Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Puerto Rico
Texas
- The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, scheduled to open in February 2008, added a team of sales professionals that includes Carolyn Loughran Dwyer as director of sales. Dwyer is an 11-year veteran with Marriott International, most recently in New Orleans as the director of the Greater New Orleans sales office. … Ray Ezelle was named area director of sales and marketing for the central cluster of the Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and will oversee the sales and marketing for the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel. … Monica Allen, a veteran journalist, is the Renaissance Montgomery’s new sales manager.
Florida
- Darrel C. Jones was elected board secretary for the Florida Commission on Tourism/Visit Florida Corporation Board of Directors. Jones is the executive director/president and CEO of the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council/Emerald Coast CVB. … The Greater Miami CVB promoted Larissa Valero to tourism sales director for Latin America and Spain. Valero was previously corporate sales manager for the bureau. … Mercedes Rivera was appointed senior sales manager for the Orange County Convention Center’s corporate and association clients. Rivera previously worked as area director of sales for Remington Hotel Management in Dallas and senior sales manager for Wyndham Orlando Resort. … Tim Hemphill was named executive director of sales and marketing of the new Orlando Sun Resort and Convention Center by Lexington. Hemphill previously served as executive director of the Kissimmee CVB. … Takis Chondrogiannis joined Universal Orlando Resort as national account director, handling specialty markets. Chondrogiannis previously served as a national sales director with the Peabody Orlando Hotel. ... Dan Ano was appointed director of club operations for Naples Bay Resort, a mixed-use property scheduled to open in December. Ano was previously the food & beverage director for the Naples National Golf Club.
Louisiana
- The New Orleans Metropolitan CVB appointed six new sales managers: Kelly Buchler, Yves Rougelot Clark, Jennifer Franz, Jennifer McDonald, Michelle Minyard, and Martha Martinez. Buchler will cover the West Coast and Southwest association meetings market; Clark will focus on a mixture of associations, government and corporate groups; Franz will be responsible for the short-term small meetings market; McDonald will focus on corporate meetings headquartered in the Northeast; Minyard will be responsible for the Midwest association market; and Martinez will handle overseas markets.
Mississippi
- John Chaszar took over as general manager of the Hollywood Casino–Bay St. Louis. Chaszar, who was most recently assistant general manager at the property, succeeds John Jagunich, who retired.
Puerto Rico
- The Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa, A Wyndham Grand Resort appointed Tim Corder as director of sales and marketing.
Texas
- Lindsey Thomas was promoted to executive meetings manager of the Austin CVB. The CVB also added Meredith Brown to its Washington, D.C., satellite office and Betsy Richardson as the convention services manager. … Bryan Davis was hired as director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio. Davis served as director of sales and marketing for the Grand Hyatt DFW.