Welcome Aboard: New Hires and Promotions for Feb. 13, 2015

Kristian Sonnier Named Vice President Of Communications And Public Relations Of The New Orleans Convention And Visitors Bureau

Kristian Sonnier, a 20-year public relations and communications veteran, has been named vice president of communications and public relations of the NOCVB. Specializing in public relations planning, media relations management, special events and crisis communications, Sonnier has most recently served as director of public relations for Peter A. Mayer Advertising and in his new position will focus on the strategic direction and messaging of the New Orleans tourism industry.

Jason Lackore Named Director Of Group Sales At Turnberry Isle Miami

Turnberry Isle Miami, the iconic Aventura resort, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason LaCkore as director of group sales. A seasoned hospitality professional, LaCkore has a wide range of sales experience with renowned hotel brands and fortune 500 companies.

Prior to joining Turnberry Isle Miami, LaCkore was a senior sales executive at Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne and Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove. Additionally, he worked as the Director of Group Sales in the Florida Group Sales Office for Marriott International where he successfully led his team to several achievements including reaching above 110 percent of their sales goals. While at Marriott, he earned multiple achievements and became a member of the President's Circle in 2012.

The Brando Promotes Marsha Morton To Director Of Sales & Promotions For North America

The Brando, an exquisite luxury resort on French Polynesia's breathtakingly beautiful private atoll of Tetiaroa, composed of a dozen idyllic islets surrounding a sparkling lagoon 30 miles north of Tahiti, is pleased to announce the promotion of Marsha Morton to director of sales & promotions for North America.

Prior to her time at The Brando, Morton most recently held the position of director of sales & marketing, North America for the InterContinental Resorts of French Polynesia (formerly Southern Pacific Hotels), representing the properties for the past 20 years. Pacific Beachcomber, S.C., owns the InterContinental Resorts of French Polynesia and The Brando.

Belmond Appoints James Simmonds As Senior Vice President, Global Development

Belmond Ltd. has announced the appointment of James Simmonds as senior vice president, global development. Simmonds joins Belmond from Rosewood Hotel Group in Hong Kong, where he was Senior Vice President - Development, Asia Pacific and China. He has a strong reputation within the global hospitality industry and a broad range of experience across hotel consulting, sourcing management agreements, asset management, joint venture development and direct hotel investment.

Prior to Rosewood, Simmonds led business development for Mubadala, the strategic principal investment group of the Government of Abu Dhabi. He began his career in London with Deloitte and Ernst & Young in their hospitality advisory practices.

The Godfrey Hotel, Boston Announces Larry Casillo As General Manager

Oxford Hotels & Resorts has named Larry Casillo general manager of The Godfrey Hotel, Boston (505 Washington St., Boston), a 242-room lifestyle boutique hotel in Boston's burgeoning Downtown Crossing neighborhood, opening in fall 2015. Drawing on over 15 years of luxury, lifestyle, and service-driven hospitality experience, Casillo knows what it takes to launch a hotel from the ground up, including building a high-performing team of hospitality professionals to assist him in providing the ultimate Godfrey experience to his guests.

Casillo's extensive career in hospitality includes time in New York and the greater Boston area, as well as a notable stint abroad in London. While at The Bloomsbury Hotel, London as assistant general manager, Casillo oversaw the completion of a nearly $30 million repositioning and completely redesigned the customer experience, which led to the property ranking third on the upper-luxury hotel list of the British Travel Awards 2014.

Raul Petraglia And Ernesto Luna Return To Their Former Positions As General Managers Of Me Cabo And Me Cancun

Meliá Hotels International is pleased to announce the return of Raul Petraglia as general manager of ME Cabo and Ernesto Luna as general manager of ME Cancun. Petraglia, formerly the general manager of ME Cancun and Luna, formerly the general manager of ME Cabo have interchanged positions, going back to their ME by Meliá brand roots.

For both Petraglia and Luna, their new roles are a natural change. Petraglia will be returning to a destination that he is very acquainted with as he led the rebranding and renovation of Meliá Cabo San Lucas into the hotel ME Cabo in 2007. Luna will also be returning to familiar territory as he was instrumental in launching ME Cancun in 2006.

Prior to his new role as general manager at ME Cabo, Petraglia served as the general manager of ME Cancun, where he was instrumental in creating and executing another successful conversion when the property evolved into a unique lifestyle all-inclusive "Complete ME" concept designed to engage and inspire on a personal level.

Formerly general manager at ME Cabo, Luna helped position the hotel as the premier destination for both Hollywood and international celebrities including Katy Perry, Cindy Crawford, P. Diddy, the Kardashian sisters, Adam Sandler, Chelsea Handler, DJ Tiesto and more. In his new role of general manager at ME Cancun, Luna will bring fresh new ideas to the property, re-energizing the concept of the brand.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group Announces New General Manager Appointments For Two Iconic Singapore Hotels

Pan Pacific Hotels Group is pleased to announce new general manager appointments at its two most widely lauded hotels in Singapore. Veteran Singaporean hoteliers, Gino Tan and Tina Sim will take charge of the 790-room Pan Pacific Singapore and the 367-room PARKROYAL on Pickering respectively.

After a year at the helm of PARKROYAL on Pickering where he led the property to achieve all-round commendable performance and won the "Best New Business Hotel" title at the prestigious 2014 Business Traveller Asia-Pacific awards, Gino Tan moves on to become general manager of Pan Pacific Singapore.

Gino leads the team at Pan Pacific Singapore with over 22 years of international hospitality experience. Prior to joining the Group last year, he had been general manager of Millennium Hotel London Mayfair, Grand Millennium Beijing and the five-star New World Hotel in Dalian, China. In the first 15 years of his career, Gino honed his sales and marketing acumen with Omni Marco Polo Hotel in Singapore as well as with Raffles Hotels and Resorts' properties such as Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore, Swissotel Beijing, Raffles Hotel Singapore and Raffles Beijing Hotel.

Taking over from Gino Tan as general manager of PARKROYAL on Pickering is Tina Sim, who has almost three decades of operations and hotel management experience with leading global luxury brands such as Shangri-la, Westin, Ritz-Carlton, Conrad Centennial and Fullerton.

Notably, Tina enjoyed close to a 10-year tenure with the Shangri-la Group, managing Shangri-la and Traders hotels and resorts across Singapore. Most recently, Tina was general manager, special projects at Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited where she was responsible for renovation projects in Jakarta, Malaysia and Singapore.

Bernard Promoted to Director Of Sales & Marketing North America at Intercontinental Resorts French Polynesia And Maitai Hotels

InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia and Maitai Hotels are pleased to announce the promotion of Raphael Bernard to the role of director of sales & marketing North America.

Bernard's responsibilities encompass all North America sales and marketing efforts for the InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia and Maitai Hotels in French Polynesia. He will report to Philippe Brovelli, regional vice president of operations for InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia.

Bernard joined InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia as Sales Manager for North America in 2011. Prior to this role, he was Sales Manager, North America, for Sofitel Luxury Hotels and Resorts French Polynesia. In addition to his hotel industry experience, Bernard holds a bachelor's of arts degree from The American University of Paris in France.

Outrigger Resorts Names Steve Solberg General Manager of the Outrigger Guam Beach Resort

Outrigger Resorts is pleased to announce Steve Solberg has assumed the role of general manager of the Outrigger Guam Beach Resort. Solberg will ensure all resort department operations are effectively managed in a profitable and professional manner to the satisfaction of owner, guests and hosts.

Solberg was most recently a general manager with Marriott International. Prior to that, he spent seven years with PCH Hotels and Resorts, the leading management company for full-service Marriott hotel products, as chief executive officer. Holberg has also been general manager and chief operating officer at Grand Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa in Point Clear, Alabama, and general manager at the Embassy Suites Hotel in New York City. His career highlights also include general manager positions with Promus Hotels and The Kimpton Hotel Group.

Former Port of New Orleans Cruise Director Wins AAPA Cruise Award

Former Port of New Orleans Cruise and Tourism Director Robert Jumonville received the 2015 American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Cruise Award during the AAPA biennial Cruise Seminar in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The AAPA cited Jumonville as being the vision behind the phenomenal growth of the Port of New Orleans' cruise passenger business and its terminal and cruise-related visitor assets.

Under Jumonville's watch, the Port of New Orleans invested more than $75 million in cruise facilities and saw a 1,200-percent rise in passenger throughput. Revenue produced by the Cruise and Tourism Division increased more than 500 percent during his tenure.

In 2014, the Port handled more than 1 million cruise passengers for the first time in its history. Embarkations and disembarkations for the year totaled 1,014,325, a fourth straight record year for the Port.

Mitch Jordan Appointed Director of Sales At The Walt Disney World Swan And Dolphin Hotel

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel has promoted Mitch Jordan to director of sales. With more than 10 years of hospitality experience, he will now be responsible for managing the group sales team at the 2,265-room hotel.

Jordan has been with the hotel's sales department for nine years, consistently performing as one of the top sales associates and working his way from executive meetings manager to account director. As account director, Jordan consistently exceeded sales goals, and in 2013, he was named the property's Sales Executive of Year.

Jordan holds a degree in business from Middle Tennessee State University.

Water's Edge Resort & Spa Expands Senior Management Team

The Water's Edge Resort & Spa, a classic New England estate with 190 rooms located directly on the Connecticut shoreline in Westbrook, CT, announces the appointment of Thomas Sullivan as general manager and Nestor Sanchez as food and beverage director. Both will play key roles in the newly revamped food and beverage offerings centered around a restaurant renovation set to debut this spring.

A hotel and hospitality veteran of more than 20 years, Sullivan will be responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of Water's Edge Resort & Spa. Prior to joining the team, he was the general manager at the Colcord Hotel in Oklahoma City, OK.

Sanchez brings more than 20 years of hospitality and culinary experience to the Water's Edge Resort & Spa. Prior to the Crowne Plaza in Saddle Brook, he worked at a number of hotels around the country including the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne in Miami, FL, Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, FL, Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, FL and Renaissance Westchester Hotel in White Plains, NY.

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