What initially inspired you to get into the hospitality business?
Coming out of college, I wanted a temporary job to save money for law school. I started working in the hotel business for Sheraton as a manager in training (MIT) and fell in love with the industry. That was over 40 years ago, and I never left. I enjoyed the opportunity to have each day at work be different, to make a difference in the lives of others, and to meet some amazing people along the way—not only professionals in the business, but lifelong friends.
Who were some of your mentors or role models, male or female, and what were their most valuable lessons?
My first mentor was my mother. She was a silent leader; she never worked in corporate America, but she taught me invaluable lessons about how to treat others and how to expect others to treat me. My mother was my biggest fan and supporter in whatever I wanted to do. One of my first professional mentors was a client. I started in convention services, and she was a meeting planner.
She taught me how to be a professional woman in the business world, how to get a seat at the table, and how to be heard while still showing your authentic self. Another was a leader with Marriott International—I was on his regional team in Atlanta for several years. His mantra was, “We treat everyone with dignity and respect.” He not only said it, but he walked the walk. Whether it was an associate cleaning rooms or the most important dignitary in one of our hotels, he treated everyone the same. I never forgot that.
Can you share a few of your career highlights?
I started as an MIT, and I worked for Sheraton for three years. My first substantial position was as a banquet manager, where I managed about 45 associates. I learned a lot from them, about how to treat people and how to work as a team. I then joined Marriott International as a convention floor manager and then as a convention manager.
I jumped over to HR to have time to get my master’s degree and worked at the Atlanta Marquis (1,674 rooms, about 2,000 associates at the time). From there, I moved into a regional role for the southeast region and then a national role in learning and development. After retiring from Marriott, I began working with a franchise company, Hotel Equities. I planned to stay for a couple of years, and that was 16 years ago.
In your opinion, how did the lodging industry perform in 2025 in terms of getting women into leadership positions?
I am in the process of finishing my PhD in Organizational Leadership, and my dissertation is on barriers to women making it to the C-suite. What I have found through my research is that sometimes we are our own worst enemies when it comes to advancing our careers. Oftentimes, an organization provides opportunities, but women don’t take advantage of them. I always say, “You will never get a job that you don’t ‘post’ for.” Take the chance! Why are some women not willing to take a chance? Are they afraid of not getting the job? Are they limited by the perceived struggle with finding balance between work and family?
There are myriad of reasons, but ultimately, a woman must take a chance and set herself up for opportunities to be successful and advance her career. I am not naïve to believe that opportunities are always available to women, but there are many out there that we need to go after.
What’s your outlook for 2026 and beyond with regard to diversity and inclusion within hospitality?
I am excited about the opportunities in 2026 and beyond. There is still much work to be done, but I believe the opportunities are endless. We must ensure our programs and processes set up all our talented team members for success in their careers. Ensuring we attract a wide pool of applicants is essential to advancing careers and our industry.
I believe women have a responsibility to mentor, coach, and cheerlead for each other; there is a lot of data regarding the advantages organizations have with diversity of leadership and thought—hard facts about organizational performance—that need to be considered. But at the end of the day, it’s just the right thing to do.
