Meeting News - September 22, 2008 - (Page 11) People Making News as well as globally. His proven expertise in hotel operations, technology, the corporate market, global activity, and inventory distribution management will enable us to expand audiovisual capabilities and resources for our clients.” sales office. In her new position, Kreins provides meeting professionals, association executives, and incentive specialists in DC and Maryland with national sales service for ALHI’s diverse luxury portfolio of 85,000 guest rooms and suites and 9 million sf of meeting space worldwide. s Debi Bishop was named general manager of the 1,240-room Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. Most recently, Bishop served as general manager and managing director of Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott resort in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Bishop also served as vice president of sales for Interstate Hotels & Resorts and worked with MeriStar Hotels & Resorts in several capacities including vice president of operations and director of operations in Atlanta. s David Curell has been appointed general manager of Kor Hotel Group’s Viceroy Santa Monica, where he will oversee all aspects of the hotel, from restaurant operations and the guest experience to special events and marketing programs. Curell was previously general manager for Kor’s first Canadian venture, Loden Vancouver—a downtown boutique opening this fall—and now rejoins the company to head the flagship property of its distinguished Viceroy brand. He holds a diploma in hotel and restaurant management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. s Paul S. Barnes has been named convention facility manager for the Austin Convention Center in Texas. His responsibilities include overseeing three convention center departments: sales and booking, event coordination, and public relations/marketing. Barnes was previously in New Orleans, as the director of sales with the Royal Sonesta Hotel, followed by director of sales and marketing at the Chateau Sonesta Hotel, before joining the Renaissance brand in the city. s Alex Gregory has been named director of sales and marketing for Phoenix, AZ’s Royal Palms Resort and Spa, a property managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts (DH&R). Pete Ells, general manager of the resort, cited Gregory’s strong leadership skills along with his proven experience in sales and critical marketing disciplines as key factors in his selection. His responsibilities will encompass management of group and leisure sales, marketing, public relations, revenue management and reservations. s Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has appointed Michael Casey as managing director of Rosewood Sand Hill, a new hotel and spa scheduled to open in Menlo Park, CA, in spring 2009. Casey will oversee all areas of the 120-room hotel and spa, including Madera, the property’s signature restaurant, and the Sense spa. Casey joins Rosewood following his most recent position as general manager of San Francisco’s Hotel Palomar, part of the Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, where he re-energized a nine-year-old property. Casey began his career in the hospitality industry in 1974, as a bellman at the Hyatt Burlingame in California before moving up the ranks to become general manager of the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque, NM. Casey then returned to the Bay Area to take on the role of general manager for the Omni, and later for the Argent Hotel. s Diana Gonda has been appointed national sales director for the Chicago office of Disney Resort Destinations. A graduate of the University of South Carolina and a 25year sales veteran, Gonda leads the team responsible for efforts targeting the Midwest association and corporate markets. Gonda spent 18 years with Marriott International, including 10 years with Marriott’s global sales office in Chicago. She also held leadership roles with KSL Resorts and was most recently director of sales for Hilton’s worldwide sales office in Chicago. s Michael Mustafa has been named director of sales and marketing for the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, located in Dana Point, CA. “We are thrilled to welcome Michael to our team,” said general manager Johnny So. “His developed sales and marketing experience in the hospitality field deems him a valuable asset to our organization.” Mustafa has cultivated his impressive sales and marketing background at such prestigious Starwood properties as the Westin, South Coast Plaza and the Sheraton Gateway, Los Angeles Airport. In January, he was named sales leader of the year for all Starwood hotels. r Acapulco’s Mundo Imperial Taps Andrade as Gen Mgr. Mundo Imperial, the new luxury resort, exposition, and entertainment complex in Acapulco, has announced that Alberto Andrade will be general manager of the resort that’s slated to open in November. Andrade completed 22 consecutive years of service with Renaissance Hotels & Resorts through mergers and acquisitions with Stouffer Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International. At various properties within these two hotel groups, he held high-level positions such as area general manager and vice president of operations for Mexico. Shout Outs s In August, Matthew Vesely became the new director of sales & marketing at the Resort at Singer Island, a member of Starwood’s Luxury Collection and located on Palm Beach County oceanfront. Vesely brings over 15 years of international luxury hotel management experience, having held most recently the director of sales and marketing post at the The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester. s In August, Mary Kreins joined the mid-Atlantic sales team of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), as director of sales in ALHI’s Washington, DC, national www.meetingnews.com September 22, 2008 MeetingNews 11 http://www.meetingnews.com
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