The Team of Consultants: 23 of us
This our our resource - all of us strategizing on each job that each of us is doing. A team.

The Team Providing Marketing and Sales Resources for the members at Co-Op Investment.

Another CARINO member benefit

• Sandy Heydt: Strategy, Best Practices, Leadership, Hotel Executive Coaching, Operations Positioning, Rebranding & Repositioning, Marketing Plans & Strategies, Transitions, Executive Searches :: details >
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Allison Ahrens: Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Holistic Revenue Management for Hotels, Hotel Sales Training, Hotel Revenue Management Training, Strategy, Hotel IBT - Business Travel Specialist, STAR & Hotelligence Guru :: details >
• Stephen Beck: Strategy, Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Audits, Strategy, Sales, Hotel NSO development team :: details >
• Jeannie Blue: Director of Sales and marketing Interim - Limited Service, Senior Sales Manager Interim :: details >
• Paul Breslin: Operations Audits, General Manager Interim, Hotel Development
  :: details >
• Charlene Carter: Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Strategy, Senior Sales Manager
  :: details >
• Kristy Christensen: Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Audits, Strategy, New Business Development Hotel :: details >
• Kelli Crannell: New Business Development, Shop Calls, Research :: details >
• Matt Dimond: Senior sales Manager Interim, New Business Development, a Hotel Group sales specialist :: details >
• Kim Dinsmmor: Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Revenue Management for Hotels, Strategy, Development Analysis :: details >
• Stella Evans: Director of Sales Interim :: details >
• Gretchen Hopkins: Senior Sales Manager Interim,
  New Business Development :: details >
• Shirley Hornbeck: Director of Sales Interim, New Business Development, Hotel Group Sales Specialist :: details >
• Wendy Kivitz: Senior Sales Manager Interim, Shop Calls :: details >
• Shannon Minton: Senior Sales Manager Interim, New Business Development, IBT Strategy
  :: details >
• Jennifer Nicholas: Guest Service Training, Leadership Training, HR Skills Training, Director of Human Resources Interim :: details >
• Cindy Perkins: Senior Sales Manager Interim, Catering Director Interim AGM Interim, Strategy, Research :: details >
• Vickie Riddle: General Manager Interim for Limited Service Properties, Limited Service Strategy
  :: details >
• Garrett Schwab: Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Strategy, Development Analysis, Audits :: details >
• Luci Smithhart: Senior Sales manager Interim, Catering Director Interim, F & B Catering Strategy :: details >
• Kimberly Tennison: Senior Sales Interim, New Business Development, IBT Strategy, Shop Calls, Internet Reputation Management :: details >
• Eric von Starck: Marketing Strategy, E-commerce, Holistic Revenue Management for Hotels, Hotel Sales Training, Hotel Revenue Management Training, Web Specialist, F & B Specialist, Programmer, Revenue Management :: details >
• CARINO Collection: IBT partner, Consortia Partner, execute all Co-Op Marketing :: details >

Data Management

• Jennifer Satori: Data Management, CRM
• Chadd Vanosdoll Data Management, CRM, looking after our database of 35,000 meeting and event planners, association planners, and regional group events

Sandy Heydt
Hotel Executive Coaching, Operations Positioning, Rebranding & Repositioning, Marketing Plans & Strategies, Transitions, Executive Searches

With twenty years experience in sales and operations at luxury inner city hotels and holiday resort complexes in Pennsylvania, Florida and the Pacific Northwest, she brings a distinguished enthusiasm to the passion of assisting others in attaining their goals.

She looks after the direction and organization of her professional colleagues who assist in the short and long term projects so that the General Managers and DSMs may attain their own goals.
Sandy, founder, offers 25 years of executive-level insight and experience. She successfully led the sales and marketing efforts at AAA Four and Five Diamond hotels including The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, CO and The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. For Resort Semiahmoo, North of Seattle, WA, she led the sales and marketing effort and served as interim general manager for 6 months as well. She got her start in the hospitality business at The Don Ce Sar Beach Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Sandy's background also includes experience as an Executive Director for non-profit associations and a mental health counselor and educator.
She holds a graduate degree in Educational Psychology and has served on the Preferred Hotels and Resorts Advisory Council. Sandy's hobbies include cycling, swimming, cross country skiing, reading the New York Times cover to cover, and attending dance and classical music performances. She volunteers with organizations to support women and children, the handicapped and the environment.
Email:

Stephen Beck
Strategy, Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Audits, Strategy, Sales, Hotel NSO development team

Everyone needs to cozy up to Stephen because he was a Chef before getting in hotel sales and marketing. The Panetière gang is always anxious to attend a team meeting in hopes that Stephen will whip up a special dessert or treat. Not that Stephen has much time for the kitchen any longer. He is very busy helping our clients with strategy and implementation.

Stephen worked in some beautiful parts of the work as a hotel Chef, including Alaska,California, Arizona and Hawaii. His sales and marketing career started in Maryland and DC with Best Western and Wyndham and then he moved to California. There he was a DSM for The Doubletree San Francisco and The Hilton Costa Mesa. He also was the Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Hilton Hotels, overseeing 15 hotels from Santa Barbara to San Diego.

Before joining Panetière Stephen worked in his own consulting business for a few years and has assisted both limited and full service hotels with sales and marketing strategy and creation of marketing and business plans.  He worked on new launches and helped increase the market share of existing hotels. He is known for his excellent coaching and training abilities.

When Stephen is not pouring over STAR and Hotelligence reports, he keeps the other side of his brain working as a painter. Stephen’s work is in hotels and office buildings all over the country.  But most of the time you will see Stephen gazing at the love of his life, his little son Cederique Alexander. He tries to travel as much as possible, having been to Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Europe, Latin America, Hawaii, the Cook Islands and Palau. The next trips will be to The Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Nepal and France.

Stephen enjoys deep-sea diving, sports cars, yoga, mediation and the exploration of the spiritual beliefs of other cultures.

Jeannie Blue
Director of Sales and Marketing Interim for Limited Service, Senior Sales Manager Interim

Jeannie spent the majority of her life in Southern California but transplanted to historic Franklin Tennessee a few years ago with her husband in order to raise their son in the wide open spaces and be closer to that old fashioned Southern Hospitality.

Jeannie and her husband Mark are both in hospitality sales (one wonders what they talk about at home??) and are blessed with their son Devon. Three rescued animals round out their household, their dog Ruffy and two cats. One is never sure which animal is ruling the household at any given time.

Jeannie’s industry experience includes Sales Manager, Director of Sales, Assistant General Manager and General Manager roles. Her well-rounded experience brings our clients a broad understanding of both operations and sales. She has worked for The Granada Royale and Woodfin Suites Hotel in California and The Baymont Inn and Suites and Hilton Garden Inn in Tennessee. She also worked on task force and in temporary positions prior to joining the Panetière team.

Her market experience includes leisure and corporate transient business as well as group markets including SMERF, corporate and association.

When Jeannie is not helping our clients meet their goals, she treasures spending time with her family, and enjoys traveling and meeting new people. She loves anything having to do with the outdoors and spends most summer weekends at the lake.  One of Jeannie’s favorite past times is dancing and we soon expect to see her on “Dancing with the Stars” representing PMA!

One of the most fun experiences Jeannie ever had was the opportunity to swim and be photographed with Dolphins in Hawaii. Jeannie believes in the work hard/play hard philosophy and believes in the importance of reaching for your goals… setting a plan and putting it into action.

Jeannie attended Citrus and Chaffey Colleges in California studying business and hospitality management.

Jennifer Nicholas
Guest Service Training, Leadership Training, HR Skills Training, Director of Human Resources Interim

Jennifer is the Human Resources piece of the Panetière puzzle. Jennifer is the most FUN HR Director you will ever hope to meet. In fact we think she was a sales person in a past life, or perhaps “Julie” from the Love Boat. Jennifer’s infectious laugh and positive outlook on life positively affects everyone she encounters.

Jennifer works with our clients as a temporary HR manager/director and offers training for management and leadership as well as focuses on service excellence programs and training. She can hold team-building workshops and help an organization move forward with feedback from employee surveys.

Jennifer has more than 15 years of leadership experience in luxury hospitality environments; including ski areas, high-end retail, hotels, spa resorts and golf courses coast to coast. She is passionate about service and quality being differentiating factors that allow organizations to excel.

Through her roles as human resources professional, trainer, organizational development consultant and communications manager, Jennifer has assisted organizations with understanding the importance of taking care of their most important asset – their employees. Her strength is engaging clients and seminar participants with humor, sincerity, open communication and straightforward feedback.

Before starting her own training and consulting business, Jennifer was the Director of HR and Training at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa; Training and Employee Communications Manager at The Aspen Ski Company; Director of HR at The Little Nell in Aspen; and the Training/HR Manager at The Doral/Peaks at Telluride.

Jennifer’s family consists of Walter, an orange tabby cat and Chauncey, a Corgi mystery dog mix. Jennifer is an avid college football fan – and a fanatical CU football fan. She enjoys skiing, reading, yoga, and gardening.  Her favorite travel locations include the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado, Central Coast of California, the beaches of South Carolina, London, Italy and New York City.

Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder with a BS in Journalism.

Kimberly Tennison
Hotel Temp Senior Sales Manager All Markets, Individual Corp Hotel Transient Specialist & Group Sales, Train All Markets, SWAT Team, Delphi Clean-Up Queen, New Business Development, Shop calls

Kimberly has 20 years experience in the hospitality, specializing in the corporate transient market. Hotels that have profited from her skills include the Hyatt Regency in downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center, The Waldorf-Astoria in New York and The Four Seasons Philadelphia.

She holds a BA in International Affairs and is a Certified Travel Counselor. Kimberley has also served on the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association's Education Committee.

Kimberly has a love for antiques and enjoys traveling in search of the best of them. She can also be found hiking and snowshoeing in the Colorado mountains.

Paul Breslin
Hotel Temporary GM, operational reviews, evaluations & audits, safety and liability, operational procedures and best practices, internal control procedures and solutions, project management, management audit and consulting

An industry leader for more then 23 years, Breslin has spent five years as Managing Director for the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, and leading the transformation of this 80 million dollar asset from an operating loss of 4 million in 2000 to an expected net income of 9 million dollars in 2006. Prior to Sheraton, Breslin lead the Omni team as General Manager with record gains in market share, revenue and net profit. In Breslin's last year at Omni Hotels, the company received national recognition for excellence by JD Powers, awarded the highest satisfaction for Upper Upscale Hotels.

While operating the Omni Hotel at CNN and overseeing its 7 million dollar renovation, Breslin led the team that developed the vision, the feasibility study and plans to expand the Omni from 457 rooms to a AAA Four-Diamond 1,000 room world-class convention hotel. The expansion and development project, well over 100 million dollars, produced superior results for partners Time Warner, Inc and Omni Hotels.

Prior to Omni, Breslin led the daily operations at the Atlanta Hilton Hotel, a 200 million dollar, 1,200 room convention hotel. Under Breslin's leadership the award-winning team developed strategies that achieved record growth in market share and revenue gains while being selected for the Most Improved Hilton in Quality Service in 2000.

Breslin has been trained by respected industry leaders in some of the most challenging hotels and resorts, such as the world-famous Fontainebleau Hilton Resort and Spa, 1226 luxury resort in Miami Beach , FL , the AAA Four-Diamond Sheraton San Diego Resort and Sheraton New Orleans.

Kristy Christensen
Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Audits, Strategy, New Business Development Hotel

Kristy has worked in the hospitality industry for 18 years in various positions.  From her start as a Front Desk Clerk while in college, she knew this business was for her!  After working the front desk for two years, Kristy moved into the sales and catering department.  While there she held several positions including Sales Coordinator, Sales Manager and then, ultimately, Director of Sales and Marketing. 

As sales manager she has worked all the markets: SMERF, government, corporate, IBT, tour & travel and association.  As a Director, she worked in both limited and full service hotels and has been responsible for group, IBT, leisure transient and all aspects of marketing. 

She has worked in some of the most beautiful places in the west, including Montana, New Mexico and Colorado. Her hotels include The Millenium Harvest House in Boulder; the Four Points by Sheraton in Denver; The Hilton Hotel in Santa Fe; and a Best Western and Sheraton in Montana.

Kristy is very strategic and enjoys writing marketing/strategic plans and conducting analysis on marketplace reports. Kristy loves both strategic roles and sales, being one of those people who love cold calls and prospecting, saying you never know what you are going to unearth!

Kristy lives in Denver with her husband (another hotel consultant), her daughter and two (very spoiled) silkie terriers named Romulus and Remus and a black cat named Tabitha.  Kristy’s college bound daughter says that Kristy is a “yippee”, a cross between a yuppie and a hippie. Her favorite trip was to Paris and London on her honeymoon.

Kristy spends her down time reading, baking and hanging out with her family. She is a history buff and loves to investigate past cultures. Her favorite area of study is ancient Celtic societies.

Kristy holds a BA in Political Science from University of Montana

Charlene “Charley” Carter
Director of Sales and Marketing Interim, Strategy, Senior Sales Manager

Charley brings over 20 years experience and plenty of that Southern charm and hospitality to our team. Her laugh and energy are infectious and will break down the walls of even the toughest hotel client. Charley is well rounded and brings to our team both sales, catering and operations experience in full service luxury hotels as well as limited service properties.

Charlie has many years of experience as a hospitality consultant, working with her husband in their own business. She has handled direct sales and new business development; trained both management and line staff; helped bring support, organization and increased revenue to distressed properties and during flag changes.

Charlie started her career as a management trainee at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead and The Guest Quarters Hotel, both in Atlanta. For the Guest Quarters she ended up as Acting Director of Catering, then moved to Director of Catering at The Wyndham Garden Hotel and Embassy Suites Airport, both again in Atlanta. At the Embassy Suites she moved to Director of Sales.

Then Charley got a little crazy and decided to try operations so she moved to The Sumner Suites Hotel at Atlanta Airport where she was both the Director of Sales and Director of Operations (General Manager). Yes, this she survived and moved on to the 1,200 room Atlanta Hilton Hotel as Senior Sales Manager.

Her market experience includes leisure and corporate transient and all group, including corporate, association and SMERF. Her strength is in the SE and Atlanta markets.

Charley and her husband Darryl have two teenage children, Savannah Eleanor and Chatham Monroe. Rounding out their household is Zedo, the cat. Her hobbies are antique shopping, tennis and walking. She has had a few memorable trips in her life, to St. Maartin, Key West and St. Thomas.

Charley says she is living her personal goals – health, family, friends and a career. However she has never played but loves the Sax and enjoys listening to Kenny G. One day she would like to own a Harley! VVVROOOM!!

Charley attended Fort Valley University in Ft. Valley, GA; Armstrong State University and South College, both in Savannah, GA. She has won numerous awards throughout her career including: For Wyndham: The President’s Club for booking excellence and Manager of the Quarter. At Guest Quarters she was both employee of the month and employee of the year. She is in the Who’s Who of Executive Women.

Matt Dimond
Senior sales Manager Interim, New Business Development, Hotel Group Sales Specialist

We are thrilled to have Matt on our team. Matt brings a broad perspective to our clients because of his experience as both a hotel sales executive as well as his stints as a meeting planner and trade show manager. Talk about understanding the needs of the clients….Matt was one so he knows first hand!

Matt’s career includes working as a meeting and trade show manager for Marriott hotels; trade show director for trade associations and corporations; and a meeting planner for various companies. His hotel and resort sales experience is in the beautiful desert of Palm Springs

, CA where he worked for The Palm Springs Rivera Resort, The Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority, La Quinta Resort & Club and The JW Marriott Resort & Spa. Matt was successful in all group markets, including SMERF, corporate and association.

When not helping our clients, you can find Matt running around…literally. In fact, when out on jobs he’ll be the first to test out the running trails in the neighborhood. Matt’s obsession is running and he has run 6 or more miles almost every day for the past 10 years. His goal is to run a marathon in under 3:30.

Matt is most proud of his family. He is married with five children ages 15 to 22. The house needed more action, so the Dimond’s have a dog named Abby. Abby was rescued so they think she is a German Sheppard/Lab mix. She of course rules the household.

When Matt is not running around, he finds time to read, hike, play golf and enjoy water sports. His favorite travel spot is unquestionably Maui.

Matt attended California State University Long Beach and studied Business Administration.

Gretchen Hopkins
Senior Sales Manager Interim, New Business Development

Gretchen brings our clients 16 years of both sales and meeting planning experience in luxury and conference center settings. Her strength is in direct sales, new business development and prospecting. Her market experience over the years has included all geographic and vertical market areas. As a past owner of a meeting and event planning company, she knows what it is like to work late hours into the night to finish the job and exceed the expectations of the clients.

Gretchen started her career in hotel sales and quickly moved into Associate Director of Sales of the Ritz Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta. Here she led both the group, IBT and leisure transient market growth. Then she moved on to Associate Director of Sales at Kingsmill Resort & Conference Center, supervising 8 managers. She then stepped out to start her own meeting and event company and did this exciting job for 8 years. In this capacity she traveled, worked with other contract employees and planned many large scale, high profile events.

Following this experience Gretchen moved to Senior Sales Manager at Colonial Williamsburg Hospitality Group and was responsible for marketing, advertising and development of all conference based business based on geographic and vertical markets. She was also responsible for growing revenue in the areas of golf, spa and ticket sales.

Gretchen’s family consists of her husband and two sons ages 19 and 14, and two daughters ages 21 and 26. They also have two crazy dogs, a 10 year old dachshund and 2  year-old mutt rescued from the SPCA.

Her hobbies are cooking, gardening, and exercising. She loves to play lacrosse and ferries her son around to tournaments as well. The exercising combats the cooking, but she has found she can’t do both at the same time. She is a bit of a health nut, as seen from the photo. This is Gretchen about to do some rock climbing, and then run a marathon with her crampons attached. (only joking).

Gretchen attended the Georgia State University – Robinson School of Business in Hospitality Management.

Luci Smithhart
Hotel Temporary Senior Sales Manager for social and corporate catering, individual business transient and group - from SMERF to corporate to association to incentive, Hotel Temp Convention services and catering servicing.

Luci brings to our clients her experience in just about every market: social and corporate catering, individual business transient and group – from SMERF to corporate to association to incentive. We are thrilled to have her on our team not just because she has such a wide range of experience, but mostly because she is just so darn nice. Her Southern hospitality comes across in everything she does, but don’t let that fool you. She is an aggressive and competent sales person who loves our business and enjoys booking business!

When Luci is not found on the deck of her Galveston home, – a home that she built practically on her own by the way, – she is traveling, kayaking, catching an art gallery opening or playing with her pet fish. She is an amateur black & white photographer and she collects hand blown art glass vases and bowls.

Luci gained her experience in the hotel business by working at such places as The Moody Gardens Hotel, three hotels in Galveston (Hotel Galvez, Tremont House and Harbor House) and the luxurious Lajitas Resort. She also handled sales for the Houston River Walk Entertainment Company and Bayou City Cruises.

Shirley Hornbeck
Hotel Temp Senior Sales Manager all markets
Hotel Temporary catering manager, SWAT Team Member, Sales Strategy, Prospecting Queen, Hotel Shop calls

Shirley brings our clients over 28 years of sales expertise and wisdom. Her market experience includes group sales in the corporate, association and SMERF market as well as corporate transient sales.

Shirley spent most of her career with Marriott hotels, on property for the Omaha Marriott, Denver Marriott West, and Renaissance Denver. She also was in the National Sales Office in Denver and on Marriott’s National Task Force, taking her expertise and selling skills to various hotels in need around the country.

In her career with Marriott, Shirley received 7 prestigious awards, including the President’s Circle and on two occasions, the Chairman’s Circle. Shirley is a “mean” prospector and knows how to dig deep into companies to uncover all business potential. She enjoys mentoring younger sales managers and providing stability in changing environments.

Shirley is certainly not all work and no play. Her interests include wine, reading, travel, cooking, and history… she can often be found tuned into The Discovery Channel. Shirley and her husband are big fans of college and professional football – especially Nebraska football - baseball and hockey. She also has the highest respect for Warren Buffet, Keith Lockhart with the Boston Pops, Beverly Sills and Paul Newman.

Shirley is most proud of her family. She and her husband, affectionately known as “Hornbeck” have been married for 40 years, and are the proud parents of two sons and three grandchildren. Her aspirations include learning to fly fish, be a better cook, following through on her goal to exercise more and try to accomplish "one random act of kindness each day". She also wants to learn to play the piano. Get going Shirley!

Shannon Minton
Hotel Temp Senior Sales Manager, Corp Group, Corp & Social Catering, SWAT Team, Prospecting Queen, Computer data clean up, Hotel Shop calls, Hotel IBT - Business Travel Specialist

Shannon Minton brings our clients 17 years of hotel sales experience, and has achieved success in a variety of markets, including individual business travel, corporate group and SMERF.

Prior to moving to Colorado, she worked in California at the Sheraton Esmeralda Resort and the Doubletree Hotel Ontario. In 2005, Shannon got a taste of a real challenge...in a hotel pre-opening. She was the only sales manager at the St. Julien Hotels & Spa in Boulder Colorado in the year prior to the hotel's opening. She was responsible for building the pre-opening base of group business as well as serving as catering manager. She was instrumental in creating all the pre-opening collateral and materials.

Shannon's trademark is her infectious laugh, passion for all she does and love of the hotel business. When Shannon is not helping our clients, she is busy raising her two daughters, Kendell and Katy, with her husband Spencer. She also enjoys hiking in the Colorado mountains.

Allison Ahrens
Hotel Temp DOSM, Hotel Temp Senior Sales Manager, Marketing Strategy, Training, SWAT Team, Corp Transient, Hotel Shop Calls, Hotel Group Sales Specialist, Hotel IBT - Business Travel Specialist

When we can pull Allison off the back of an elephant following wild tigers in the forest of Bangalore, India, she is found helping our client hotels and resorts reach their potential. Yes, Allison has done just that, as well as traveled to India, Africa and France. She hopes to see the world in her lifetime.

When Allison temporarily retires her passport and skis, she is taking care of our clients as a temporary Senior Sales Manager and Director of Sales. Allison has 14 years of experience in hospitality sales, as an independent consultant as well as stints with Marriott, Westin, WestCoast Hotels and independent hotels such as The St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, CO. She has lived and worked in such exciting places as Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver and Napa Valley. Allison has direct sales experience in both the corporate group and transient market and has served as Director of Group Sales and Director of Sales and Marketing.

Allison holds an AA in Applied Science/Meetings and Convention Management from Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs,CO and was the recipient of the American Hotel/Motel Association Scholarship.

When Allison is not traveling or skiing black diamond runs on the Colorado ski slopes, she is working her hobby as a Personal Wine Advisor. She helps friends and colleagues find the perfect and hard to find wines. Allison’s dream is to be one of the travel people on the Travel Channel and visit the “1000 places to see before you die.” She is off to a great start.

Wendy Kivitz
Temp Senior Sales Manager All Markets, Group & Individual Corp Transient Specialist, SWAT Team, Shop calls

Wendy offers almost 25 years direct sales experience with exceptional expertise in the business travel, entertainment and consortia markets of the hotel industry.

She has worked for independent and chain hotels from Sheraton and Raddison to The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia and The Georgetown Inn in Washington, DC. She also worked for many years in various properties for the Astor Hotel Management Company.

Wendy spent three years in the Washington DC market handling Tour and Travel, Wholesale and Leisure - inbound from Europe, Asia, and South America.

Wendy is a one person SWAT team when it comes to uncovering potential business. She finds and builds relationships with decision makers quickly and is able to step in new situations and quickly make strides to increase revenue. In her spare time Wendy is mom to two young boys, and enjoys playing tennis and bike riding.

Wendy graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language and Literature from the University of Maryland and also studied at the Pushkin Institute of Russian Language in Moscow.

Garrett Schwab
Temp DOS, Temp Senior Sales Manager All Markets, Sales & Marketing Strategies, Swat Team, New Business Development, Hotel Group Sales Specialist, Hotel IBT - Business Travel Specialist

Garrett brings his positive attitude and a great dose of Southern Charm to our team and our clients. Garrett is one of those people who you just meet or talk with on the phone and if he is selling something you want to buy it. His hospitality career spans 21 years and he has wowed employers and clients along the way. He has experience in direct sales as National Sales Manager, as a Director of Sales and Marketing and as a entrepreneur with an independent hospitality group.

Garrett's early years in the business were with Loews Hospitality, cutting his teeth in New York City working the national corporate market. He moved on to work with Le Meridien Hotels, The Mansion Del Rio Hotel and the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau. After that he moved on to Bradford Suites Hotels, Adams Mark Hotels and Wyndham International. After leaving New York and the Loews Garrett has worked mostly in the Dallas, Texas area.

Garrett even tried moving to "the other side" with Triangle-Positive Health Solutions and worked for a few years to redesign the operating procedures for the Meeting and Travel department for this company as well as managing the Preferred Vendor Program.

His experience in development and pre-opening was with The Delta Court Hotel & Spa in Vicksburg, TN.

Garrett brings our clients such a wealth of experience and confidence that he needs about 5 minutes on property to figure it out and get moving. He can lead a team, find new business, fix unhappy clients, bring a team together and generate so much new revenue that one wonders where he finds it! Garrett's work ethic is something to behold, but it is his infectious laugh and love of life and the hotel business that will keep you finding excuses to go to his office whenever you can. We are thrilled to have Garrett on our team.

Kelli Crannell
Telemarketing and new business development, Prospecting Queen, Database cleanup, Shop calls

Kelli is another Panetière colleague who will bring a smile to your face and revenue to your bottom line. Kelli brings 16 years experience to our team. A California native, Kelli graduated from Citrus College with a degree in Business Administration. She landed in the hotel business after a career as Western Regional Meeting Planner for a Fortune 500 company, Browning-Ferris Industries. Actually The Doubletree Hotel in Ontario CA was a good client of hers and they know talent when they see it. So they wooed Kelli to come over to "the other side" and hired her in their sales office.

Kelli moved up from Administrator, to Executive Conference Manager to Catering Manager. After that she transferred to the Radisson Hotel in LA as Senior Catering Manager and then was promoted to Director of Catering. Can't keep those talented people down! She won various awards and even found time to volunteer for the CARE Committee.

Kelli is a lover of beach and surf was lured to Colorado for love. Set up by our Panetière colleague Shannon Minton, she high tailed it to the mountains of Colorado after meeting Kevin, and now Kevin and Kelly share parenting for 2 year old Tyler. They can't decide whether Tyler is going to be a musician or a comedian. Kelli and Kevin are music lovers and at any given time in their home you can hear classical to rap to hip hop to opera to country.

Kelli enjoys working out and particularly roller blading. Not a surprise given that she was a champion roller skater from the age of 7 till 32 years old, including being the US Champion! Kelli is focused on health and fitness, and loves hiking in the Colorado mountains.

Kelli brings our clients a fabulous combination of humor, competence, focus and skill. She is dependable, low maintenance and is one of those people you explain something to once and they just get it. Thanks to Kevin for luring Kelli into our world in Colorado!

Stella Evans
Our Canadian contingent. DOSM and strategist for all properties and many brands, Shop calls

Coming out of Vancouver, Stella brings that great Canadian balance to her marketing and DOSM skill set.

Her 2 children are well grown now and their youth at home has been replaced with a puppy to keep the homestead young at heart.

Stella has had over 20 years experience in hospitality marketing. Yes, she has been DOSM for big brands, Westin, and smaller, local brands such as Metropolitan and National/Toledan Internet. Independent hotels have always figured in her learning and success

curve. While luxury has always been part of her skill set, she has had just as much experience with La Quinta and Comfort Inn.

An original thinker and caring mentor, we all first crossed paths at Semiahmoo Resort in Washington State, where Stella came in to leverage corporate retreats and events from the Canadian market.

Cindy Perkins
Temporary Senior Sales Manager, Temporary Senior Catering and Conference Services. Hotel Rate Management and Strategy Analyst, SWAT Team, Travel Agent Sales Specialist, Shop calls

Cindy Perkins combines experience as a hotel and conference center sales manager with her years as a client services director for a destination management company to bring our clients valuable insight. Her strengths are building strong client relationships, expanding customer bases by new account development through prospecting and her ability to build harmonious work environments.

Cindy has solid sales experience at The Inverness Hotel & Conference Center and The Adam’s Mark Hotel in Denver. At Global Liaisons, her own company, she provided meeting planning support and management to corporations including site selection, program development and event production. For Destination Services of Colorado she was Director of Client Services and managed 52 employees.

Cindy has attended Colorado Mountain College and Colorado University and is currently working on obtaining the Certified Meeting Planner designation. She also holds a Certificate of Floral Design from the Floral Institute in Portland, Oregon.

As you can see from her photo, Cindy is an animal lover and is “mom” to her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Tiramisu, and two cats.

Cindy fills her free time with lots of interesting activities. She can juggle (not just work projects but “things”) and has received an AOPA ground school certificate with the hopes of receiving her pilot’s license in the future. She loves to cook and her fiancé says she is quite good at it too!

Cindy is proud of her floral designs, loves to travel, play in the garden and take a ride on her motorcycle. She is an avid hiker in the Colorado Mountains and her favorite hike is Seven Bridges in Colorado Springs.

Cindy and her fiancé John are planning a wedding in the next year or two. Cindy’s laugh is infectious and she is eager to share it – and her expertise – with our clients.

Kim Dinsmoor
Temporary Hotel DOSM, Revenue Management, Hotel Acquisition, Strategy and marketing plans

To talk to Kim, you might have to don your running shoes and pound the pavement with him... as his goal is to someday run a marathon.

Kim, we wish you luck and wonder what you think about logging all those miles....perhaps it is how to come up with more creative branding strategies for our Panetière clients.

Kim brings us 21 years of exceptionally varied experience in hospitality, from operational roles with Aircoa and most recently a group of boutique hotels in New Orleans to many key roles in sales and marketing.

Kim's strengths are in branding, developing loyalty programs, revenue management, strategic marketing, the GDS, e-commerce marketing and building/growing sales teams.

His leadership roles in sales and marketing include some great hotels, including The Peabody Memphis, The Worthington Hotel in Ft. Worth, La Mansion Del Rio and Watermark in San Antonio, and Camberley Hotels. For Rev Logix, Kim was involved in key pre-opening situations, providing leadership in strategic sales and marketing and revenue management. For Lexington Services, the largest reservation service provider in North America, Kim served as VP of Business Development.

Kim isn't just a hotel head. After coming in from one of his runs, you can find him cooking dinner for his two beautiful daughters or reading a good book.

Eric von Starck
Marketing Strategy, Training for Sales and Revenue Management, Web Specialist, F & B Specialist, Programmer, Revenue Management

Eric's 25 years experience as a business owner and operator offer PMA a wide range of support. These include technical expertise in management information systems; design of collateral and logos in branding and advertising campaigns; direct mail strategy and design; newsletter writing, layout and design; event management; creation of database management spreadsheets and systems; and web design.

As our expert on food, kitchens, and banquets, Eric brings knowledge from Europe (sold the most beer at one property in Edinburgh, Scotland - ever, or at least up to 1983). With four years operating a five star restaurant in Philadelphia and 18 years running a gourmet event catering business combined with a day to day corporate food service division, he brings vats of knowledge and, still, a passion for the psychology of cuisine and what it can do for a property.

When Eric is not creating on his computer he can be found with his nose in a ten-pound book increasing his learning curve in computer programming, or reading a novel. He heads into the outback to bike, back country ski and running after his adopted greyhound.
Email: evonstarck@carinocollection.com