The AHLA Foundation announced that Sarah Cozewith has joined the organization as vice president of career development to address the need to focus on recruiting and retaining talent in the hotel industry. In this position, Cozewith will lead a dedicated team to enhance and grow the Foundation’s national workforce initiatives.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has made multiple changes to its Board of Directors. John L. Kelly has been elected board chairman for 2022. In addition, Mahmood (Mike) Merchant and Viral (Victor) Patel have been elected to the Board of Directors.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the appointment of Franziska Weber to senior vice president and head of global communications, effective immediately. Weber joined Hyatt in 2017 and will now oversee integrated communications across all stakeholder groups for the company.
Hard Rock International has appointed Daniel Earle to director of global travel industry sales for Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos. Earle will be responsible for some of the development and execution of strategic sales and marketing initiatives. He was previously regional director of sales and revenue management for Performance Hospitality Management.
Performance Hospitality Management has appointed Mark Anderson to chief operations officer. Anderson will oversee the company’s operations and strategic development. Most recently, Anderson was the vice president of sales and operations at Integrity Services, a commercial cleaning and staffing company.
Donohoe Hospitality Services, a division of Donohoe, has named Malcolm Mitchell corporate director of restaurants and bars. Mitchell will be responsible for overseeing the food and beverage experience for the existing portfolio, as well as creating new concepts for upcoming developments, in the newly created role.
Watermark Lodging Trust, Inc. has announced a series of changes to its senior management team. Samuel Zinsmaster has been promoted to chief operating officer, Brendan Medzigian has been promoted to chief investment officer, and Mathew Miller has been promoted to chief accounting officer.
Gulph Creek Hotels has named Mahim Sharma regional vice president of operations. In this role, Sharma will provide guidance and support for the operations teams in the New York, New Jersey, and Florida regions. Sharma brings leadership experience and knowledge of the food and beverage sector to the company.
Adam Heffron has been named general manager of the new Conrad Los Angeles, scheduled to open in Spring 2022 as Conrad Hotels & Resorts’ first hotel in California. Heffron joins Conrad Los Angeles from the Waldorf Astoria Park City in Utah, where he served as general manager since 2019.
Mar Monte Hotel, part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, announced the appointment of Jerome Strack general manager. Strack will lead the hotel team and oversee all operations of the hotel, including property performance, guest experience, and human resources activities. He was previously general manager of The Moran CityCentre.
Makeready announced Carl Skinner as general manager of Emeline. As general manager, Skinner will be responsible for managing the overall hotel operations of Emeline, including oversite of hotel staff, budget, and guest satisfaction. Skinner will work with the Makeready team to deliver memorable experiences.
St. Julien Hotel & Spa named Aaron Coburn general manager of the hotel and Rich Byers executive chef of the hotel’s restaurant Jill’s Restaurant & Bistro. Coburn previously served as general manager for the opening of Clayton Members Club & Hotel in Denver, and Byers was most recently executive chef at Sage Restaurant Concepts’ Corner Office.
The LaSalle Hotel, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel opening in Spring 2022, has announced a new leadership team led by General Manager Stefan Gruvberger and Director of Sales and Marketing Shannon Moore. Gruvberger was previously resident manager for Palmer House Hilton, and Moore worked for multiple Chicago hotels.
The Gant Aspen has promoted Bree DiBernardo from event manager to sales manager. In her new role, DiBernardo is charged with increasing the resort’s sales efforts, furthering the development of potential markets, and assisting in the development and execution of future marketing plans.
Henley inside the Kimpton Aertson Hotel in Nashville has appointed Natalie Newberry to head bartender. Newberry has dabbled in the restaurant industry since she was 15, and she brings her own flair to the role.
Visit Greater Palm Springs has appointed Kimber Foster to director of Palm Springs tourism. Foster will work closely with the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism to drive awareness of and increase visitation to the city. She will lead the development and implementation of the City of Palm Springs Strategic Marketing Plan.
PPDS, the provider of Philips professional TVs and digital signage solutions, is strengthening its national sales force with the appointment of Dave Dahm to regional manager for hospitality. Dahm brings over 15 years of specialist AV sales knowledge and experience to the newly created position.
INSPIRE, a leading global event solutions company, has hired Mike Mahaffey to executive vice president, show and event services. He will join the executive team leading the overall organizations and spearheading the sales and operations teams within the show and event services sector.
