ORLANDO, FLA.—Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek has announced the appointment of Justin Crum as Chef de Cuisine for its award-winning deep blu Seafood Grille restaurant, which features fine, fresh seafood focused on local and sustainable ingredients with a modernist approach and attention to seasonality. “Justin’s background in fine dining and upscale venues is perfectly in line with the kind of next level experience we provide at deep blu,” said General Manager Cathy Zucker. “He will further enhance our menu offerings with his southern roots and first-class touch.” Having spent more than two decades in the restaurant industry, Crum was most recently Chef...

LOS ANGELES—The American Hotel & Lodging Assn. (AHLA), The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation, and The BHN Group announced Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, will be awarded the Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award. Ballotti will be recognized during the AHLA Foundation’s premier fundraising gala, Night of a Thousand Stars on Sunday, January 22, 2023, as well as during the 22nd Annual Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. “Geoff—much like Arne—is a true embodiment of all the good that hospitality represents. His empathy, his accessibility, and his commitment to doing the...

TAMPA, FLA.—McKibbon Hospitality, an award-winning leader in hotel management, announced the recent promotion of Jess Hayden to Vice President of Operational Excellence. In this newly created position, Hayden is responsible for overseeing procurement, contract management, hotel openings and transitions as well as sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives, driving the company’s process and performance improvement, quality assurance and operational efficiency across its portfolio of nearly 100 hotels. “Jess Hayden has been, and continues to be, an invaluable asset to McKibbon Hospitality and her promotion to Vice President of Operational Excellence couldn’t be more deserved,” said Randy Hassen, President of McKibbon...

HONG KONG—Tracy Yeow, sustainability manager at City Developments Limited, has moved on after four years with the property development company. She has joined NagaCorp, a Hong Kong-listed gaming company, as its Senior Sustainability Manager. She will be based in Phnom Penh, where NagaCorp runs the casino NagaWorld. NagaCorp’s sustainability efforts include forming a sustainability department in 2013 and acquiring recognition for NagaWorld as an “Asean Green Hotel”. Yeow’s role will involve developing a sustainability strategy for NagaCorp, adopting global best practices in environmental measurement and reporting, and working with internal and external stakeholders to roll out sustainability initiatives. At CDL, Yeow led the company’s...

BETHESDA, MD.—With a full slate of 2025 environmental impact goals, keeping track of progress is a mammoth job for Marriott International given its approximately 8,000 properties. Leading the collection of that data with a team of experts to help her is Marriott’s Sarah Boll, Senior Director, Energy & Sustainability, U.S./Canada. “We are the ones to gather data. We collect data on carbon intensity, water intensity, and waste,” Boll says. “Managing that data is a global responsibility. We do our best to clean it up and use it for target setting.” As leader of the data acquisition team, Boll overseas data acquisition...

LOS ANGELES—Bentley Mills, Inc., California’s largest commercial carpet manufacturer, announced the appointment of Holly Holton as Global Director of Sustainability. Holton, a seasoned industry professional who joined Bentley in 2009 as an Account Executive, will now focus on engaging industry partners on Bentley’s evolving sustainability progress and continued initiatives. “I’m thrilled to welcome Holly into her new Bentley role. As a company dedicated to exceeding California’s sustainability standards, Bentley will continue to design products to lower our chemicals of concern and carbon footprint,” said Jay Brown, Bentley President, and Chief Operating Officer. “Holly will strengthen how Bentley externalizes our advancements in renewable energy,...

CHICAGO—As part of Hyatt’s commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), it recently announced the appointment of Tyronne Stoudemire to Senior Vice President, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I). In his elevated role, Stoudemire and his team will continue to execute Hyatt’s DE&I strategy, part of the company’s World of Care ESG platform. Stoudemire will continue to report to Malaika Myers, Hyatt’s chief human resources officer. “Being part of Hyatt means always having a space to be you. Since opening our doors 65 years ago, we’ve remained committed to creating inclusive environments where every colleague feels welcome, cared for and...

NEW YORK—Hilton recently announced the appointment of Chintan Dadhich as the General Manager of Lower Manhattan’s only all-suite luxury hotel, Conrad New York Downtown. In his role, he will lead all aspects of hotel operations of the 463-room LEED Gold property, placing an emphasis on guest service and satisfaction. Dadhich joins Conrad New York Downtown from the Five Star Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, bringing superior hospitality experience and many industry accolades, including the Hilton Americas’ 2021 General Manager of the Year Award. “It’s an honor to lead the phenomenal team at Conrad New York Downtown and I look forward to...

LONDON—Dorchester Collection recently announced the appointment of Milet Lukey as Vice President, People and Culture. Milet rejoins Dorchester Collection following her most recent position as Vice President of Talent and Culture for the Americas at Rosewood Hotel Group, a role she has held since 2019. Prior to this, Lukey worked with Dorchester Collection between 2012 and 2014 as Area Director of People Organization and Development where she was responsible for all people functions at The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air. She later joined Starwood Capital Group’s hotel brand management company SH Group as Area Director of People Operations, based...

NEWBURG, ORE.—The Willamette Valley Wine Country’s modern grand dame, The Allison Inn & Spa, announced the appointment of Percy Brandon to general manager. In his new role, Brandon will oversee all property operations for the resort including its 85 guestrooms and suites, an estimated 200 colleagues, and all food and beverage operations. Brandon comes to The Allison following 21 years of leadership as General Manager at Vintners Resort—a serene, luxury getaway located in Sonoma County, Calif. A well-respected community leader, Brandon joined the company in 2000 as General Manager of John Ash & Co. restaurant. A few months following in January 2001,...