Our Team
We only hire remarkably talented professionals who are unequivocally the best in the industry. By doing this, we drive results for our hotels, every day.
Meet some of the most talented people on the planet.
Toni
Founder/President
Toni
Founder/President
Toni Jacaruso offers deep insight and expertise in sales, marketing and social media for hospitality industry clients. Embracing engagement over outdated, pushy sales tactics, she teaches people how to close sales and increase revenue. She excels at dovetailing social media with cutting-edge sales strategies to reach an ever-more knowledgeable and sophisticated consumer. Prior to founding JE in 2007, Jacaruso served as VP of Sales and Marketing for a top management company spanning hotels including Hilton, Marriott, and Intercontinental Hotel Group.
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Bill
Chief Operations Officer
Bill
Chief Operations Officer
Bill drives our technical and financial infrastructure. Bill is also focused on making sure our company’s strategic initiatives are always moving forward. His and Toni’s dynamic personalities and creative business approaches are what makes Jacaruso Enterprises continue to grow and prosper, while never losing sight of the most important people in the mix; Our clients! When not in the office, Bill can be found at the surf park in Austin or in Costa Rica riding waves – the stoke is on and the dream is real!
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Jason
Vice President of Digital Operations
Jason
VP of Digital Operations
Born into the hotel industry, Jason is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experiences to help develop brands, properties and people. From helping his parents run their beach hotel in his native New Zealand, to his current position as Vice President of Digital Operations for Jacaruso Enterprises overseeing all things technology. Jason has used his proven senior sales experience, along with his mastery of relationship building and sales team training to exceed the objectives and expectations of hundreds of customers using Jacaruso’s Hotel Sales Support Programs.
As Vice President of Digital Operations, Jason now lives and thrives in the world of technology. From overseeing and maintaining the company’s hardware inventory and support desks to development and growth of all internal and external technology platforms, including Salesforce. Bridging the gap between technology and sales ensures Jacaruso is always on the cutting edge of innovation for our customers.
Jason lives in Round Rock, TX with his family. When he’s not working, you’ll usually find him outside in the Texas sun enjoying time with his wife and two daughters.
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Melanie
Vice President of Sales
Melanie
Vice President of Sales
Melanie’s real-life, in-the-trenches business experience includes over 15 years in the hotel and lodging industry. Melanie brings diverse knowledge of operational and sales expertise. Knowing what it takes to ensure customer satisfaction, Melanie has a proven track record of building and fostering relationships with clients that encourage customer loyalty and increase revenue. She excels at facilitating what it takes to close a sale and relationship selling. Melanie is eager to share her knowledge of brands such as Marriott, Hilton and IHG to assist others in their growth. She is also the mom of two girls currently attending college and has a passion for grilling and gardening. You can often find her doing both outside under the Texas sun!
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Janel
Vice President of Marketing
Janel
Vice President of Marketing
As a lifelong travel enthusiast and hospitality professional for more than 12 years, Janel has worked with limited and full-service brands from Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham, Choice, IHG, and Radisson Hotel Group. Her expertise focuses on hotel sales, event management, and marketing. After earning degrees in Marketing as well as Hospitality & Tourism Management, she excelled at helping hotels succeed thanks to her tenacity, adaptability, and enthusiasm for cultivating relationships. In her current role, Janel is responsible for Jacaruso’s brand messaging and strategic marketing vision. Most recently, she was instrumental in the launch of JE Community, an online community for hospitality professionals to explore, learn, and connect with others in the industry. In her spare time, you can find Janel cycling, honing her makeup artistry skills, or traveling. One of her dream destinations is to travel to her maternal roots in Liberia, West Africa.
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Natalee
Senior Director of Talent & Development
Natalee
Senior Director of Talent & Development
Natalee brings 20 years of industry experience to the table. Showcasing a vast expertise in talent management, recruiting, sales, strategic planning and hotel operations, Natalee consistently delivers results. Her super power is successfully recruiting the industry’s finest sales sharks to the JE team while crushing goals and making lasting impressions. Natalee enjoys being a wife, mother, friend and mentor to those around her. In her free time she enjoys strong coffee, road trips, exploring the great outdoors and rooting for her hometown sports teams – Blues hockey and Cardinals baseball!
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Cheryl
Senior Sales Director
Cheryl
Senior Sales Director
With over 10 years of hospitality experience, Cheryl is no stranger to maximizing revenue, establishing corporate accounts, implementing marketing tactics, and cultivating lasting relationships with guests. She thrives on building RevPAR index growth year-over-year. Cheryl’s experience encompasses a variety of brands including Marriott, Best Western, IHG, Hilton, and independents.
Cheryl currently resides in Charleston, SC where she loves spending time outdoors, on the beach with her husband, and two pups: a Golden Retriever, and a German Shepherd. She’s always up for a travel adventure –be sure to ask where she’s headed next!
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Amanda
Senior Director of Operations
Amanda
Senior Director of Operations
Amanda is a true Floridian and always felt like she would be part of the hospitality industry. She started working in hotels right out of college and has not stopped since. She has been in the hotel industry for over 20 fun filled years. She has worked with various flags within Marriott, Hilton and IHG. Amanda’s favorite part of what she does is building a relationship with her client and finding creative solutions to close the business. Amanda loves being a mom to her two kiddos (5 and 3), the Florida Gators, cooking/baking and spending time at the beach.
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Katherine
Senior Director of Operations
Katherine
Senior Director of Operations
For over 25+ years, Katherine has been a powerhouse in hospitality, specializing in sales and marketing. Her career is defined by a commitment to not just meet but exceed expectations, setting new revenue milestones for her hotels. With a knack for cultivating client relationships, Katherine builds trust and loyalty effortlessly. This talent is complemented by her ability to create and execute strategic business plans that have resulted in unprecedented success for her hotel portfolio. Katherine’s expertise spans a variety of brands including Hilton, IHG, Marriott, Starwood, Radisson and Choice.
In her current role, Katherine is fueled by her passion for nurturing talent and empowering her team. She finds fulfillment in witnessing their growth and achievements. Outside of work, Katherine’s spirit for adventure comes to life in her love for travel, shared with her husband and daughter. Though now calling South Florida home, her heart stays true to her New Jersey roots, cheering on and being loyal to the NY Jets and Mets.
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LaShonda
Director of Operations
LaShonda
Director of Operations
LaShonda was born and raised in St. Louis, MO (Go Cards!) where she began her hospitality career at a Hampton Inn. She’s worked with Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and Marriott brands. Sales is her passion and her extensive experience in Revenue Management gives her a great competitive edge. For fun, LaShonda loves reading, baseball, traveling and shopping.
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Chelsea
Director of Operations
Chelsea
Director of Operations
Chelsea brings over 14 years of hospitality experience to the Jacaruso leadership team. Jumping into the industry shortly after graduating from Texas Tech with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Chelsea’s first hotel position was as a front desk associate. She quickly transitioned into sales, helping to open a new Marriott property, and further developing her expertise by working with Hilton brands. In her current role, Chelsea enjoys collaborating with our sales team and strategizing with hotel partners to make them more profitable.
When Chelsea isn’t managing her team of RDOS, owner relationships or external partners, you can find her spending time with her husband, who is also a Hotel General Manager. Or, toting around 3 active daughters, shuffling them between their soccer, musical theater, piano, or swimming activities. Chelsea also loves spending time with her a dog, Crockett, camping, scuba diving, and traveling. She hopes to plan a dream vacation to Europe someday since she’s never been.
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Korie
Director of Operations
Korie
Director of Operations
With 16+ years of dynamic sales experience, Korie possesses a proven track record and profound understanding of hotel sales and client relationships. A dedicated sales professional, she holds a B.S. degree in Advertising & Marketing from Kent State University. Having worked both on-property and remotely, Korie has collaborated with nearly every hotel brand such as Best Western, Choice, Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Wyndham, and independent properties. Her innovative sales strategies go beyond conventional approaches, consistently expanding relationships and devising compelling methods to exceed expectations. Her unwavering commitment is geared towards boosting the bottom line while fostering engagement among the team and guests. Korie’s passion lies in motivating our team to maximize revenue and create unparalleled value, showcasing her dedication to achieving success in the ever-evolving landscape of hotel sales.
Outside of work, Korie is happily married to her college sweetheart and is a proud mom to a spirited toddler boy. Whenever the sun is shining, you can find her family on the golf course, enjoying quality time together.
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April
Director of Innovation and Strategy
April
Director of Innovation and Strategy
April has 13 years of sales experience in the hospitality industry and leaves a lasting impression on the teams that she works with. April’s experience with Hilton Garden Inn, Home2 Suites by Hilton, Club Carlson and Wyndham hotels has taught her to be creative in prospecting and closing and will inspire your team to be successful! Her expertise is with extended stay, large convention center sales and revenue management. When she isn’t selling she still enjoys “reeling in the big one” while fishing! She is married with twin daughters who love to play hockey.
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Rachelle
Director of Innovation and Strategy
Rachelle
Director of Innovation and Strategy
Rachelle has over 10 years of sales, operations, and revenue management experience in the hospitality industry. She has worked with multiple hotel brands, finding ways to intertwine daily operations with the sales process to produce maximum results.
Rachelle has continued her career in advanced sales training to ensure she is bringing dynamic content and valuable expertise to her clients. With the mindset of anything is possible with the right approach, Rachelle is an out-of-the-box thinker who knows that one size never fits all. She brings that knowledge and excitement to her training presentations, offering new insights and sales techniques that are proven to increase revenue.
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Abbie
Creative Director
Abbie
Creative Director
Abbie has 12+ years of experience in the Creative Design & Marketing industry. Her career began by working for a national window & door company where she collaborated with hundreds of clients, vendors, and sales representatives to achieve their individual marketing and sales goals. She advanced her career by becoming Art Director/Graphic Designer at Nashville Scene Magazine in Nashville, TN.
In her spare time, you can find Abbie spending time with her dog June Carter Cash, cooking her favorite Italian dishes while listening to Frank Sinatra, and riding on the back of a Harley with her husband.
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Donna
Director of Brand Relations
Donna
Director of Brand Relations
Raised in Missouri but couldn’t get to Texas fast enough. Donna is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a Hospitality degree and more than 32 years of hotel experience in both focused and full-service properties. She brings knowledge of Radisson, Marriott, IHG and Hilton branded hotels in both General Manager and Director of Sales roles. Winning awards and client’s hearts along the way, she enjoys helping hotels fill those shoulder nights.
Donna met her husband of 32 years in college and together they have raised two busy boys now entering college themselves. In her spare time, she loves planning that next family trip to a place they have never visited.
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Christin
Regional Director of Sales & Salesforce Design
Christin
Regional Director of Sales & Salesforce Design
Christin has over 25+ years of experience in the hospitality industry. Throughout the years she has worked in several capacities in Operations, Sales & Leadership roles with properties including IHG, Marriott, Wyndham and Extended Stay America to name a few. Her focus throughout her career has always been sales & service minded, even when serving in traditional operational or leadership roles, she truly believes EVERYONE sells. Christin is hardworking and solutions focused, and likes to look at the big picture to get things done. She lives in Minnesota, with her husband and 2 children, as well as her 2 Golden Retrievers. In her spare time she enjoys camping, spending time at the lake with family, traveling and watching anything her kids may be up to.
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Erin
Account Development Specialist
Erin
Account Development Specialist
Erin, with a passion for travel and people, is a ten year established hotel sales professional with various brands. Erin has built a solid foundation of clients through genuine interactions and a lot of southern charm. Her drive for success has a proven track record of growing market share across her career. When Erin isn’t working she enjoys reading, crafting, and hiking.
She loves to travel with my husband. Her passions are cooking, gardening, cars and hanging out with family and friends. In addition to also enjoying with German Shepard “Brutus”.
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Kim
Regional Director of Sales
Kim
Regional Director of Sales
Kim is the “Southern Belle” of the JE team. She has been in the hotel sales industry for over 14 years and has loved every minute of it. She enjoys interacting with hotels and helping them to achieve their goals. Kim has extensive sales experience in helping to motivate your team, thinking outside of the box for creative ideas and closing the sale. Kim is a proud military brat and believes that moving around so much has given her that special ability to never meet a stranger.
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Tawny
Regional Director of Sales
Tawny
Regional Director of Sales
Tawny has over 25 years of hospitality experience. Throughout those years, she has worked with several select service and full services hotels within Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Choice, Wyndham, and Best Western. Her focus has always been in sales with a keen sense for uncovering new business. Tawny is hardworking, dedicated and has never walked away from a challenge. She lives in Oregon with her two teenage kids. In her spare time you will find her camping with her friends and family or fishing on the beautiful Oregon waters.
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Kellie
Regional Director of Sales
Kellie
Regional Director of Sales
Kellie was born and raised in New England (GO PATS!) where she began her hospitality career straight out of college. She grew up always having a desire to work in the Hospitality Industry and has been fortunate to gain extensive knowledge working for Starwood, Hilton, Wyndham and Choice properties. Kellie is goal driven, hardworking and over the top organized! She loves to see Hotels succeeding and building strong relationships with the staff and clients. Kellie recently got married, and is enjoying life as a newlywed and being a Dog Mom to two Golden Retrievers. For fun, she loves to workout, build & create decoration items and spend time with family and friends.
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Tamara
Regional Director of Sales
Tamara
Regional Director of Sales
Tamara has dedicated over 20+ years to cultivating relationships in the hospitality industry. A proud alum of West Liberty State College, her journey in hospitality began as a call center operator for Grand Bahamas Vacations. Captivated by the allure of travel and adventure, Tamara continued her career as a Sales Coordinator, Meeting Planner, and in various hotel sales leadership roles. Fueled by her passion for sales and love of a good challenge, Tamara developed expertise in dynamic markets and various segments across both limited and full-service Hilton and Marriott properties. Above all, she became relentlessly committed to the success of her hotel portfolio.
Tamara embraces Florida life living near the beach with her chiweenie dog, Sparklez. A certified yoga and meditation teacher, she enjoys cooking, reading, capturing sunrises through her photography, and attending concerts in her leisure time.
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Laura
Regional Director of Sales
Laura
Regional Director of Sales
Laura began her hotel career as a Guest Service Associate while in college in 1994 and has been in management for 15+ years as a Director of Sales. She has worked with brands such as Hampton, Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Staybridge Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and TownePlace Suites by Marriott. She enjoys assisting hotels in becoming successful and maximizing their greatest revenue potential. She believes that every hotel staff member is a valuable asset to the sales team and that everyone plays an important role in the sales process. When not busy uncovering and closing new business, Laura enjoys spending time with her husband, Brandon and their four children: Brodie, Trae, Katie Beth, and Alexander.
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Nicole
Regional Director of Sales
Nicole
Regional Director of Sales
Nicole is a self-motivated, results driven individual who has proven to effectively and efficiently execute any task at hand. She has a strong customer centric mindset mixed with a passion for the Hospitality industry. With over 10 years of experience, Nicole has worked with various brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and IHG. She thrives in establishing excellent rapport, leading to customer satisfaction and long term relationships. In her personal time she enjoys spending time with family, staying fit, and chasing around her two needy Chihuahua’s Chloe and Dolly.
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Kate
Regional Director of Sales
Kate
Regional Director of Sales
Kate is a focused and passionate sales professional with more than 10 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. She has built her knowledge while working with top hotel brands such as Hilton, IHG, Choice, Marriott, and Carlson. Kate has learned that building strong, trusting relationships with her clients is the #1 key to success. For fun, Kate enjoys traveling the country, reading, and taking walks with her dog, Calvin.
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Lindsay
Regional Director of Sales
Lindsay
Regional Director of Sales
Lindsay has been in the hospitality industry for nearly 20 years with most of her time in the Sales and Catering departments. She has worked with IHG, Choice and several independent hotels. Lindsay’s passion is building long term relationships with her customers through her loyalty, honesty and fun loving nature. Lindsay loves to enjoy the outdoors with her husband and three Labrador Retrievers and watching her home town teams the Boston Bruins and the New England Patriots.
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Lori
Regional Director of Sales
Lori
Regional Director of Sales
Lori has worked in the hospitality industry for 23 years in positions including, General Manager, Operation’s Manager, Director of Sales and Regional Director of Sales. Her brand expertise includes Choice Hotels International, IHG, Best Western, Wyndham as well as independent brands. She is a true expert in her field and specializes in profit generation and customer relations. Lori lives in mile-high city and is married with three children. In her spare-time she enjoys camping, hiking and spending time with family and friends.
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Becca
Regional Director of Sales
Becca
Regional Director of Sales
Becca is the other “Southern Belle” of the JE Team. She has been in the sales industry for over 8 years. She has worked with brands such as Hilton, Marriott, Choice and IHG. She genuinely and authentically cares about all of her clients and believes every staff member is a valuable asset. In her free time Becca enjoys hiking, spending time with her fiancé and working out. Becca resides in Lexington, KY.
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Susan
Regional Director of Sales
Susan
Regional Director of Sales, Brand Specialist
Born and raised in Houston, TX Susan uses her southern charm to make a lasting impression. Susan has been in the hotel industry for over 15 fun and exciting years. She began her career while in college at a Holiday Inn and continued her career working with various brands such as Marriott and Hilton. Susan was awarded Director of Sales of the Year Texas Region for Hilton Garden Inn in 2012, for her ability to drive revenue and generate maximum results.
Susan’s dynamic relationship building skills, along with her ability to think outside of the box ensure she is always saying YES to her clients.
Susan married her high school sweetheart 14 years ago and they are loving life with their two daughters and two dogs! When not spending time with her family Susan enjoys exercising and shopping for her daughters!
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Patty
Regional Director of Sales
Patty
Regional Director of Sales
Patty began her journey in the hotel industry when she was 18 years old and hasn’t looked back since. She has held may positions within the operational and sales side of many brands and is well versed in the culture of Hilton. Aside from being a former General Manager, she is an expert in the SMERF Market, Catering Departments and Corporate sectors. Her Canadian background makes her a friend to all and combines well with her competitive attitude and upbeat customer-oriented persona. Patty resides in Birmingham, MI with her husband and has a 3-Year-old Brittany Spaniel, Oakley and LOVES Orange Theory Fitness.
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Bill
Regional Director of Sales
Bill
Regional Director of Sales
Bill’s career is a family affair as his entire family has worked in the hotel industry. Bill was raised at the Broadmoor Hotel where he fell in love with industry. During his 24-year professional career he has worked across several different brands ranging from IHG, Choice, Sheraton and Wyndham. Bill has a wide range of expertise ranging from Food and Beverage, Operations as well as Sales and Marketing and has served on the Regional Advisory Board for CHOC. His passion is helping people achieve their dreams in the industry we love. Bill loves to mentor other hospitality professionals to meet today’s challenges. When he is not busy helping his properties achieve their goals he is spending time with his wife and 2 children as well as their 5 dogs.
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Mandie
Regional Director of Sales
Mandie
Regional Director of Sales
Mandie has over 20 years of combined hotel sales and operations experience with brands such as Home2 Suites, Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn, Courtyard & Residence Inn. She has a proven track record of consistently winning high-levels of business within a competitive market place. In her off-time she enjoys working-out, spending time with her husband, their two daughters, and three dogs.
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Michelle
Regional Director of Sales
Michelle
Regional Director of Sales, Brand Specialist
Michelle has worked within the hospitality industry for over 21 years, specializing in hotel sales. She started her hospitality career during the 1996 Olympic Games and developed her varied experience managing every market segment before becoming a Director of Sales over 12 years ago. Her experience has primarily been in major markets including Atlanta, Nashville and Dallas representing brands including Wyndham, Crowne Plaza, Sheraton, W Hotels, Le Meridien, Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree as well as independent boutique properties. Her analytical approach to the selling process has been the driver for success. She believes that the devil is in the details, especially when focused on new customer acquisition.
Michelle lives in Texas with her husband, two children, two dogs and a cat. Outside of work, she can be found supporting her children at the natatorium as her son is a competitive diver and her daughter is a competitive swimmer.
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Tiffany
Regional Director of Sales
Tiffany
Regional Director of Sales
Beginning her hospitality career at a top destination Convention & Visitors Bureau, Tiffany is no stranger to sales. She has 10+ years of hotel sales experience supporting brands like IHG, Marriott, Choice, Wyndham, Best Western, independent properties and more. Over the years, hotel sales has taught Tiffany to adjust to an ever changing to-do list. In fact, the fast-paced atmosphere of hotel sales, and not knowing what each day will bring is Tiffany’s favorite part of her job. When Tiffany is not uncovering big wins for her hotels, she enjoys working out, traveling and mastering her culinary skills in the kitchen. Tiffany currently resides in St. Louis with her husband, 4 teenagers and 2 dogs where you’ll find her planning her dream vacation to Hawaii.
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Dee Dee
Regional Director of Sales
Dee Dee
Regional Director of Sales
Dee Dee began her career in the hospitality industry 18 years ago in Operations. The past 15 years has been spent in Sales which is her true passion. She has a proven track record in multi-brand properties including Choice, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Best Western and Marriot as well as independent properties. When she is not working, she stays very busy along with her husband raising twin teenage girls and two rambunctious Jack Russell fur babies.
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Millie
Regional Director of Sales
Millie
Regional Director of Sales
Millie has worked in the hospitality industry for over 14 years specializing in hotel sales. She is always looking for creative ways to close the sale and exceed revenue goals. Her ability and passion in identifying market opportunities, developing profitable, effective sales and marketing strategies to win the business is her motivation.
She understands and enjoys engaging, training and motivating team members in the sales process in order to drive revenue and create effective results.
Her experience includes selling for select service, full service and extended stay properties with brands such as Marriott, IHG and Hyatt. She comes with experience in developing new business opportunities during hotel pre-openings and establishing lasting client relationships during hotel renovations.
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Kimberly
Regional Director of Sales
Kimberly
Regional Director of Sales
Kimberly is a Nashville native and has been in the hospitality industry for 13 years serving in business travel sales, directing sales teams, corporate group sales, leisure group sales as well as complete account management.
She began her career within the Hyatt Corporation then successfully transitioned to the Hilton family and has most currently been a dedicated Marriott team member. Through hotel management companies, Kimberly has worked with most brands within the industry.
Kimberly has a strong background in account production on immediate and national levels, revenue management, as well as customer engagement and service.
Kimberly has a strong passion for dance and wellness. She is also a proud mother to her fur son, Cooper.
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Alicia
Regional Director of Sales
Alicia
Regional Director of Sales
Alicia Perry, CMP, HMCC
Alicia has over 13 years of Hotel and Hospitality experience. Serving in various roles throughout her career to include Sales, Catering, Events, and Revenue Management, her diverse background has given her a complete understanding of how all the pieces fit together to ensure overall success. Her inherent competitive drive has served her well as she pushes for gains in market share and an increase in overall ADR. She enjoys the hunt for new business and consistently generates new pipelines for her hotels. Alicia has primarily worked with Marriott brands, both Full Service and Extended Stay, as well as with independent luxury boutique hotels. She is a Certified Meeting Professional as well as Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certified and has a true passion for the hotel industry. Alicia is married and has two daughters. In her spare time she loves spending time at the lake and the beach with her family.
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Marybeth
Regional Director of Sales
Marybeth
Regional Director of Sales
After graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Hospitality Tourism Management, Marybeth began her career in Operations but quickly discovered her passion for Sales. She was given the opportunity to travel and has worked for Hilton brands including Hampton Inn and Suites, Homewood Suites, and Home2 Suites across 3 states. She has extensive experience in University Sales and adapts well to new markets. She has worked in the hotel industry for 4 years and truly enjoys getting to know people and creating lasting relationships. She enjoys pool time, cooking and baking, and being with family and friends. She currently resides in Lexington, KY with her boyfriend and puppy (coming soon)! Boiler Up, Hammer Down!
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Tenille
Regional Director of Sales
Tenille
Regional Director of Sales
Tenille has been in the hospitality business for over 20+ years and has worked for the Hilton and Marriott brands at Homewood Suites, Residence Inn, Marriott Resorts, Springhill Suites & Fairfield Inn & Suites. She finds her relationships with clients to be the most rewarding, but is equally excited by finding the right mix of business to exceed revenue goals and increase the bottom line. Tenille is a native Floridian who enjoys the beach, traveling with her husband and daughter and being outdoors with family and friends.
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Deborah
Regional Director of Sales
Deborah
Regional Director of Sales
Deborah has been a part of the hospitality industry since 2004. Throughout the years she has worked in Food & Beverage and has shown incredible leadership skills as both a Director of Sales and General Manager. After wearing many hats, it was clear to Deborah that her heart really did favor sales where she has found that being an empathetic and passionate person allows her to fully achieve and exceed her goals (while also knowing that a little friendly competition doesn’t hurt either). Having spent time in her career ensuring that a hotel continued to grow during one of the worst economic crisis in our region, she understands the dedication and hard work it takes to keep the right business. Her portfolio includes Hilton, Hyatt Place, Comfort Suites, and Best Western brands. When she is not had at work you can catch her walking her St. Bernard and Shih Tzu or with her husband trying out their green thumbs.
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Bryanne
Regional Director of Sales
Bryanne
Regional Director of Sales
Bryanne has a passion for cultivating and maintaining client relationships. With over 10 years in the hospitality industry, she has come to love the fast-paced and diverse culture of hotel sales. She always goes above and beyond for every client and enjoys the fun and challenging environment that the hospitality industry provides. She has experience with brands such as IHG, Marriott, and Choice.
In Bryanne’s spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and three dogs. Bryanne resides in East Tennessee and takes every opportunity to explore the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
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Tammy
Regional Director of Sales
Tammy
Regional Director of Sales
Tammy has over 20+ years of successful hotel sales experience, she excelled in her roles with achieving the Circle of Excellence Award and being nominated as Director of Sales for the Year. Tammy has worked with Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International, and Wyndham hotel brands.
As a relationship builder and hunter for business, Tammy’s passion for sales, training and generating top line revenue ensures that each hotel continues their drive to operate at optimal levels.
A native of North Carolina, Tammy have received recognition of achievement from her volunteer work with Forsyth County Safe on Seven (Domestic Violence Unit); Board Member of Legal Aid of North Carolina; Board Member of AOHT (Academy of Hospitality & Tourism) as well as serving as Vice President of Forsyth County Tourism Alliance.
In her spare time, Tammy enjoys baking and spending quality family time with her husband and two children.
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Jesse
Regional Director of Sales
Jesse
Regional Director of Sales
Jesse currently lives in Jacksonville, FL with his wife and two boys. With over 9 years of experience in the hospitality industry with both Operations and Sales experience. Jesse has been very successful with reputable brands in the industry, such as, Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott. Jesse has an extensive background in Prospecting for new accounts, relationship building and account saturation. He has held various positions on property level, which include: Sales Manager, Catering Sales Manager, Director of Sales and Complex Director of Sales. Jesse is an expert on Corporate, SMERF Group, Association and Government segments.
In his spare time, Jesse loves to spend time with his family/friends and traveling (stay-cations). Jesse lives in Jacksonville, FL with his wife, two kids and small dog.
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Carla
Regional Director of Sales
Carla
Regional Director of Sales
Carla is a 27-year veteran and an accomplished hospitality industry professional. She has a record of excellence in devising and implementing sell strategies and revenue management that contribute to positive financial results while improving member/guest services. Carla specialize’ s in business development and building long lasting relationships with her clients. Her free time is spent with her American Bulldog, Loki, or at the white sandy beaches on the Gulf coast of Florida enjoying the Salt Life.
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Deborah
Regional Director of Sales
Deborah
Regional Director of Sales
A 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, having worked with nearly every major brand from Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, etc. of some of the nation’s most in-demand travel markets, including Las Vegas and New England. Adept at understanding business opportunities, developing strategic goals and implementing tactical plans to meet these goals. Deborah enjoys motivating teams to grow volume in addition to building profitable customer relationships. Possesses strong relationship building skills, collaboration and project management skills. Deborah loves to bring humor and perspective to all interactions.
She loves to travel with my husband. Her passions are cooking, gardening, cars and hanging out with family and friends. In addition to also enjoying with German Shepard “Brutus”.
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Brooke
Regional Director of Sales
Brooke
Regional Director of Sales
Brooke has been in the customer service industry for 30 years. She started out in the restaurant industry but for the last 18 years has been in the hotel industry. Her first job in the hotel business was as a catering sales manager but she was interested in the guestroom side and soon became a sales manager and worked her way up to Director of Sales. Brooke has a background with Marriott and Independent Brands and along with sales, she has worked heavily with revenue management to make her hotels successful. She has a strong work ethic and loves to help guide and support her team members.
Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland Brooke loves the outdoors and spending her free time hiking or on the water.
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Ronda
Regional Director of Sales
Ronda
Regional Director of Sales
Ronda has 15 years in the hospitality industry. Her knowledge starts with working the front lines all the way through Hotel Manager and Director of Sales. She focused on learning all aspects of the hotel prior to settling in on the Sales side of things. Her knowledge of the whole operation gives her the ability to assess client needs as well as hotel ability to fulfill. It insures both the client and the hotel are a great fit for each other! She has worked with IHG, Hilton and Marriott to name a few. Starting right out of Highschool she enjoys the hospitality industry fully! In her spare time Ronda enjoys watching her boys play sports, spending time with friends, sitting pool side and showing her kids the country!
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Katie
Regional Director of Sales
Katie
Regional Director of Sales
Katie has ten years of experience in hospitality with Marriott along with her degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Allegany College of Maryland. Katie quickly found her passion for sales through loving to prospect for new business. Katie been awarded for her skills with regional awards from Concord Hospitality and spotlighted in the March 2018 edition of The Allegany Magazine of Cumberland, MD. In Katie’s spare time she loves to travel with her husband to music festivals and concerts.
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Sarah
Regional Director of Sales
Sarah
Regional Director of Sales
Sarah has nearly twenty years of experience in the hospitality industry. She started as a front desk associate during college. She’s been an operations leader and a sales leader and even dabbled in Revenue Management. She has supported select service, full service and extended stay properties and has experience with multiple brands including Marriott, Hilton, Wyndham and Radisson. She believes that relationships are the most valuable thing a person can have and she makes it a point to have a discussion with someone new every day. She was born in raised in upstate New York and now lives in the Austin area. When she’s not working to find new business for her hotels, she’s spending time with her husband and daughter. She enjoys going for walks, watching cooking shows and connecting with friends.
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Bernadette
Regional Director of Sales
Bernadette
Regional Director of Sales
“The hotel business is my passion!” With 20+ years of experience with multiple brands, Bernadette has led teams as a General Manager, Director of Sales and a Regional Director of Sales. She loves operations as well as sales, driving revenues and building long lasting relationships is her focus. She has four wonderful children, a granddaughter and grandson. Originally from California, she now lives in Omaha Nebraska. She has spent time in Texas, Arizona and Ohio with extensive time in the Omaha Nebraska market. She enjoys helping people and making them smile!
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Paige
Regional Director of Sales
Paige
Regional Director of Sales
Paige has been in the hospitality business for over 20 years with experience across multiple brands and hotel chains. She has experienced hotels of all varieties which has enabled her to grow her toolbox of skills. Paige works to ensure that the guest, owner, and team are all achieving their desired results.
Paige is a Montana native and spends her spare time exploring the outdoors, reading, and exploring the world through the eyes of her children.
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Ann
Regional Director of Sales
Ann
Regional Director of Sales
Ann is a seasoned hotel sales professional with over 22 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Her extensive training in account saturation, prospecting and relationship building has given Ann the edge needed to sell in every market segment, often resulting in big wins for her hotels. Ann demonstrates an unwavering commitment to hospitality, and has managed many sales teams for IHG, Choice, Marriott and Hilton full-service and limited-service properties.
When not hustling for her hotels, you can find Ann with her husband, two daughters and two rescue Cane Corso pups living their best lives in a small town in Ohio. Ann is a true Buckeye who spends her free time cheering on Ohio State. She enjoys traveling to the beach, Walt Disney World and watching her girls dance either at the studio or in a competition.
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Rachel
Regional Director of Sales
Rachel
Regional Director of Sales
Rachel brings over 28+ years of experience in hotel sales to Jacaruso. She’s led National Account Sales Teams over the course of her career and collaborated with Operations and Revenue Management to develop impactful strategies that drive results. Rachel is known as the kind of strategist who thinks outside the box, always hunting for innovative ways to boost revenue, unlock new opportunities and develop lasting partnerships. Rachel’s brand experience covers a range of select service, full service, and extended stay properties under brands such as Best Western, Choice, Extended Stay, and Wyndham. She considers herself to be an expert in the government, and extended stay market segments. Away from the hustle of hotel sales, Rachel’s love of adventure takes her jet-setting to exotic destinations or rooting for her favorite sports teams: the University of Tennessee Vols, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Carolina Panthers. Her downtime is often spent cooking or diving into a good David Balducci book.
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Stephanie
Regional Director of Sales
Stephanie
Regional Director of Sales
Stephanie is a highly self-motivated, focused and knowledgeable Marketing, Sales, Public Relations and Revenue Management Director offering 19+ years of experience in the hospitality industry. Her experience ranges from private resorts to branded properties to include IHG, Laquinta, Marriott and the Convention & Visitors Bureau side where she specialized in the Sports Market Segment. Recognized for being a talented, valuable asset with independent work abilities requiring minimal supervision, she carries a “get it done” mentality with whatever is needed for her hotels. Stephanie is an expert in the SMERF market, Meetings and Conventions sectors. She has a demonstrated track record related to business, sales management and operational skills to deliver maximum benefit to her companies She understands the relationship between sales, operations and driving the bottom line. In her opinion there is nothing more rewarding than building relationships to become trusted resource for clients and partners travel needs.
Originally from Toronto, Ontario Canada, Mark spends his free time with his two kids, creating Art, bartending, coaching and playing Hockey.
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Wilks
Regional Director of Sales
Wilks
Regional Director of Sales
After traveling the world in the US Air Force and attending college, Wilks began his career in the hospitality industry nearly 9 years ago. He has experience working with multiple brands, in both select service and full service properties, and has always been known for his attention to detail, persistent drive to generate revenue and dedication to building great, lasting, relationships with his clients. In his first year as a Director of Sales, he more than tripled the annual revenue generated in previous years, and he always strives to consistently provide increases in revenue and market share for his hotels, through focused prospecting, market analysis, and always being attentive to the needs of his clients. His primary area of expertise is in Corporate and Government sales, but he also has extensive experience working with the Entertainment industry – particularly film and television productions.
Wilks lives with his wife and young son in a home they designed and build on forty-four acres of beautiful wooded land about fifteen miles outside of Baton Rouge, LA. When he isn’t working, Wilks loves to spend his lime fishing, woodworking, collecting fine wines and rare knives, shopping for antiques, cooking gourmet meals and attempting to bake, and growing a variety of hot peppers in his garden, which he uses to make his own hot sauces.
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Adam
Regional Director of Sales
Adam
Regional Director of Sales
Adam’s career in hospitality began in food & beverage as a General Manager for a restaurant fresh out of college. His transition to hotel sales happened shortly after taking a position as the Catering and events Manager for a Marriott property. Over the past 16+ years, Adam has built his extensive experience through various roles in sales and operations for brands such as Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, Wyndham, and Radisson. Adam enjoys travel and can be found planning his bucket list trip to Australia and New Zealand when he’s not working. You can also find Adam spending time with his adopted yorkie, Prince, candle shopping or creating new culinary masterpieces.
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Valerie
Regional Director of Sales
Valerie
Regional Director of Sales
Valerie’s experience in the hotel industry began 30 years ago by way of the airline industry. Working with select and full-service properties in the Marriott brands, Valerie has a special love for extended stay and revenue management. She has been very successful with new hotel openings and turning around struggling hotels. Valerie’s collaborative leadership style strengthens on property teams and client partnerships to drive revenue growth and market share for her hotels. She has effectively guided many hotels through most type of extreme market condition toward profitability. In her spare time, Valerie enjoys volunteering to help people find their long-lost family using DNA. She and her husband reside in the Kansas City area where you can find her rooting the Kansas City Chiefs, walking at least 3 miles in the early morning, playing the piano, or spending time with her family and friends.
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Jodie
Regional Director of Sales
Jodie
Regional Director of Sales
Jodie is a passionate hotel sales professional with 30+ years in the hospitality industry. Her background of experience comes from managing sales and operation teams in both full service and limited-service hotels for brands like IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Choice, and independent hotels. With extensive knowledge of new and conversion hotel openings, renovations, and asset management, Jodie’s focus is on closing deals, thinking outside the box and striving for the win. When Jodie isn’t building strong relationships with her hotels, clients, and team members, or delivering positive results to owners, she is a military spouse and loves spending time with her husband, three daughters and one son. Jodie also loves to travel as a family and adores pets: two dogs and one cat.
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Raleih
Regional Director of Sales
Raleih
Regional Director of Sales
Raleih is a passionate sales leader with over 10 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. As a proud University of Kentucky alum, Raleih is results driven & customer focused. Raleih is an expert at finding the right piece of business by building relationships and finding creative solutions to keep her hotels both profitable and successful. With extensive experience with limited service and extended stay Marriott brands, covering need times with projects is her expertise.
When Raleih isn’t driving results for her hotels, she is at home cooking new recipes, painting and relaxing outside with her husband Jamie, daughter Lucy & Pomeranian Malu.
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Kathryn
Regional Director of Sales
Kathryn
Regional Director of Sales
Kathryn is no stranger to hospitality. She has over 25 years of experience and has worked both as a General Manager and Director of Sales providing support for full service and extended stay properties. With experience in brands such as Hilton, Marriott and IHG, Kathryn has always thrived in sales. Her favorite part of hotel sales is building personal, long-term relationships with owners, on property staff and clients. In her spare time, Kathryn enjoys camping, boating and visiting her (arguably) grown children and grandchildren. You can also find her frantically corralling her chickens back into their coops after a master escape.
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Krystle
Regional Director of Sales
Krystle
Regional Director of Sales
Krystle is a Baltimore MD native and has been in the hospitality industry for 15 years. Her hotel career started in operations, but she quickly discovered her love for sales. Krystle’s brand experience is with Hilton, Marriott, and Wyndham, both select service and extended stay brands. She also has an extensive background in hotel openings, conducting market analyses, establishing community presence, and building long lasting business plans.
She loves making both professional and personal connections with her clients as well as the hotel team. She has a passion for each hotel she serves and always strives to build relationships, grow rev par and ADR, and help everyone achieve their goals.
Krystle lives in a small suburb very close to the Chesapeake Bay. She loves to swim, kayak, or jet ski all day. If you don’t find her on the water, you will definitely find her curled up with her little pup named Boh and a good book.
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Michele
Regional Director of Sales
Michele
Regional Director of Sales
Michele is a seasoned sales leader with 20+ years of hospitality experience. Michele thrives on building relationships and prospecting for new business in tough markets which has helped her open new hotels, perform taskforce sales and most recently, manage a 25-hotel portfolio. While her career began at 52-room boutique hotel and catering venue, Michele’s extensive experience comes from Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Best Western. In her spare time, Michele is part mermaid. You can often find her in the water paddling, snorkeling, or swimming. When she’s not in the water, you can find her above water kayaking, sitting by the lake or on the beach. Michele lives by her mantra “find something beautiful in every day”. She has been happily married for 30 years, is a mom to three adult children and “Mimi” 2 adorable grandsons.
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Marissa
Regional Director of Sales
Marissa
Regional Director of Sales
Marissa brings 18+ years of hospitality experience to JE. She kicked off her hotel career in operations but quickly discovered her true passion for sales. She has acquired a wealth of knowledge by working for select service and extended stay properties within the Hilton, Choice, Radisson, and Hyatt brands. Marissa is genuinely passionate about her clients and hotel teams, dedicated to building and nurturing relationships, boosting revenue, and exceeding goals. Her expertise doesn’t stop there. Marissa is a pro at Revenue Management, excelling in market analysis, building community engagement and crafting solid business plans.
Beyond her love for hotel sales, Marissa is a Houston food and culture enthusiast. She loves spending time with her husband exploring unique cuisines, whether in the city or her own kitchen. When she’s not traveling or cooking up a storm, you might catch her captivated by her latest novel or serenading her beloved dog, Gypsy.
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Ricky
Regional Director of Sales
Ricky
Regional Director of Sales
With over 15 years of experience with multiple brands in the industry, Ricky’s love for hospitality is deeply rooted in family. His grandparents ingrained in him a desire to help others and to always anticipate what others may need. Coupled with a strong work ethic, Ricky began his career in operations learning from the ground up how hotels function. He adapted the mantra of “always do what you can for your guests” before moving into sales. Ricky quickly excelled in the sales department by learning creative selling, productive prospecting and developing a proven track record of leading others with one common goal. In his free time, when Ricky isn’t being a top sales performer, you can find him with his partner, and their puppy enjoying hikes, gardening, or giving back to the local community.
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Jill
Regional Director of Sales
Jill
Regional Director of Sales
Jill has been a sales & marketing guru for 15+ years in the hospitality industry. Known for her exceptional customer service and dedication to client needs, Jill’s experience spans a multitude of segments including full service, luxury, select service, extended stay and National Sales. As a goal-driven salesperson, Jill thrives in fast pasted environments in both her work and personal life. When Jill’s not working, you can find her shuttling her 2 kids from the hockey rink or lacrosse field, training her puppy Lola, or spending time with her husband. Jill currently resides in Baltimore where she was born and raised. If you can’t find her there, check the beach where you can find her in the water shredding waves on a jet ski or soaking in the sun.
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Tianna
Regional Director of Sales
Tianna
TiannaRegional Director of Sales
Born and raised in Maine, Tianna took a leap of faith to begin a career as a Corporate Meeting Planner and Sales Manager at the Walt Disney World Company in Orlando, FL. She fell in love with hospitality and has spent the last 20 years working with brands like Starwood, Hilton, IHG and Choice mastering hotel sales. Tianna prides herself on creating new relationships and building loyalty with her clients, ultimately leading to closing more business and driving greater revenue for her hotels. Her greatest achievement was the successful opening of the Cambria Charleston Riverview Hotel and being awarded the Director of Sales of the Year by Choice Hotels as a result.
Tianna is a proud dog mom of 2 rescues, Birdie Rey and Sadie Belle. She is also a proud Aunt of 5 nieces and nephews. When she is not prospecting new business, she enjoys Pilates, golf, and cheering on the New England Patriots. Located in Charleston, Tianna’s greatest passion is to travel and experience the world.
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Brien
Regional Director of Sales
Brien
Regional Director of Sales
Brien is a known for building relationships and connecting people. His diverse experience in hospitality comes from working with brands such as Starwood, Wyndham and Marriott. One of Brien’s proudest moments in his hotel sales career came from championing a partnership with a local humane society to foster dogs at one of his hotels. This not only provided exposure for the hotel, it also increased both food & beverage revenue and gave a furever home to over 50 young pups.
As a native Michigander, Brien now calls Tallahassee, FL home. He is a diehard Florida State Seminole fan and alum who is passionate about family. When Brien isn’t being competitive in sales, sports, or card games, he enjoys traveling with his wife and daughter. With each trip, Brien is sure to include an educational or artistic component like going to a museum, concert or landmark.
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Cristina
Regional Director of Sales
Cristina
Regional Director of Sales
As native from the Orlando area, hospitality is in Cristina’s blood. She has passionately worked in the industry for the past 20+ years for brands such as IHG, Marriott, Sonesta, Hilton and Independent properties. Cristina’s favorite part of her job is cultivating relationships with clients. One of the proudest moments in her career occurred when she was assigned by a Spain and UK based organization to run the sales operations of two resorts here in the US. Being bilingual, Cristina built new relationships with ease and exceeded the resorts revenue goals.
When Cristina is not further developing her sales expertise, she is a wife to her husband of 19+ years, mom to a daughter in college, and their newest addition Ruby, a Dachshund/Jack Russell mix. Cristina is a college football fanatic and cheers on favorite team, the Florida State Seminoles. Her theme song is an oldie, but goodie by Journey, “Don’t Stop Believin’”.
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Mia
Regional Director of Sales
Mia
Regional Director of Sales
Mia fell in love with hospitality while working as a front desk agent during her studies at the University of Kentucky. Now with over 12 years of sales experience, Mia is an expert in driving top line revenue for her hotels and prides herself in developing long lasting client relationships. Her experience includes selling for select-serve, full-service and extended stay properties for Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott. Mia also has extensive knowledge in opening hotels, establishing new corporate accounts and prospecting for new groups and businesses. One of the proudest moments in her career was when Mia lead an all-star sales team through the pandemic and outperformed every hotel in the market. When Mia isn’t shifting share into her hotels to dominate the market, you can find her trying new foods at local restaurants and breweries in her hometown of Lexington, KY. Mia is married, a proud dog mom to Abby, Bella and Cooper and University of Kentucky fanatic. If she had to choose a theme song for her life, it would be I’m Still Standing by Elton John.
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Amanda
Regional Director of Sales
Amanda
Regional Director of Sales
As a bluegrass Kentucky native, Amanda has over 15 years of hospitality experience. Beginning her career as a front office associate, Amanda soon discovered her passion. Amanda has both full-service, select service and extended stay experience with Hyatt and Marriott brands. Working in full-service taught Amanda how to utilize her creative mind to execute exceptional service and fueled Amanda’s drive for developing lasting relationships. As an analytical thinker, Amanda enjoys diving into hotel STAR reports to uncover ways to grow ROI and exceed revenue property goals. When Amanda isn’t shifting share from her comp set, she enjoys the outdoors, hiking, fishing and camping. Amanda grew up on a farm with chickens, peacocks, horses and goats. Now, she is a mom to miniature Schnauzers, a German shepherd a Coon Hound, and 2 young children.
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Jessica
Regional Director of Sales
Jessica
Regional Director of Sales
Jessica was born to be in the hospitality industry. As a young child, Jessica traveled every weekend with her family, cheering on her father who raced from one racetrack to the next. She is no stranger to hotels and has always been fascinated by hotel culture. As a natural born salesperson, Jessica loves building relationships. She has worked with several brands such as Hilton, IHG, Radisson, and Sonesta. One of her biggest accomplishments was being awarded Director of Sales of the year by her former management company. Jessica is married and loves spending time with her husband, 10-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. On the weekends, you can find Jessica & her family at their local racetrack where she cheers on her husband & son who both race. When she’s not at a racetrack, you can find Jessica participating in local food drives, walking to end Multiple Sclerosis, or enjoying other ways to give back to the community.
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Sabrina
Regional Director of Sales
Sabrina
Regional Director of Sales
Sabrina is a hospitality expert making memorable experiences for clients and guests, cultivating new relationships with partners, and knowing what it takes to provide top-notch service. With a degree in Hospitality Management, Sabrina’s expertise includes hotel preopening, implementation of sales procedures, prospecting, report analysis, and more. She loves collaborating with the on-property team and educating on best sales practices to ensure we win the business every time! Sabrina has worked with a variety of brands including IHG, Marriott, Hilton, as well as independent luxury brands. Born and raised in Western New York, she is a true self-motivated go-getter that has a hard time slowing down. Sabrina resides in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountain National where you can find her chasing waterfalls with her dogs and friends, cooking with her boyfriend, or enjoying a night by the fire with her neighbors.
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Caroline
Regional Director of Sales
Caroline
Regional Director of Sales
Caroline’s career in hospitality was a matter of happenstance when a former banking client and hotel owner offered her a Director of Sales role at a full-service Holiday Inn. Caroline quickly took the job, and she hasn’t looked back since. She has experience in several full and select service brands from IHG, Hilton, and Hyatt. One of the most rewarding parts of her career has been to work with new opening and newly renovated hotels. Her analytical thinking, anticipatory planning, the passion for people, along with the thrill of the hustle drives her success. Caroline believes that delivering to her client’s honesty, valuable communication, a few giggles, and progressive thinking wins her the business over the competition in any market. Caroline lives in the Birmingham, AL area with her husband and their toy Australian Shepherd, Addie where they enjoy working out and crushing golf balls at TopGolf. When she isn’t working, you can find Caroline “trying” to feed the neighborhood cats, traveling to see her children and granddaughter. Caroline loves to cook and regularly creates original recipes herself.
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Jessica
Regional Director of Sales
Jessica
Regional Director of Sales
Jessica brings over nine years of hospitality sales to her current role. She has worked in sales with market Destination Management Organizations as well as with limited service and full-service hotels for brands such as Marriott, IHG, Radisson, and Wyndham. Jessica is driven by team, collaboration and developing strong client relationships centered on mutual trust. She is passionate about drilling down to find the right action plan for her hotel’s unique needs, which allows her clients to maximize their revenues and efficiencies. Jessica believes that people are the world’s greatest commodity and when people come together, use their talents and work toward mutual goals the most amazing visions can be turned into reality. Jessica is a wife and mother of two who loves to travel. Despite growing up on a farm and knowing how to drive a tractor, Jessica can’t live without lipstick. An interesting fact about Jessica is that she once took a tap class with Mayim Bialik. She is also on a lifelong quest to find the planet’s most perfect cinnamon roll!
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Cecilia
Regional Director of Sales
Cecilia
Regional Director of Sales
As a driven, loyal hospitality professional with 5+ years of diverse experience in the industry, Cecilia has a proven track record of quickly rising through the ranks and outshining the comp-set on all metrics. Her determination helps lead her team to success in any project she participates. With a background in sales, operations and revenue management, Cecilia has experience in limited and full-service brands for Hilton and Choice. Cecilia is a true southern girl who hails from North Carolina. She is a true country music fan but is a lover of all music genres. Cecilia spends her free time writing, traveling to concerts, practicing yoga and hanging with her three cats: Megabite, Theo and Sig.
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Stacy
Regional Director of Sales
Stacy
StacyRegional Director of Sales
Stacy’s 29+ year tenure in the industry began while studying at Arizona State University. She has acquired experience working on cruise ships, for vacation rental properties, resorts, and has even owned a fine dining Italian restaurant. Stacy’s hotel expertise comes from working with Marriott, Hilton and IHG full and select service hotels. Stacy enjoys surprising and delighting guests. Her favorite part of her job is curating once-in-a-lifetime memories for guests from all walks of life. One of the proudest moments in her career was doubling the anticipated business on the books for a new hotel opening during the pandemic. Stacy is happily married to her husband Rich, a mother to a collegiate daughter Lida, and fur baby Lola. A true tomboy at heart, Stacy is an avid skier, mountain biker, yogi and travel adventurer. You can also find this mountain girl turned mermaid enjoying water sports, paddle boarding and spending winters in Florida.
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Laura
Regional Director of Sales
Laura
Regional Director of Sales
With over 20 years of hospitality, Laura is the definition of a people person. Her background in both hotel sales and operations allows her to build strong relationships with clients as well as promote synergy within her operations team, which she believes is the key to her success. After graduating from James Madison University in Virginia with a business degree in Hospitality and Tourism, Laura has spent her career passionately working with brands such as Hilton, IHG, Starwood and Marriott hotels.
When Laura’s not spending quality time with her husband and their teenage daughter, you can find her wine tasting with friends and family. She enjoys traveling and has a tradition of family trips overseas every couple of years, with her most recent visit to England. Laura is also an active part of her community and an advocate for Multiple Sclerosis research and treatment.
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Stefanie
Regional Director of Sales
Stefanie
StefanieRegional Director of Sales
After earning a degree from Florida Gulf Coast University, Stefanie fell in love with hotel sales. With over 16 years of hospitality experience, Stefanie has worked with IHG, Choice, Best Western, and Hilton full and select service brands. She is an expert at hunting for new business, nurturing relationships, exceeding revenue expectations, and crushing the competition. One of Stefanie’s proudest moments in her recent career was uncovering an extended stay piece of project business at the height of the pandemic valued over $300K in revenue. In a time when hotels were closing their doors, Stefanie wore many hats and kept her hotel open. Stefanie is a Boston native but currently resides in Florida with her husband, two daughters, and cats. When she isn’t trying to check off her bucket list by traveling to countries in Europe and Asia, you can find Stefanie in the kitchen adding her own flair to classic recipes like mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup, pizza, and more.
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Erica
Regional Director of Sales
Erica
Regional Director of Sales
Erica brings 15+ years of hospitality expertise in sales and operations to her role at Jacaruso. Erica started her career as a night auditor while earning her degree in Early Childhood Education from North Central Michigan College. She nurtured her passion for teaching and development as she continued to advance into leadership roles as a General Manager and in sales management for select service brands with Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Radisson. Erica is an avid people person and enjoys making new connections with people from all walks of life. She is also competitive, goal-oriented and enjoys a challenge.
Erica is a true Michigander, born and raised. When she is not hustling to shift share from the comp set, or crushing revenue goals, Erica enjoys travel, camping and is an avid rock collector. On Thursday nights, you can catch Erica on the volleyball court with her sports league, or even at a live music concert. Erica also spends a lot of free time fixing up her 100-year-old farmhouse that she shares with her 2 cats Coco and Marta.
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Angie
Regional Director of Sales
Angie
Regional Director of Sales
As a veteran hotel sales expert with over 15+ years’ experience in hospitality, Angie has worked with IHG, Hilton and independent properties in her tenure. She enjoys creating the best possible experience for guests. Angie’s passion, dedication and creativity helps her drive revenue for her hotels while building lasting relationships with stakeholders and clients alike. As a native Midwesterner, Angie currently resides in East Tennessee with her husband, sons, 5 dogs, 2 cats and other feral critters the family feed. Angie has a big heart for animals, enjoys photography, kayaking, and all things nature.
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Betsy
Regional Director of Sales
Betsy
Regional Director of Sales
Betsy began her hospitality career by happenstance while studying for her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas. While she initially was interested in pursuing a career in fashion, she fell in love with hospitality shortly after taking a position as a front desk agent. Her 12+ year tenure with Hilton brands such as Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, and Home2 Suites gives her a competitive edge in the extended stay market. One of her proudest accomplishments was securing an account that contributed over 250K+ in revenue annually when travel had halted in the midst of the pandemic. When Betsy isn’t strategically prospecting new accounts for her hotels, you can find her cheering in the stands at an Arkansas Razorback game, enjoying live music, journaling and doing crafts with her nephew. Betsy also enjoys catching up on the latest pop culture news, or hitting the road for a last-minute road trip with friends.
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Ellen
Regional Director of Sales
Ellen
EllenRegional Director of Sales
Ellen has a 27+ year tenure in hospitality with experience in operations, accounting, human resources, and sales. She has extensive experience with Marriott and Hilton brands in urban/suburban markets across all segments. Ellen’s love of travel is a result of growing up in a military family. She attended the University of Maryland and worked in the nation’s capital for many years before relocating to the Atlanta area within the last few years. There, she enjoys spending time with her husband, three sons and exploring all the beauty that the south has to offer.
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Ellen
Regional Director of Sales
Ellen
Regional Director of Sales
Ellen began her hospitality sales career after graduating with her degree from Auburn University. In her 15+ year tenure, she has worked in a variety of sales positions, most recently as a Regional Director of Sales for a group of 14 hotels. Ellen’s passion for relationship building coupled with strong knowledge of the sales process, marketing and hotel openings allows her to successfully share shift and grow RevPar for her hotel portfolio. She has worked with brands such as Hilton, Marriott and IHG. Outside of work, Ellen enjoys spending time with her husband Craig and 2 daughters Ava, and Hannah. She enjoys traveling with family and learning more about the culture and local cuisine. Ellen has 2 doodles, Coco and Ollie, who are also her office mates.
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Wade
Regional Director of Sales
Wade
WadeRegional Director of Sales
From the time he can remember, Wade has been passionate about hotel sales. He studied at the Spartan School of Aeronautics before returning to Corpus Christi to begin a career in hospitality. After a short stint in operations, Wade recognized his passion for hotel sales, and was promoted to a SMERF Catering Sales Manager. He has held a variety of sales leadership roles in the last 20+ years working for brands such as Radisson, Wyndham, IHG, Hilton and Marriott. When Wade isn’t negotiating exclusive deals for his hotel portfolio, you can catch him watching a Rangers’ game, shopping for new Converse to add to his collection, or just enjoying being on the beach with his spouse and their dogs, Bobbi Kristina and Charlie Daniel. Even though he lives in South Texas, Wade does not own a pair of cowboy boots or a cowboy hat.
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Candice
Regional Director of Sales
Candice
Regional Director of Sales
Candice is a hotel sales guru, bringing 10+ years of sales expertise and a sprinkle of magic to every interaction. She has been a driving force behind many successful hotel openings, has experience with multiple market segments and various Hilton select, full service and luxury brands. Candice’s genuine passion lies in cultivating strong and enduring relationships with her clients. Her unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional customer service transcends her role as a salesperson, making her a trusted and valued partner. Her vibrant and energetic personality further enhances her ability to connect with others on a profound level. Outside of work, Candice places great importance on maintaining her physical well-being by engaging in regular fitness activities, embodying a healthy lifestyle. She possesses a refined palate and takes pleasure in exploring diverse culinary experiences, savoring the multitude of flavors available. Moreover, Candice deeply cherishes quality time spent with loved ones, recognizing the significance of creating lasting memories.
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Zach
Regional Director of Sales
Zach
Regional Director of Sales
Zach is a seasoned hospitality professional with 25+ years of experience in the industry. Zach’s passion for sales has driven his success, and he thrives on the thrill of sealing the deal. With his extensive expertise, Zach is a true sales expert dedicated to delivering exceptional guest experiences and driving growth in the industry. Throughout his career, Zach has worked with independent hotels as well as brands such as Marriott, IHG, Hilton, and Hyatt. Zach and his family now live in Indiana, where he coaches club volleyball and enjoys spending time in nature. In his downtime you can find Zach hiking a forest preserve, getting in a round on the golf course, spending time at the farmers market or tasting local bourbon.
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Kristen
Regional Director of Sales
Kristen
Regional Director of Sales
With more than 30+ years in hospitality, Kristen’s career has taken her from humble beginnings as a hostess all the way to sales leadership roles like Director of Sales and Marketing. Her journey through operations, conference services, and catering led her to significant achievements, including earning her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) accreditation—a career highlight she’s particularly proud of. Kristen’s expertise in corporate group and proactive sales have been instrumental in her success with brands including Starwood, Marriott, IHG and Choice.
Outside the office, Kristen enjoys traveling, golfing, and interior decorating. Recently, she built her dream home infusing it with inspiration from one of her favorite sources, Joanna Gaines. Kristen loves life with her longtime partner and being the favorite aunt of her five nieces and nephews. When she’s not listening to country or R&B music, you can find this true Missourian cheering on her favorite teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals.
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Claire
Sales Coordinator
Claire
Sales Coordinator
With over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Claire is passionate about people and building relationships. She has experience with limited and full-service hotels, working with major hotel brands that include Hilton, Starwood and IHG. Claire also has extensive knowledge in new hotel openings along with working various departments including sales, operations, and event management. Along with uncovering new accounts and identifying opportunities to grow revenue, Claire strives to provide personalized service and puts customers first to exceed expectations.
When she’s not hustling for business, Claire enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, cooking, outdoor music festivals and reading. She is the mother of 2 very active boys who are both sports lovers and play competitively.
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Lori
Sales Coordinator
Lori
Sales Coordinator
Lori brings 10+ years of experience to her role as Sales Coordinator. Her wealth of knowledge in hospitality stems from working in sales and operations with brands like IHG and Hilton. Lori’s mission is to see her hotels succeed and contribute to that goal by driving revenue and creating meaningful relationships with clients. She thrives on the daily challenges hospitality brings and enjoys the fact that every day is different. Lori lives in Colorado with her husband, and their 2 children. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading and cheering on the Denver Broncos, the Colorado Avalanche and the USC Trojans.
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Kate
Sales Coordinator
Kate
Sales Coordinator
Kate, while newer to the hospitality industry, has quickly become a proficient sales expert. As a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management, Kate’s experience in sales comes from her tenure working for IHG hotels. Over the years, she has demonstrated her ability to orchestrate successful events and drive revenue growth. A master problem solver, Kate excels at meticulously managing the smallest details to guarantee memorable experiences and guest satisfaction, embodying the true spirit of hospitality. Outside of her professional pursuits, Kate loves music. As a former opera singer, she often has used her impressive pipes to cheer on her favorite football team, the Florida Gators. In her downtime, you can find Kate spending time with family, staying active outdoors or whipping up her favorite recipes in the kitchen.
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Erin
Sales Coordinator
Erin
Sales Coordinator
With over 20 years in the hospitality industry, Erin brings a wealth of diverse knowledge and specialized expertise to Jacaruso. From her past roles as Director of Sales and Director of Catering, she’s honed her skills in sales leadership and operational excellence. With experience across Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt, Erin consistently delivers outstanding results. Yet, her true passion lies in her favorite role as a Sales Coordinator, where she excels in managing SMERF bookings, rooming lists, and group maintenance, demonstrating her dedication to every aspect of hotel sales.
Erin currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, and two children. Her interests outside of work are diverse and include immersing herself in all things Disney, musicals and listening to true crime podcasts. She enjoys quality time with her family, cheering on her daughter’s dance team, and learning all about world history and foreign policy from her son.
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Brandy
Executive Assistant
Brandy
Executive Assistant
Born and raised in Louisiana but a true Texas girl now. Love helping others and being a part of the hospitality industry. Married to my best friend of 21 years and we have 2 children Austin who is a freshman at University of Texas, and Madi a sophomore at Cedar Ridge. In my free time I enjoy spending time with family and friends and vacationing at any BEACH! Hook’em Horns!
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Jo
Director of Financial Operations
Jo
Director of Financial Operations
Jo is the glue that holds JE together. She can multi-task better than a Cirque Du Soleil juggler. (Not that we are comparing ourselves to a circus.) Jo is a true Toni whisperer and her intuitive nature, coupled with her overwhelmingly impressive proficiency, makes our company stronger. If there is a go to person, her name is Jo! Jo and her husband, John, have four children and live in Round Rock, TX.
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Jonathan
Senior Accountant
Jonathan
Senior Accountant
Jonathan Beckham has over 15 years of accounting and management
experience. After graduating from Texas State University – San Marcos with a BBA in Management he began his career as a staff accountant at a small manufacturing company in Austin, TX. He then moved on to the Financial Controller position at a specialty retail business in Austin, TX. His passion for accounting is what brought him to the staff accountant position at Jacaruso Enterprises.
When not working Jonathan loves to write and record music. You can also find him scuba diving new spots around the world or discovering new thru hikes to challenge himself with.
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Steve
Software Developer
Steve
Salesforce Developer
Steve’s software experience started by writing video games on a home computer when he was 10 years old. Born in England, Steve moved to Dallas and then to Austin to complete his Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Texas. Steve then honed his software skills at National Instruments and other firms in Austin before joining Jacaruso Enterprises in 2017. Steve loves cycling, hiking and swimming in Austin’s beautiful outdoor spaces and has a passion for people, science and technology.
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Mohammed
IT Systems Engineer/Administrator
Jose
IT Support Specialist
Jose
IT Support Specialist
Jose Romero, an IT Support Specialist with over 3 years of experience, began his career at Intel, where he developed his skills in the technology field. He also graduated from the Music Education program at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and creating music for dance, theater, and film. His goal is continuous learning and growth, both personally and professionally, while making a positive contribution to the world around him.
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Sol
Web Research Analyst
Sol
Web Research Analyst
Sol studied international trade and has accumulated over 8 years of experience working as a buyer for multinational companies. As a Web Research Analyst at Jacaruso Enterprises, she assists Regional Directors of Sales by seeking new business opportunities and driving progress. Sol thrives on teamwork and embraces new challenges to continue learning and advancing in her career. Originally from Argentina, Sol now resides in Costa Rica with her family. She is the proud mother of a 2-year-old girl and a young boy. Sol’s dedication to her profession and her family underscores her commitment to growth and excellence.
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Luis
Lead Generation Specialist
Luis
Lead Generation Specialist
Luis is an accomplished individual with a diverse skill set, thriving in dynamic environments and easily adjusting to new challenges. Luis has a solid track record in Finance, Customer Service and Transitions processes, having led successful initiatives across various industries and fostering creativity within teams. They’ve also excelled in customer service, demonstrating empathy and problem-solving skills. Outside of work, Luis is a person who enjoys being out with friends and family. They’re also a fitness enthusiast, hitting the gym regularly.
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Shawna
Content Editor