CVBs
Michael Murray was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing for corporate meetings and incentives at the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, Honolulu.
Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau added four salespeople to its team and appointed another. Claudia Garnica has been hired as a national key account sales manager, focusing both on medical meetings and the Hispanic market. Previously, Garnica owned Global Meeting Solutions, a full-service conference planning company based in Houston. In addition, Russell Harris, Robert Hockaday, and Judy Johnston were hired as convention sales managers. Also, Nathan Tollett was promoted to national key account sales manager for the GHCVB after spending three years at the George R. Brown Convention Center managing event operations.
LA Inc., the Los Angeles CVB, appointed Michael Krouse to vice president, convention sales. Krouse joins LA Inc from Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Arlington, Va., where he was vice president, sales and marketing.
Greater Louisville (Ky.) CVB promoted Paul Moore to sales manager for small meetings and TiJuana Howard to convention sales coordinator.
San Jose CVB hired Robert Marx as director of marketing. Most recently, Marx served as president and chief development officer of Reed Roberts Marketing Communications, Atlanta. Also, the SJCVB appointed Jan Sweetnam as chairman of the board for fiscal year 2005/2006. Sweetnam is vice president and director of asset management at Federal Realty Investment Trust, Rockville, Md.
Ontario (Calif.) CVB hired Bob Brown as executive director and general manager. Previously, he worked as director of sales and assistant general manager for Reliant Park in Houston. Also, the Ontario Convention Center hired three people to its food and beverage team. Charles Brettner was hired as director of food and beverage, Jennifer Minichiello was appointed chef de cuisine, and Anissa Erb was tapped as catering sales manager.
Dan Dierdorf, former professional football player and current NFL analyst for CBS, has been named chairman of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission. Dierdorf replaces J. Kim Tucci, who had held the post since 2002. Also, the commission hired Eric Lee as national convention sales manager. Previously, Lee held a similar position at the Memphis CVB.
ASSOCIATIONS
Ellen Moore was hired by SmithBucklin Corp., Chicago, as an association executive. Her first role will be interim executive director of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, Naperville, Ill. Most recently she served as executive director of the Women’s Foodservice Forum, Chicago.
Dawn Hatzer has joined SmithBucklin Corp. as executive director at the National Child Care Association, Washington, D.C. She works out of SmithBucklin’s Washington, D.C., office managing all aspects of NCCA’s operations. Prior to joining SmithBucklin, Hatzer was executive director of the Direct Marketing Association of Washington, Washington, D.C.
The Optical Society of America, Washington, D.C., hired John Heberlein as its chief operating officer. Most recently, he was CFO and vice president of finance and administration at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry, Washington, D.C.
Jim Thompson joined Association Executives of North Carolina, Raleigh, as its new executive director. Prior to joining AENC, he was director of business development for the N.C. Association of Realtors in Greensboro. Also, Jay Rouse, director of government affairs for the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, has been named president of AENC for 2005-2006.
The International Association of Assembly Managers, Coppell, Texas, honored Shura Lindgren, general manger of the St. Charles (Mo.) Convention Center, with a Presidential Citation recognizing her contribution to the public facility management industry.
Destination Marketing Association International, Washington, D.C., named Jon Hutchison, president and CEO of the Sydney (Australia) CVB, chairman of its board of directors for 2005-2006.
Trade Show Exhibitors Association, Chicago, hired Betsy Carnahan as communications manager. Carnahan was managing editor of The Magazine of Sigma Chi at Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Ill.
HOTELS
Pamela Stoy joins the Kansas City Marriott Downtown as director of marketing. Previously, she was director of group sales at the Westin in downtown Indianapolis.
InterContinental Hotels Group, Atlanta, has named Janis Cannon, vice president, brand management, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the Americas. Most recently, Cannon served as the deputy commissioner of tourism for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Brad Mettler has been named director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Regency La Jolla (Calif.). Mettler previously served as director of sales and marketing at Hyatt Regency Albuquerque (N.M).
Adam Leon was named director of sales and marketing at Bentley Hotels, Miami Beach, Fla. Leon was director of sales for the Hilton Palm Beach (Fla.) Oceanfront Resort.
Barceló Hotels and Resorts, Orlando, appointed Linda Finley to director of group sales, incentives and meetings. Finley joins Barceló from Occidental Hotels and Resorts in Orlando, where she was director of group sales.
La Quinta (Calif.) Resort and Club has announced the following changes to its sales team:. Dan Kyser was named director of sales, joining from Emerald Point Resort, Atlanta, where held a similar position. Also, Ann Gorman was promoted to director of insurance sales and Chicago association sales; Megan Pitman Warzeniak was hired as director of Northern California and Pacific Northwest sales; and Nicole Campbell was named executive meetings manager.
Nancy Shaffer, senior sales manager, and Jason Jordan, sales manager, have been added to the sales team at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, Austin, Texas. Shaffer joins from Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa, Indian Wells, Calif., where she held a similar position. Jordan worked in sales at Reynolds and Reynolds, Nashville, a business solutions provider for the automotive industry. The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa will open in 2006.
Carol Shawley-Hanna, conference service manager at The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.V., earned a Certified Meeting Professional certificate.
Pointe South Mountain Resort, Phoenix, appointed Michael Burns as national sales manager. Previously, he was an executive meetings manager at the Doubletree La Posada, Scottsdale, Ariz.
French Lick (Ind.) Springs Resort and Casino added three executives to its staff. Scott Spurlock, formerly the general manager at Virginia Crossing Resort, Richmond, Va., was named general manager; Eric Whitson, former director of sales and marketing at The Chattanoogan, Chattanooga, Tenn., was hired as director of sales and marketing; and Michael Cicutto, who was resident manager at Ocean Place Conference Resort, Long Branch, N.J., was appointed director of resort services.
Asim Ibraham was appointed assistant food and beverage director at the Orlando (Fla.) World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center. Formerly, he owned Restaurant Sul Posto, Montreal.
The North Maple Inn, Basking Ridge, N.J., promoted Jason Faber to senior conference planning manager.
Kate Chang has been appointed sales manager, meeting and incentives at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers. Previously, Chang was catering and convention services manager at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.
Anthony Loos was promoted to director of food and beverage at The Founders Inn, Virginia Beach, Va.
Pacific Palms Resort, Industry Hills, Calif., hired Brad Buss as executive chef. Previously, he was executive chef at the Loews Annapolis Hotel in Annapolis, Md.
Marcia Sheats has been named director of group sales and Rebecca Ivanov was hired as director of room operations for the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Marriott and Embassy Suites Hotels, owned by Noble Investment Group, Winston-Salem, N.C. Previously, Sheats was senior sales manager at the Embassy Suites/Homewood Suites, Greensboro, N.C. Ivanov was operations manager at the Marriott, Greenville, S.C.
Angie Wolf was appointed spa director at the Marco Island (Fla.) Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa. Formerly, she was spa director for Little Palm Island Resort and Spa in the Florida Keys. Also, Jennifer Westley was named sales manager. Previously, she was national sales manager at the Naples (Fla.) Beach Hotel and Golf Club.
Paul Gibson was appointed director of food and beverage at Edith Macy Conference Center, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. Previously, he held a similar title at the Sovereign Hotel and Conference Center, West Springfield, Mass.
Michelle Lewis, sales manager, Jerry Soles, assistant general manager, and Ian Larson, rooms division director, join the staff at The Quorum Hotel, Tampa, Fla.
SUPPLIERS
TBA Global Events, Los Angeles, restructured and has promoted several executives to new positions. Bob McCormick was named senior vice president, strategic events/meeting planning services; Jill Liszewski was promoted to senior vice president of destination management; Fran Romeo was named vice president of fairs and festivals entertainment; C.B. Wismar was named senior vice president; David Kahn was named senior vice president, sales; Greg Anton was named senior vice president, account management; and Leo Fitzpatrick was promoted to senior vice president, creative.
Don Vaughn, executive vice president, corporate events, retired from Freeman Companies, Dallas, after a 27-year career. During his career, Vaughn has been recognized by many industry organizations, highlighted with his induction into the Convention Industry Council Hall of Leaders in 1997. He leaves to form The Augusta Group, a Carrollton, Texas-based consulting firm providing advisory services for facility, meeting, and exhibition managers around the world.
Skyline Exhibits, Saint Paul, Minn., promoted Mike Thimmesch to director, marketing communications and lead generation, and the hired Julie Heck as director of product marketing.
Perry Juliano was promoted to senior manager of the convention and trade show services group at SmithBucklin Corp., Chicago.
Dallas Teague Snider was named recruitment manager for ConferenceDirect, a hospitality resource company. Teague maintains her position as national account director at the company. She works out of the Birmingham, Ala., office.
Global Events Partners hired Dawn Barbeau as director of sales. She has more than a dozen years of management experience in the hospitality industry, including stints at Hilton, Starwood, Wyndham, Omni, and Loews Hotels. She will work out of GEP’s Chicago office.
Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services, San Diego, hired Tom West as national sales manager. Most recently, West worked as director of operations/sales with Coach USA, San Diego.
ME Productions, a Pembroke Park, Fla.-based destination management company, added three people to its sales staff. Christopher Reynolds was hired as incentive sales manager while Hayley Gaines and Rachel Klein-Muller joined the company as sales managers.
Shackman Associates International, a New York, N.Y.-based destination management company, hired Carl Schmehl as creative director. For the last 15 years, Schmehl worked with Shackman Associates as a creative consultant.
