Carl Rogers and Biljana Djokovic
Delta Hotels Orlando Celebration makes two new leadership appointments.
Rogers takes on the role of general manager. He brings nearly 40 years of hospitality experience across numerous leading hospitality companies, including 20 years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Throughout his years in the industry, he has worked across many departments including front desk, housekeeping, food & beverage, accounting and more, and has established a reputation for collaborative work budget creation, improving service scores and building strong cultures.
Djokovic is appointed as director of sales and marketing. With nearly 15 years of experience in sales and marketing across the hospitality industry, she is well-versed in various hotel brands and has demonstrated expertise in delivering successful business-specific solutions, hands-on management, team motivation and achieving exceptional sales performance.
Alexandra Marozzi
Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa has promoted Marozzi to the role of senior sales executive, in which she will manage the resort’s golf/sports segment. She joined the resort in January 2022 as director of memberships at Cabana Beach Club and demonstrated her skill by driving revenue increases and enhancing the overall membership experience through the creation of new membership programs. Prior to joining the resort, she gained several years of sales and marketing experience, particularly with private club organizations.
Jennifer Jensen
The Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement) appoints Jensen as UK relationship manager. With over two decades of experience in tourism and destination marketing, Jensen will work to expand regenerative tourism initiatives and strategies, measurement programs and storytelling initiatives with the UK team. While serving as head of convention bureau at Marketing Liverpool, Jensen spearheaded Liverpool’s Visitor Economy Sustainability Task Force, for which she was recognized with GDS-Movement’s annual Most Improved Destination Award.
Allison McNamara and Claude Humphrey
The Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) in Fort Worth brings in new top management.
McNamara will serve as interim general manager following the retirement of Kevin O Kemp. She will oversee all operations, personnel and sales functions for the complex. She has served as operations manager since 2021, and earlier worked for the complex as an event coordinator. While advancing through departments, she has developed a strong relationship with the team, a passion for their work and strong partnerships with clients.
Humphrey, the longtime WRMC field operations supervisor, will serve as interim operations manager. He brings 37 years of experience in public events. In this new role, he will be the main point of contact for contractors as well as lead daily operations, event attendants, barn crews, maintenance and engineering. In 2018, he was named Manager of the Year at WRMC and in 2022 received Visit Fort Worth’s Beyond Award, which recognizes excellence in hospitality service.
Miranda Burkes
Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin welcomes Burkes as event sales manager. She will lead the hotel’s events team to deliver a seamless meeting & events experience for guests, and, working closely with General Manager Harrison Compton, will sell and service events, work with the client on menu planning and agenda setting and facilitate communication pre-, during- and post-event with relevant hotel colleagues.
John Rolfs
Ski-in/ski-out mountain resort Pendry Park City welcomes Rolfs as general manager. Arriving with 28 years of hospitality experience, Rolfs will oversee all aspects of resort operations. He has spent over two decades with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and most recently served as general manager of St. Regis Bal Harbour Hotel.
Don E. Simon
Simon is appointed as sales manager at Georgia International Convention Center (GICC). Bringing over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Simon will focus on the group market and attracting events such as pageants, cheer and dance competitions, ethnic and minority-based gatherings, fashion shows, consumer expos, graduations and more to the state’s second-largest convention center.
Manuela Fahringer
Fahringer takes on the role of general manager at Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton, the first all-inclusive Curio Collection by Hilton brand property in the Dominican Republic, set to open in late 2024. She will oversee all operations of the new-build resort, drawing on her over 15 years of hospitality experience. Most recently, she served as general manager of The Excellence Punta Cana.
Justin Chapman
Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain, soon to be Hotel Champlain, appoints Chapman as general manager. He has spent 14 years in the hospitality industry and moved progressively through roles at Aimbridge Hospitality, most recently serving as general manager of Embassy Suites by Hilton as Destiny USA in Syracuse, New York. In addition to overseeing all daily operations, he will lead the resort through its transition to a Curio Collection by Hilton brand property.
David Cesario
Cesario is appointed as general manager at Naples Grande Beach Resort. He will oversee all daily operations at the property. Most recently, he served as the vice president and opening general manager of Margaritaville Beach Resort in Fort Myers Beach, and prior, spent 36 years working in multiple leadership positions with Marriott International in top destinations, including Miami, Orlando, Boston and Detroit.
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