Cindy Hart
Cindy Hart joined Hotel Boulderado in Boulder, Colorado, as director of sales and marketing. She has been a development leader in the hotel sales industry for more than 20 years, most recently as director of sales for Saratoga Resort and Spa in Wyoming. She previously served on the opening team in the same role for SpringHill Suites Denver at Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. Hart was also dual director of sales for White Lodging Services, where she hired, trained and mentored sales teams for Courtyard Denver West/Golden in Golden, Colorado. She is a third-generation native of Boulder.
Fernando Garcia
AMResorts welcomed Fernando Garcia as area commercial director for Jamaica and director of sales for Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay and Secrets St. James Montego Bay in Jamaica. Fernando most recently served as the director of sales and marketing for Catalonia Hotels & Resorts in Barcelona, Spain. He was responsible for sales in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. Fernando has a strong history of driving sales and marketing strategies while managing and motivating his team.
Amanda Hawkins-Vogel
Marriott Napa Valley Hotel & Spa announced Amanda Hawkins-Vogel as general manager of the newly renovated property. She has worked in various management and leadership positions at international hotels, and worked for The Camberley Hotel Company in Atlanta; West Baden Springs Hotel in Indiana; Residence Inn Fort Lauderdale Intracoastal/Il Lugano in Florida; and Hilton San Diego Del Mar. At the San Diego hotel, she and her team were awarded the 2015 Sage Leadership Award for Excellence in revenue performance, profit performance and associate engagement.
David Givens
Hilton Waikoloa Village hired David Givens as general manager of the 1,240-room oceanfront resort on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island. He joins the hotel from Interstate Hotels & Resorts, where he was vice president of operations, overseeing multiple branded properties and ownership groups. Prior to that, he was vice president of operations and general manager for Interstate’s China Division, and managed DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Shanghai-Pudong. He has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
Karen Fey
Plano Centre named Karen Fey as sales representative for the convention center in North Texas. It has more than 12,500 sq. ft. of flexible function space. Previously, Fey served as public information specialist for Visit Plano, the destination marketing department for the City of Plano. She has also worked for Texas Instruments, Texas Health Resources and Travelers Insurance.
“We are excited to add Karen to our sales team,” said Mark Jarrell, general manager of Plano Centre. “Her customer service and sales background is a beneficial asset in our efforts to attract additional meeting and events clients to Plano Centre.”
Heather Bailey
Heather Bailey has been appointed director of program development for MC&A, Hawaii’s largest full-service destination and event management company, based in Honolulu. Bailey develops programs and events for new and existing clients, as well as managing the program development department. She has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including working for hotels, restaurants, golf clubs and destination management companies.
“We are very excited to have Heather join us at MC&A. Her DMC operations and systems experience will be greatly appreciated as we continue to identify new and improved ways to service our customers in Hawaii,” said Mike Dolan, general manager of MC&A group business.
Ken Barnes
Omni Hotels & Resorts hired Ken Barnes as chief information officer for the luxury hotel brand, headquartered in Dallas. He is responsible for strategic direction and oversight of all information technology. Barnes joins Omni Hotels & Resorts from GuestTek Interactive in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he served as the senior vice president of global service responsible for managing technology service and support for the company. Prior to that, he worked for White Lodging Services for two decades, most recently serving as vice president of information technology.
“In our fast-paced and constantly evolving business environment, it is more important now than it has ever been before to have a clear, succinct IT strategy,” said Mike Deitemeyer, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts. “Ken is a proven leader who will ensure we have an IT strategy that helps meet our business objectives and works to exceed our guests’ expectations.”
Elie Kik
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York City appointed Elie Kik as director of sales and marketing. He has more than 20 years of luxury hospitality experience, and will be responsible for developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies. Kik joins The Carlyle from The St. Regis New York, where he established and oversaw the sales department. He previously worked for La Cigale Hotel Beirut, Hotel President Wilson in Geneva and Starwood Hotels New York City. Kik attended Ecole Hoteliere de Geneve in Switzerland, where he received a bachelor’s degree hotel management.
“With Elie’s depth of luxury hospitality experience in both sales and operations, he is the perfect match for The Carlyle,” said Giovanni Beretta, managing director. “I am thrilled to welcome him to the team and we look forward to the exciting initiatives he will bring to our renowned hotel.”
Jana McGee
Jana McGee joined The Chattanoogan hotel as conference planning manager, where she is responsible for planning meetings and conferences at the upscale hotel in Tennessee. For the past six years, she was employed at The Sheraton Read House in Chattanooga, serving as assistant general manager, convention services manager and outlet manager. McGee is a member of National Association of Professional Women and Lutheran Women’s Mission League.
“We are extremely pleased that Jana has joined the team at The Chattanoogan,” says Tom Cupo, regional managing director. “She knows the Chattanooga market very well and has extensive experience managing all aspects of successful meetings, conferences and events.”
Kathleen Bernesby
Kathleen Bernesby was named senior director of sales and marketing for Planet Hollywood International, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. She is responsible for day-to-day sales operations for the brand, including spearheading the relaunch of its newly redesigned flagship restaurant, Planet Hollywood Observatory at Disney Springs. Bernesby will be implementing strategic marketing and sales tactics, while growing group sales for the corporate, convention and association markets.
Prior to her current role, Bernesby served as director of marketing for Loews Miami Beach Hotel, located in Miami’s South Beach. She began her career with the Walt Disney World Company, working as a senior sales manager, followed by a 10 year stint with The Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin in Orlando. She has also worked in a global capacity with The Ritz-Carlton and served as director of sales and marketing for The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida.
