Name: Rick Werber Title: Senior Vice President, Engineering and Sustainability | Development, Design and Construction Company: Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Years with Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.: Seven Primary responsibilities: Werber is responsible for global strategic capital infrastructure planning and execution, enterprise-wide supply-and-demand-side energy and utility management, and the evaluation and implementation of energy and utility-related ROI initiatives, with a focus on improving sustainability and increasing efficiency of operations to create and drive value. Additionally, Werber co-chairs Host’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) team, a cross-functional team charged with developing the organization’s CR framework and integrating policies within its business practices at the corporate...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—Arizona volunteer Rashmi Bhakta was awarded P&G Professional’s “Community Hotelier of the Year Award” in conjunction with the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. (AAHOA). Bhakta was chosen as the grand prize winner after submitting an essay detailing her participation with and support of Child Crisis Arizona. The charity will receive a $10,000 award in Bhakta’s name. Bhakta, who was not able to attend in person, was recognized on stage during the 2016 AAHOA Annual Convention and Trade Show awards presentation at the Nashville Convention Center. Amiti Bhow, who nominated Bhakta for the honor, accepted the recognition on Bhakta’s...

HIGHLANDS, N.C.—Old Edwards Hospitality Group announces the appointment of Ezra Gardiner as Head Farmer. Ezra will oversee Old Edwards Gardens at Sequoia Lake and The Gardens at Cherrywood including greenhouses and hoop houses. Ezra will be responsible for cultivating vegetables and herbs to support the culinary offerings throughout Old Edwards, including Madison’s Restaurant and Wine Garden, the Spa Café, the country inn at Half-Mile Farm and the Grill Room at Old Edwards Club, as well as weddings and special events.Gardiner was raised in Ashe County, N.C., an agricultural community of small homesteads and sustenance farming where growing things for...

SPRINGFIELD, MO.—John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts (JQH) announced the addition of David (Dave) Bishop to the capital planning and asset management department in the company’s Springfield, Mo.-based corporate offices. With 20 years of experience in progressive facilities management, Bishop joins JQH as Corporate Director of Facilities Management beginning March 1, 2016. JQH is a leading private, independent owner and manager of hotels in the United States, including operating more than 1 million square feet of meeting space.“We are pleased to add Dave’s unique education and experience to the JQH family,” said Bill George, JQH’s Vice President of Capital...

CRYSTAL CITY, VA.—The Hyatt Regency Crystal City has launched a new culinary initiative that includes partnerships with regional farms and providers. The new menu features modern interpretations of southern classics made with seasonal ingredients from local farms such as Kreider’s Farms in Lancaster, Pa.; Meadow Creek Dairy in Grayson, Va. and others. The new menu items are now available at the hotel’s Cinnabar restaurant. David Carlson, who recently joined the Hyatt Regency Crystal City team as chef de cuisine, has always had an interest in finding ways to incorporate more locally-grown produce in menu items. Carlson has over 15 years...

YOUNTVILLE, CALIF.—Bardessono Hotel & Spa, the LEED Platinum Certified wine country retreat in the heart of Napa Valley, announces the appointment of Nate Lindsay as the new Executive Chef. Lindsay will oversee all aspects of the culinary experience at Bardessono and for Lucy Restaurant & Bar, the hotel’s award-winning, signature restaurant presenting innovative, garden-inspired cuisine that embodies the property’s “exceptional by nature” modern aesthetic and eco-spirit.“We are delighted to welcome Chef Lindsay to Bardessono and excited to watch Lucy thrive from his fresh culinary vantage, talent and enthusiasm,” said Sileshi Mengiste, Divisional Vice President, Luxury Division Remington Hotels. “Chef...

Name: Lorraine Francis AIA, LEED BD+CTitle: Director, NEWH Sustainable Hospitality CommitteeYears as Director: 1.5 Committee’s Primary Responsibilities: “The main focus is on the Green Voice series. We try to do three presentations at Boutique Design New York, Boutique Design West, and HD Expo. We also have two student scholarships that get awarded at HD Expo.” Additional Title: Regional Director of Hospitality Interiors, Gensler NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.—As Director of NEWH’s Sustainable Hospitality Committee, Lorraine Francis leads monthly committee meetings in preparation for educational discussions at key industry events. She works with various subcommittees within the Sustainable Hospitality Committee and has...

Name: Andrea PinabellTitle: Vice President Sustainability, Global Citizenship Company: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Years with Starwood: Four Primary responsibilities: “My primary role is to reduce Starwood’s overall impact while helping to support the business. Additionally, it is my role to find best practices and scale them around the world.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “One of the most significant has been our 30/20 by 2020 program. We were the first company to include a franchise portfolio within its impact reduction goals.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related challenge moving forward: “Finding innovative and creative financing vehicles as we...

NAPA VALLEY, CALIF.—Mark Harmon, Founder and Managing Partner of the Auberge Resorts Collection, was honored by the Napa County Historical Society and inducted into its Lodging Hall of Fame on Thursday, November 12. Named for the company’s Napa Valley flagship hotel, the five-star Auberge du Soleil, Auberge Resorts Collection has played a pivotal role in putting Napa Valley on the map as a destination that is world-renowned for hospitality and culinary excellence. Harmon, who formed the company in 1998, has led Auberge’s growth in Napa Valley and beyond, to destinations as far-flung as Fiji and Costa Rica. The group’s...

OAK BROOK, ILL.—The Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center has announced the appointment of Erica Tomei as Pastry Chef. In her new role, Tomei will head dessert and bakery operations for the resort’s catering functions, restaurant outlets and retail shops. The winner of the American Culinary Federation’s 2014 wedding cake competition makes Oak Brook Hills a one-stop-shop for house-made wedding cakes, pastries and other baked specialties, something few hotel kitchens can offer.“For me, Erica completes the equation,” said Executive Chef Sean Patrick Curry, who recruited Tomei from her post at the Chicago Marriott Naperville, where the two...