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People & Places Presented By Association News (October 2016)
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CVBs/DMOs
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Tom Kiely has been appointed CEO of Visit West Hollywood (California), effective October 17. He will transition from his current role as executive vice-president of tourism at the San Francisco Travel Association. Kiely also has experience serving in leadership positions with the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai and Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California.

Teresa Anderson has been named CEO of Visit Granbury (Texas). A 30-year-veteran of the destination marketing organization industry, Anderson has served in various state and national leadership roles. She was instrumental in launching the industry’s first accreditation program, and in 2007, she formed her own professional advisory services firm.

Molly Rawn has been appointed executive director of the Fayetteville (Arkansas) Advertising & Promotion Commission, which operates the Fayetteville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Town Center, Visitor’s Center and Clinton House Museum and, in addition, grants local proposals. Rawn most recently served as director of development and communications at the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Karen Totaro has been named senior vice-president and general manager of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, which was created by the city of San Diego to manage, market and operate its waterfront convention facility. Totaro most recently served as general manager of the Atlantic City Convention Center in New Jersey. Before that, she served as assistant general manager of the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati.

Michelle Revuelta has been appointed vice-president of media relations at Choose Chicago. She most recently served as media relations director at Tourism Toronto.

Tony Poe has been appointed director of national accounts at the Little Rock (Arkansas) Convention & Visitors Bureau. Poe most recently served as the national sales director of Absolute Travel, a New York City– based tour operator.

The Athens (Georgia) Convention & Visitors Bureau has hired Missy Brandt Wilson as director of sales and Jay Boling as junior sales manager. Wilson previously served as the bureau’s senior sales manager, and prior to that, she was the director of sales and marketing for the Village Inn & Pub in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Boling most recently served as the economic development assistant for the Oconee County (Georgia) Board of Commissioners.

Amy Peralta has been appointed sales manager of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach (Alabama) Tourism, where she will handle all markets in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Peralta most recently served as sales manager of the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach.

The Louisville (Kentucky) Convention & Visitors Bureau recently made several new appointments and staff promotions. Allison Joyce has been named convention sales manager in its convention-development department. She most recently served as executive meeting manager at the Marriott/ Downtown Louisville. Nicole Twigg, who previously served as the CVB’s director of tourism, has been promoted to vice-president of tourism. Mae Bower has been promoted to director of meetings for team sales and state associations from her former role as senior sales manager. And Chris Bumann, previously an administrative assistant in the convention sales department, is now tourism coordinator.

The Sacramento (California) Convention & Visitors Bureau has officially been renamed Visit Sacramento. According to the destination marketing organization, the change was designed to better convey the organization’s purpose to both visitors and residents across a variety of brands that Visit Sacramento manages.

Hospitality & Suppliers

Lisa Timbo has been named general manager of the JW Marriott/Chicago. A 30-year industry veteran and a Chicago native, Timbo previously served as general manager of the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois.

The Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Florida, has named Derek Baum as general manager and Jay Finkelstein as assistant general manager. Baum has been with Rosen Hotels & Resorts for 30 years and most recently served as general manager of the Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando. Finkelstein has worked for 10 years in catering and convention serves at the Rosen Centre Hotel.

John Bruce has been appointed general manager of the Coast International Inn in Anchorage, Alaska. Bruce has more than 15 years of hospitality experience and most recently served as assistant general manager of the Coast/ Bellevue in Bellevue, Washington.

William Zeralsky has been named vice-president of national marketing for the MGM/National Harbor, scheduled to open later this year in Oxon Hill, Maryland, with 308 guest rooms, a 3,000- seat theater and 27,000 square feet of meeting space. Zeralsky most recently was vice-president of casino marketing for regional operations at MGM Resorts.

Debi Bishop has assumed the role of managing director of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu. Bishop has 30 years of industry experience and most recently served as general manager of the Hilton Waikoloa Village, also in Hawaii.

Lorraine Turner has been named regional executive for Premier Hotel Collection’s two U.S. properties (both located in California): the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel and the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel. As the first person appointed to this new role, Turner will work on creating a strategic human resource plan uniting the hotels. She most recently served as chief administrative officer for the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, where she worked for 15 years.

Melissa Robinson has been named group sales manager for the Midwest and West Coast markets at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Robinson previously served as sales and catering manager at the Hollywood Beach Marriott in Hollywood, Florida.

Alina Lopez has been hired as event sales manager at the Andaz/Wall Street in New York City, where she will oversee the corporate and government markets as well as fundraisers. Lopez most recently was sales coordinator at Westin Times Square, also in New York City.

Construction & Expansion

The Montage / Palmetto Bluff has made its debut in Bluffton, South Carolina, following a $100 million expansion. The hotel now features 200 guest rooms, six dining options, three pool venues, a spa, a children’s program, 35 Montage residences and more than 16,000-square-feet of meeting space.

The 154-room Halcyon Hotel recently opened in the Cherry Creek North district of Denver. Features include courtesy transportation (such as bikes and Vespas), hi-speed Wi-Fi and, for meetings, 6,500-square-feet of space that can accommodate groups of up to 300 people.

The Grand Park Events Center has opened in Westfield, Indiana (about 20 miles north of downtown Indianapolis). The 370,000-square-foot facility features three full-size professional soccer fields, meeting rooms, office space, locker rooms and a restaurant.

At the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, the renovation and remodel of the 62,182-square-foot Valencia Ballroom has been completed. The space will have the same look and feel as the Tangerine Ballroom, also newly remodeled. The convention center offers a total of 2.1 million square feet of exhibit space.

The Hyatt Regency/San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, California, has completed a renovation that includes new design elements, meeting spaces and food and beverage options. All 789 of its guest rooms have been renovated, and the hotel’s 69,285-square-feet of flexible meeting space includes two new ballrooms – the Sequoia and the Cypress – with views of San Francisco Bay. Also new to the property is a restaurant concept, 3SIXTY, which incorporates a bar, bistro and market.

And in New Paltz, New York, the Mohonk Mountain House recently opened the Grove Lodge, its newest accommodation in more than 100 years. Nestled in a fern grove within walking distance of the main hotel, the 7,000-square-foot lodge offers six guest suites and a 1,080-square-foot Great Room.

And Finally…

The Claremont Club & Spa, a Fairmont Hotel in Berkeley, California, has announced the creation of a new position: director of adventures and experiences. Katy Yong, who previously served as the resort’s director of development, will collaborate with local and regional partners to create programming and tailored experiences for groups, individuals and families. On her agenda: social, cultural, educational and “only-in-the-East-Bay” activities.

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