NEWH - Winter 2016 - 30

Q&A

Getting to Know
Leigh Mitchell

NEWH director of conferences and multi-line rep
for Mitch Zerg & Associates, Tiger Leather, and
OW Hospitality

How did you become involved in NEWH?
I was VP of Great Experiences (what a title!) for Abercrombie and
Kent Residence Club, a members-only collection of luxury homes
at leading resorts in the U.S., Mexico, and Caribbean. We had just
relocated to San Francisco when the decision was made to reduce
staff in 2009. So after 10 years in that industry, I found myself
in a tech-oriented city knowing hardly anyone. I networked like
crazy and came upon NEWH. I quickly got involved and went on
to serve on the NEWH San Francisco board (membership/VP/
president) and am currently the national director of conferences.

Axminster carpet. I like having a variety of lines; it's rewarding
for me to help designers, manufacturers, and purchasing agents
by coming up with creative alternatives for keeping projects on
time and within budget.

What has NEWH done for you, both personally and professionally?
Being new to the industry, it was a tremendous help in introducing
me to the movers and shakers in the Bay Area hospitality design
industry, as well as connecting me to what has become a really
great group of fun loving, hardworking folks I now call friends. I
love that it's a 'connector' wherever I go.

Latest travel highlight or plan?
In July, my husband and I had dinner at Beano's cabin in Beaver
Creek, Colorado; we were married at this iconic cabin in the woods
25 years ago!

In your NEWH role, what do you have planned?
I'm planning the NEWH Leadership Conference that will take
place in Denver, February 9-11, 2017, and it will be my third
conference. The attendance for the conferences has grown over the
years and this should be our largest yet.
What were some of the highlights of 2015?
It would be the 2015 NEWH Leadership Conference that was held
in January in Dallas. After two years of planning it was great to
see it all come together. I really enjoyed working with Kate Grubb
and Ron McDaniel of NEWH Dallas chapter, putting all the pieces
together, and I was especially proud of giving the scholarship
portion of NEWH more attention by highlighting it over a lunch.
Tell us a bit about your business.
I'm a multi-line representative for Mitch Zerg and Associates. In
addition, I also represent Tiger Leather and OW Hospitality for

30 www.newh.org

What is your business outlook for the next year or two?
I would say I'm cautiously optimistic about the year ahead. The
local indicators tell me the market should stay strong through
2017. I'm seeing good model room opportunities and design firms
looking to add staff.

Trend/movement you are paying attention to in the industry?
Although overall the timeframes have gotten better, there are still
projects where timeframes are unrealistic and it causes havoc with
approvals and delivery schedules. I try to get as many approvals
ahead of time so once the purchase order is released the product
can go right into production.
When you aren't working or at an NEWH event, where can we
find you?
In addition to listening to or watching San Francisco Giants
baseball, my favorite thing to do on the weekends is to take
advantage of the great outdoor space around San Francisco. My
husband Joe and I will venture out and hike five or 10 miles one
day over the weekend. I love the peace, quiet, and views-my
weekend therapy! ❙❘❚
http://www.newh.org
NEWH - Winter 2016

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