Marilou Halvorsen has been named vice president of government affairs and state relations for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). In addition, Chris Burgoyne has been promoted to senior vice president of government and political affairs, Kalyn Stephens has been promoted to senior vice president of executive and strategy initiatives, and Rosanna Maietta has added CEO to her title of president of the AHLA Foundation Board of Trustees.
Aimbridge Hospitality has named Marco Roca, Jr., vice president of development, and he will assist in finding development opportunities for the company and its lifestyle division, Evolution Hospitality. Roca was previously vice president of business development and corporate strategy for Trust Hospitality.
Mark George has been promoted to senior vice president of sales and marketing for Island Hospitality Management. George is creating strategies that support the third-party management company. Prior to his promotion, George was vice president of sales and marketing.
Choice Hotels has announced three new regional vice presidents: Odette Brown has been named regional vice president of franchise services in the mid-southern United States; Glenn Gordon has been named regional vice president of franchise sales development for the Ascend Hotel Collection brand; and Gary Mills has been named regional vice president of franchise sales development for the Cambria Hotels brand.
Opening this month, the Marriott Dallas Uptown has named Robbie Tawil general manager. Tawil has worked for Marriott hotels previously, serving as general manager of the Marriott Conference Center and the Worthington Renaissance. During his career, he was also a director of operations and director of food and beverage.
Patrick Davila has been named general manager of Hotel Jerome, Auberge Resorts Collection, where he will lead guest services, operations, and programming. Davila was most recently interim general manager and director of operations for Meadowood in Napa Valley, Calif., and he has worked for a variety of northern California hotels.
Champlin’s Marina & Resort, Block Island, a TPG Marinas property, has named Michael Hartman general manager. In addition, Hartman is director of integrations and operations for TPG Marinas. In this position, Hartman is supervising resort operations and leading an upcoming renovation.
Michael DiMaria has been hired as general manager of the Kinley Chattanooga Southside, a Vision Hospitality Group property that is opening this spring. DiMaria has assisted in opening hotels before. Di Maria was general manager for the TownePlace Suites and Residence Inn by Marriott Nashville prior to his new hotel.
Opening in April, 2021, The Forester, a Hyatt Place Hotel, has named Marlena Karwowski general manager. She has worked for the Hyatt brand before, serving as an assistant reservations manager, a reservations and communications manager, a director of sales, and a task force manager during her career.
Thomas Donovan has been named vice president and managing director for Turtle Bay Resort, a Benchmark property that is under renovation and reopening summer 2021. Donovan has over 25 years of experience, most recently serving as managing director for The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, Calif.
The Aloft Milwaukee Downtown by Midas Hospitality has named Greta McCue director of sales. In this position, McCue is helping to grow customer satisfaction. Before joining the Aloft Milwaukee Downtown team, McCue was working in a variety of sales positions in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Robert Mason is creating a new beverage and food program for the AC Hotel Orlando Downtown as director of beverage and food. Mason has held food and beverage positions throughout Orlando, serving as the director of food and beverage for Reunion Resort and director of food and beverage for the Westin Imagine Orlando.
Monica Zanotti has been named a wine curator for Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Calistoga, Calif. As a wine curator, Zanotti is leading the property’s wine programming and cultivating relationships with local and international vendors. She previously worked for Meadowood Napa Valley.
The recently announced Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club has named a new executive team following its debut earlier this year: George Munz has been named general manager, Jean-Pierre Dubray has been named executive chef, and Pat Rizco has been named director of property operations.
