Christopher Bo Reaver and Omar Lozano
Signia by Hilton San Jose makes significant appointments to its culinary leadership team.
Reaver brings over 20 years of culinary experience to his new role as executive banquet chef. He has worked in both large- and small-scale operations from restaurants to hotels, and most recently served as corporate chef at Heritage Hotels & Resorts. He joined the Signia by Hilton San Jose team in January 2024.
Lozano joins Signia by Hilton San Jose as director of banquets and will oversee the hotel’s busy banquet department. He brings over 29 years of experience in hotel and hospitality management, and spent 20 years managing the banquet operations at a large Starwood hotel with over 220,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space.
Luis Quezada
Quezada takes on the role of executive chef at Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico. He will oversee the 72-acre property’s 17 onsite food and beverage outlets, from its premium steakhouse, Prime 787, to its sea-side food truck, Picalo Gallo. He holds a degree in culinary arts and has held numerous roles throughout Las Vegas and New Mexico, and now brings his culinary prowess to Puerto Rico.
Carolann Wheeler
Baker’s Cay Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton, appoints Wheeler as executive chef. She will oversee culinary operations for banquets, special events, signature restaurant Calusa and beachside dining venue Dry Rocks for the 15-acre, 200-room resort. She brings over 18 years of experience ranging from executive chef positions at 4-star restaurants, hotels and private clubs to serving as a personal chef for elite guests.
Matt Hale
Everline Resort & Spa welcomes Hale as executive chef. He brings over 25 years of experience in the culinary and hospitality industry, many of which he has spent in premier Lake Tahoe area restaurants. He has demonstrated great skill in utilizing his expertise of the area to create incredible dining experiences with strategic showcases of local flavors.
Ryan Jones
Jones takes on the role of executive chef at Westward Look Resort & Spa. He has lived in Tucson for 22 years and has held various culinary roles throughout the area, including many executive chef positions at locations such as Fox Restaurant Concepts, DoubleTree by Hilton Tucson, Starr Pass Golf Club and more.
Evan Campbell
Campbell is appointed as executive chef at the Hilton Richmond. He brings over 20 years of experience in hospitality and food & beverage management, and holds a reputation for fostering innovation. He most recently served as food and beverage consultant for the Gloucester Institute, where he created unique F&B programs for special event banquet catering.
Goran Basarov
The Quail Lodge welcomes Basarov as executive chef. A self-taught culinary professional, all over the world. He has opened two restaurants as the senior sous chef with The Plumpjack Group and also served as executive chef at Balboa Cafe in San Francisco. He most recently served as executive sous chef at Michelin-starred Selby’s in Redwood City, and will now oversee The Quail Lodge’s culinary program, from events to its signature dining venues.
Adam Reson
Fairmont Dallas appoints Reason as its executive chef. A North Texas local, Reason began his career as a culinary intern at Fairmont Dallas and most recently served under the hotel’s executive sous chef. He is skilled in weaving elevated regional flavors and local ingredients into his dishes, and looks forward to continuing his career with the hotel. Most recently, he served as chef de partie, sous chef, and chef de cuisine at FL.2 Modern American, at Fairmont Pittsburg.
Dillion Buckler
Buckler takes on the role of chef de cuisine at Grande Lakes Orlando’s onsite, Michelin- and Forbes-recommended Primo. He spent 14 years at Universal Orlando Resort and was a member of the opening team of Three Broomsticks. Throughout his time there, he oversaw 14 culinary outlets. He began with Grande Lakes Orlando as a sous chef and has been instrumental in shaping Primo’s culinary direction.
James Nicholson
The Westin Indianapolis appoints Nicholson as restaurant chef of its signature restaurant, Ten Hands Social Bar & Eatery. He will oversee day-to-day culinary operations including breakfast, lunch, dinner and private dining, as well as debut seasonal revamps of the restaurant’s menus. He brings 18 years of experience to this role, most recently serving as executive chef at both Tony’s Steaks & Seafood and Taxman Brewing Company, in Indianapolis.
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