Arizona
- The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana appointed Dawn Benedict director of group sales. Benedict has more than 23 years of sales experience in the hospitality industry, most recently serving as a senior sales manager, Northeast region at Florida’s Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. There, she was responsible for $1.6 million in group sales annually, as well as managing and growing the property’s largest marketplace.
- The San Diego CVB recently hired four new national sales directors in its hotel meetings sales division. Jenna Bisesi was named national sales director and is based in the bureau’s headquarters offices in San Diego. She will handle the Pacific Northwest region, including Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Western Canada. An 11-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Bisesi’s most recent position was associate director of sales for the Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego. Previous positions include sales associate at the Town & Country Resort & Convention Center in San Diego’s Mission Valley. Elaine Kady is also a new national sales director based in the bureau’s headquarters offices in San Diego, and will handle select Southern California markets, including Orange County, Riverside County and the desert communities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert. A 20-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Kady was most recently owner and regional developer for Decor & You, an interior design firm in San Diego.Previous positions include national account executive for Concepts Worldwide and various sales positions at CVBs in San Diego, Atlanta and Hawaii. Jennifer Gordon, a new national sales director based in Hickory Creek, Texas, will handle Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. A 15-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Gordon’s most recent position was national sales manager for the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau in Irving, Texas. Previous positions include sales manager for the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Dallas and catering sales/convention services manager for the Wyndham Hotel-Midtown in Atlanta. Amber Levy was named national sales director based in New York and will handle the Northeast market, including Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. A seven-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Levy was most recently director of sales for The Hyland Group, based in New York City and Arlington, Va.
- Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Denver named Von de Luna general manager. De Luna has a 17-year career in the hospitality industry. Most recently, he held the position of general manager at Kimpton’s Hotel Burnham in Chicago. He also managed Kimpton’s Hotel Rouge and Kimpton’s Hotel Madera, both in Washington, D.C.
- Karen Cosgrove was appointed director of Hualalai Resort’s Hualalai Spa and Hualalai Sports Club. Cosgrove brings more than a decade of resort spa experience to the resort and will oversee the wellness, fitness, and spa experiences the resort. Cosgrove oversaw the re-launch of Hualalai’s spa in mid-December.