yau as tourism sales manager. Karl previously worked as director of sales at the Sheraton/Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Reagan recently served as sales manager at the Crowne Plaza/Philadelphia–King of Prussia. Yau has worked with Korff Enterprises and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Visit Orlando (Florida) has named Stephanie Naegele vice-president of convention sales operations. Most recently, Naegele worked at Marriott International as an area leader for central and north Florida sales.

Devon Whitaker has been named national sales director of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. Whitaker most recently served as national sales manager for Destination DC in Washington, D.C.

The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau has named David Dew and Tom Albrecht senior national sales managers. Dew previously served as sales manager for Meet Chicago Northwest, while Albrecht worked as director of sales at Detroit’s Cobo Center.

The St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission has appointed Trina Fox-Konz national convention sales manager and Holly Lammert executive meeting sales manager. Fox-Konz was most recently sales manager for the Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa & Convention Center in Branson, Missouri. Lammert previously served as regional sales manager for Lodging Hospitality Management in St. Louis.

Michael Van Parys has retired as president of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau and has been succeeded by H. Scott Phelps, who has been serving as interim president. Van Parys was with the bureau for nine years and had been its president since 2010. Phelps was president of the bureau’s former incarnation, the former Greater Hartford (Connecticut) Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Hospitality & Suppliers

Adam Hawthorne has been promoted to president of Travaasa Experiential Resorts in Denver, where he was formerly director of marketing and revenue. Hawthorne previously worked with Preferred Hotel Group as revenue account manager, America West.

Robert Hannigan has been named general manager of the Hotel Palomar/ Los Angeles–Westwood and operations director of three other Kimpton properties in Southern California: Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles, the Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara and Hotel Goleta in the town of Goleta. Hannigan was general manager of Hotel Solamar in San Diego.

Ronen Nissenbaum has been appointed managing director of The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria/New York and the Waldorf Astoria/New York. Most recently, Nissenbaum served as president and CEO of the Plaza Group, where he oversaw the Plaza Hotel in New York City as well as development of the Plaza Hotel brand.

Rick Riess has been named managing director of the Montage/Laguna Beach in Southern California. Most recently, Riess was managing director of Sea Island Resort in Sea Island, Georgia.

The Hilton/Baltimore has named Greg Brown general manager. Most recently, Brown was general manager of the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.

David Piscola has been appointed general manager of the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., which has recently completed a renovation. A 22-year veteran of Hilton Worldwide, Piscola most recently served as general manager of the Hilton/Atlanta Airport.

Allen Highfield has been appointed general manager of the Montage/Deer Valley in Park City, Utah. Highfield most recently served as general manager of the Ritz-Carlton/San Francisco.

Colleen Senters has been named general manager of the Westin/New York–Grand Central in New York City. Senters most recently served as general manager of the Westin/Jersey City–Newport in New Jersey.

Stacey Church has been promoted from assistant general manager to general manager of the Global Spectrum– managed MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. He previously served as director of finance at the Century Center in South Bend, Indiana.

Ronald Hunter has been named general manager of the Embassy Suites/Raleigh-Crabtree in Raleigh, North Carolina. He previously served as general manager of the Governors Inn Hotel in Sacramento, California.

Nicholas Gold has been named general manager of the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Previously, Gold served as general manager of the Amangiri, a resort in Canyon Point, Utah.

Nils Stolzlechner has been named general manager of the Shelborne Wyndham Grand Resort–South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. Most recently, Stolzlechner was general manager of the Omni/Dallas, the Omni/San Francisco and the Omni/Corpus Christi in Texas. Additionally, the resort has named Michael Choiniere director of sales and marketing. Choiniere previously served as vice-president of sales and marketing for the Abaco Beach Resort in the Bahamas.

MGM Resorts International has hired Tina Smith and Robyn Sprenger as directors of global sales. Smith most recently served as executive director of national accounts for the Loews Hotels in New York. Sprenger previously worked at Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces as director of group sales for the Americas.

The Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida, has appointed Gino Marasco director of sales. Previously, he led sales teams at the Hilton/Orlando in Florida, Loews/ Atlanta, Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation in Georgia and Ritz-Carlton/ Amelia Island in Florida.

Nancy Wilkerson has been named director of sales at the Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, Georgia. Previously, Wilkerson served as director of regional sales at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, Florida.

Katie Calabrese has been named director of trade shows and conferences at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Previously, she worked as vice-president of events and education at the Association of Private Sector Colleges & Universities in Washington, D.C.

Construction & Expansion

The Four Seasons Resort/Orlando at Walt Disney World, located in Golden Oak, Florida, has opened with 443 guest rooms and 37,750 square feet of event space, including outdoor lawns and two ballrooms.

The Drury Plaza Hotel has opened in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, next to the historic St. Francis Cathedral. Features include 182 guest rooms, some 17,000 square feet of meeting and event space and a rooftop pool and bar.

The Loews/Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica, California, has unveiled new ground-level Beachcomber rooms and suites that feature outdoor living space with a private terrace and personal fire pit. The hotel offers 342 guest rooms and 17,000 square feet of function space.

The Courtyard/Irvine Spectrum has opened in Irvine, California, with 210 guest rooms and more than 8,800 square feet of event space. Functions can be held within its 5,500-square-foot ballroom or on its 2,300-square-foot lawn.

Le Méridien/Chicago–Oakbrook Center has opened in the suburb of Oak Brook after a $25 million transformation. The hotel has 172 guest rooms and 3,500 square feet of event space.

Later this month, the Four Seasons/Austin is expected to complete a multimillion- dollar redesign that updates its 291 guest rooms. The hotel offers 18,000 square feet of meeting space.

And Finally...

“Exorcism is a form of charity that benefits those who suffer,” said the Rev. Francesco Bamonte, head of the International Association of Exorcists. Apparently, the Vatican agrees. The Rome-based group, whose membership consists of 250 priests in 30 countries who “liberate the faithful from demons,” has received formal recognition; this summer, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy approved the association’s statutes and recognized it under canon law.
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