Wyndham Hotels & Resorts promoted Monica Melancon, human resource leader for managed hotel operations in North America, to chief human resource officer, effective March 1, 2021. Melancon spent 15 years at Target, rising from human resources executive at the unit level to a senior regional human resources executive overseeing a region with US$3 billion of annual sales and more than 15,000 team members. In 2015, she joined La Quinta Management and has been consistently promoted since Wyndham’s acquisition of La Quinta.
“[Melancon] is an exceptional leader whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with since our acquisition of La Quinta more than two years ago,” said Geoffrey Ballotti, chief executive officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “She personally knows our ownership groups and leadership teams on the ground who deliver our Count on Me service daily. She understands our business, our company and our people, and I’m confident she is the right leader to drive our culture and business forward.”
Wyndham also announced that Mary Falvey, chief administrative officer, will leave the company on March 1, 2021. She spent 22 years at Wyndham Worldwide and its predecessor companies.
Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, created by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, appointed Jennifer Barnwell president and Austin Segal vice president. Barnwell will oversee Curator with a focus on growing its membership and strategic operating partnerships. Segal will focus on operations and the development of vendor relationships, agreements and technology. Prior to this appointment, Barnwell was senior vice president of asset management for Pebblebrook. Before joining Pebblebrook in 2010, she held senior roles at Peninsula Real Estate and Tishman Hotel & Realty. Previously, Segal was vice president of asset management for Pebblebrook, and earlier in his career, director with LaSalle Hotel Properties.
Montage Hotels & Resorts appointed Michelle Caporicci general manager of the forthcoming Montage Big Sky, slated to open in 2021 in Montana’s Spanish Peaks area. Caporicci recently served as general manager and regional vice president of Auberge Resorts Collection in Telluride and Aspen, Colorado, including Madeline Hotel & Residences, Hotel Jerome and Element 52. Prior to this, she was managing director for St. Regis Langkawi, Westin Langkawi and Langkawi International Convention Center in Langkawi, Malaysia. Caporicci’s past leadership roles include regional vice president of sales and marketing for The Ritz-Carlton, Asia Pacific in Hong Kong; general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Guangzhou, China; hotel manager of The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, China; and corporate senior director of meetings and special events for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. in Maryland.
Auberge Resorts Collection named Michele Evans vice president of food and beverage. Evans brings more than a decade of independent restaurant experience to her role. Most recently, she was vice president of operations at Starr Restaurants across the East Coast, overseeing 19 locations in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Miami.
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Lahaina, Hawaii, named David Flegel executive chef. In 2018, Flegel helped open and create the Water’s Table restaurant at Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in Renton, Washington. Previous roles include executive chef at Hyatt Regency Calgary in Calgary, Canada, and executive sous chef for the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. He has also worked in Saipan, Chile, France and Berlin.
The Lodge of Four Seasons and The Club at Porto Cima in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, appointed Robin Graf chief operating officer and general manager. Graf has 30 years of experience in hospitality and specializes in operations, team building and revenue generation. Prior to this appointment, he was vice president of operations Hawaii, New Zealand, Saipan for Castle Resort & Hotels. He spent several decades leading resort and hotel operations at properties across the Hawaiian Islands, including the Kauai Beach Resort in Hanamaulu, and Waikoloa Beach Marriott in Waikoloa Beach.
Susan Gregory was appointed director of sales and marketing for El Capitan, a Joie de Vivre hotel, Mainzer and The Tioga, all in Merced, California. Gregory has decades of hospitality experience, most with Monterey Tides Hotel in Monterey, California. Before her time in Monterey, she ran a consulting firm for 15 years where she provided sales, marketing, operations and catering services to California properties including Two Bunch Palms Spa Resort in Desert Hot Springs, Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa in La Jolla, and the Fairmont Newport Beach in Newport Beach. She also has represented hotels in Oregon, Hawaii and Colorado.
Aimbridge Hospitality appointed Roy Mellinger global chief information security officer (CISO), responsible for data security. Before joining Aimbridge earlier this year, he was CISO and senior vice president of risk and security for Sabre. He also held principal, senior vice president and vice president roles at the Shield Group and Anthem – Blue Cross Blue Shield. Government officials have also engaged him for multiple projects, including stints in cybersecurity advisory panels and task forces, and an invitation from the White House for cybersecurity work, which resulted in an executive order during the Obama administration.
McKibbon Hospitality appointed Brandon Miller general manager of Aloft Asheville Downtown in Asheville, North Carolina. Miller most recently was general manager of McKibbon’s Aloft Tallahassee Downtown in Tallahassee, Florida. Under his leadership, the hotel rose to number two in the brand in 2018, generating a 10% year-over-year rise in intent to recommend. Before becoming general manager, Miller spent two years as the property’s operations manager after spending 11 years at the Nashville Airport Marriott in Nashville, Tennessee.
Moon Rabbit and InterContinental Washington, D.C. – The Wharf named four culinary professionals to lead the modern Vietnamese restaurant alongside Executive Chef Kevin Tien: Andrew Osinbajo is general manager; Judy Beltrano is chef de cuisine; Susan Bae is executive pastry chef; and Bradley Marlatt is executive banquet chef. Osinbajo joins the team with nearly five years of luxury hospitality management experience in the D.C. market. Before joining Moon Rabbit, Osinbajo oversaw F&B operations as assistant general manager and sommelier at Washington, D.C., restaurants Poca Madre and as a sommelier at 2 Michelin-starred restaurant Pineapple and Pearls. Beltrano re-joins Executive Chef Kevin Tien, having previously worked alongside him at D.C. restaurants Emilie’s and Momofuku CCDC. Beltrano also rose through the ranks in the D.C. F&B scene at restaurants including Wildwood Kitchen, The Federalist and Marcel’s. Bae has worked at a number of restaurants and establishments throughout Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, as well as Washington, D.C., where she recently was pastry chef de partie at Fairmont Georgetown. Marlatt has worked as executive banquet chef of InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf since June 2018. Prior to this, he was the banquet sous chef at the hotel pre-opening.
Managed by Valor Hospitality Partners, The Kimpton Banneker Hotel, opening early 2021 in Washington, D.C., appointed Raeshawna Scott general manager and Dennis Hernandez director of sales and marketing. Scott has 18 years of hospitality experience, including 10 years with the Kimpton Hotel family. She has held a variety of leadership roles such as director of housekeeping, front office manager, assistant general manager and general manager. She joined the Valor team in September 2019. Hernandez brings 30 years of experience to the property. Prior to joining The Banneker, Hernandez worked with global brands including Viacom/MTV, Ace Hotel Group, Cvent and Hilton Hotels. A native Washingtonian, Hernandez returned to D.C. in 2013 and helped open The Embassy Row Hotel in 2015, as well as other independent lifestyle brands globally.
Sarah Titus is general manager and Nicholas Janysek is director of sales, marketing and events of Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. Titus began her hospitality career at the Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando, Florida, where she worked her way up from front desk agent to assistant guest services manager. She then transferred to Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, later working with brands including Marriott, Hilton and Preferred Hotel Group before joining Hyatt. Most recently, she was hotel manager of the Chicago Association Hotel by Hyatt. Janysek began his career as an event coordinator at Doubletree Guest Suites Austin, Texas, before working with various Marriott, Embassy Suites and Renaissance hotels in Houston and San Marcos, Texas. He went on to hold managerial positions at two Hyatt hotels in Ohio and Maryland. Most recently, he was director of sales, marketing and events at Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade.
Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, appointed Sandeep Jinarajan director of food and beverage. Prior to joining Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Jinarajan worked as the F&B director at The St. Regis Astana in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, as well as the assistant director of F&B at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for four years. He began his career at Grand Hyatt Dubai in 2003, where he worked as assistant manager during the hotel’s pre-opening and post-opening phase. Over the next 12 years, Jinarajan held various managerial roles within the F&B department before working his way up to F&B manager, where he managed the property’s 13 restaurants and bar from 2013 to 2015.
Jan Vahaelewyn is general manager of The St. Regis Bermuda Resort, opening spring 2021 in St. George’s, Bermuda. Earlier in his career, Vahaelewyn was part of the pre-opening team of the W Bogota in Bogota, Colombia, where he was promoted to director of operations. In 2017, Vahaelewyn arrived at The St. Regis Bahia Beach in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, where months after starting as hotel manager, the hotel closed because of Hurricane Maria. Vahaelewyn led the team through the closure, renovation and reopening in December 2018. Most recently, he served as general manager of The Ocean Club, A Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Norte, Dominican Republic.