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2005 Spring Resort Professional Designations Announced
ARDA and the ARDA International Foundation proudly present the newest
associate resort professionals (ARP) and registered resort professionals
(RRP). These designations represent each individual’s personal
commitment to integrity and professionalism in the timeshare
industry.
John Burlingame, former ARDA Chairman and new designee states,
“I am proud to join this distinguished group of industry leaders.
Their dedication to the industry has paved the way for our tremendous
growth. I encourage all industry professionals to actively
participate and earn their designations and continue to raise the bar of
professionalism.”
In support of the program, ARDA’s current Chairman Rip Gellein
also achieved RRP status this year. We honor and congratulate all of the
2005 ARP and RRP designees and look forward to great accomplishments
from this group of dedicated professionals.
ARP Biographies
Heather Ault, ARP
Heather is the resort manager for InnSeason Resorts – The Falls at
Ogunquit in Ogunquit, ME. A graduate of Franklin Pierce College in
Rindge, NH, she has been in the hotel industry since 1987, receiving
most of her training through Hilton and Holiday Inn branded properties.
Heather joined the vacation ownership industry in 1997 as the front desk
manager for Pollard Brook Resort in Lincoln NH, where she created the
Owner Service Exchange Department. She has been working towards her ARDA
designation through attending ARDA-NE meetings as well as assisting in
Hospitality training in the area school systems.
B. Jay Bliss, ARP
B. Jay is currently reservations manager at the Christie Lodge in Avon,
CO. He has worked for many companies in the past 12 years, including
Radisson, Holiday Inn, Portland Center for Performing Arts, Shilo Inn,
Days Inn, Rodeway Inn and Century Hotel. B. Jay started in Colorado as
night manager at the Sonnenalp Resort in Vail and as assistant resort
manager at the Hyatt Mountain Lodge in Beaver Creek.
Randy Fish, ARP
Randy is the vice president of marketing & services for Holiday
Travel of America, a certificate and marketing company servicing the
timeshare industry since 1988. He was hired in January 2001 to manage
and implement the timeshare marketing arm, primarily focusing on mini
vacs, and has increased his focus of responsibility to include: product
development, exit program management, contract management, risk
management and assisting with client and consumer relations. Randy began
his career in sports marketing and has previously worked in the vacation
ownership industry for Shell Vacations as an OPC supervisor, marketing
manager and marketing director.
Carol Green, ARP
For the past five years, Carol has worked for the general manager and
the managing director at the Christie Lodge. In addition to her office
duties, she maintains relationships with the board of directors, as well
as organizing their attendance at ARDA conventions, board meetings and
annual owners meetings.
Susan Hodgin, ARP
Susan is the national HOA board relations manager for Sunterra
Resorts. In this position, she serves as liaison to 24 homeowners
associations throughout the U.S. She works closely with the legal
department to ensure that the legal and statutory requirements are met
and is active in the operations, refurbishment, budget preparation,
board meeting and annual planning and facilitation for each of the
associations. Susan has held various positions with in the resort
industry for over nine years and has experience in financial management,
owner communication and customer service, billing and receivables and
general timeshare and condominium management. She is a licensed
community association manager.
Bill Johnson, ARP
Bill is marketing coordinator for Platinum Interchange/Tricom
Management, a timeshare management and exchange company with
affiliations at more than 400 resorts throughout the United States and
the world. He oversees the design, manufacture and distribution of each
marketing promotion, including advertisements, newsletters, Internet
promotions and the Web site. Bill joined Platinum Interchange in 2000,
and was promoted two years later to senior reservations agent, and then
to the position he now holds. For the past five years, he has been
deeply involved in all aspects of timeshare exchange and promotion,
especially involving homeowners associations and the public.
John Lee, ARP
John is chief financial officer for the Christie Lodge. He oversees the
operations of accounting, information technology and owner accounts.
John began his finance career as a stockbroker and private money
manager. He then joined the corporate finance world with Coors,
Microsoft, and Intel where he managed the budgeting process and spending
control of billion dollar programs including future microprocessor
development and world-wide marketing campaigns. Next, John joined Epylon
Corporation, an e-procurement software company located in San Francisco,
as the director of finance. John built the accounting department from
the ground up, raised venture capital and participated in negotiating
the eventual sale to Accenture Consulting.
Eric Lickteig, ARP
Eric is the controller for the Christie Lodge; he oversees the
daily monetary operations, implementation of financial policies and the
generation of monthly financial statements. Eric got his start in the
hospitality industry as a night auditor for the Breckenridge Hilton in
1995. After working through several ownership changes at other
properties, he came to the Vail Valley in 1998 and has been with the
Christie Lodge for the last two years. In addition to learning the
timeshare industry, Eric is an active member of the Vail/Summit chapter
of HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technical Professionals).
Jonathan Mallows, ARP
Jon serves as an account executive with RCI’s Global Business
Group office located in Andover, MA. In this role, he oversees a
portfolio of resorts in New Hampshire, North Carolina and other New
England states. He joined RCI in April 2004, after serving for five
years in the hotel industry gaining experience in sales and operations.
He is a graduate of East Carolina University, where he earned his BS
degree in hospitality management.
Jason J. Sabo, ARP
Jason is the operational business analyst for resort property management
for the Sunterra Corporation. Jason works on all aspects of the business
and played a large role in the acquisition, integration and development
of Sunterra’s $25 million purchase of Epic Resorts in October 2003
from a U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Previously, Jason worked as a senior
business analyst with International Profit Associates out of Buffalo
Grove, IL. Jason specialized in consulting on country club and
restaurant/bar operations and small hotels.
RRP Biographies
Kay Asplund, RRP, CTS
Kay has recently been appointed regional director for Bluegreen Resorts
Management, Inc. in Orlando. Kay will be responsible for overseeing
Solara Surfside, Orlando’s Sunshine I & II, The Fountains, The
Hammocks at Marathon and World Golf Village. Promoted from a resort
manager position, Kay started her career with Bluegreen as a sales
representative in 1998. Before joining Bluegreen, Asplund was a seasoned
veteran in the hospitality industry. Her prior experiences include human
resource director, general manager and regional general manager. Kay
holds numerous designations, has spoken at ARDA regional meetings and
was named ARDA’s first certified timeshare supervisor.
Stacy Baldi, RRP
As director of finance for Island One Resorts, Stacy manages her team in
account reporting and maintenance for the sales and marketing divisions.
Along with day-to-day finances, she oversees auditing procedures for
guest services, marketing and commission payroll as well as the
company’s attraction ticket inventory. Since joining Island One in
1999, Stacy has been progressively promoted in the accounting
department, and she possesses hands-on knowledge of the vast majority of
timeshare accounting, including HOA monthly statements, balance sheet
reconciliation, payroll, escrow and reserve bank accounts, general
ledger detail, outside vendor billing operations and maintenance and tax
assessment reconciliation.
Joanna Barker, RRP
Joanna is executive vice president for Creative Design Concepts, Inc., a
hospitality design and purchasing firm located in Simi Valley, CA.
Joanna is an experienced professional with over 18 years in the interior
design industry, specializing in vacation ownership for the last 15. She
is a certified interior designer in California and nationally. Her
professional affiliations include membership in the American Society of
Interior Design (ASID) and the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality
(NEWH).
John Burlingame, RRP
John is executive vice president of Hyatt Vacation Ownership,
Inc. He was instrumental in the formation of Hyatt Vacation Ownership,
Inc. and the Hyatt Vacation Club. Since joining Hyatt in 1982, John has
been involved in all phases of hotel development and was responsible for
identifying and pursuing new opportunities and special projects for
Hyatt. He served as chairman of ARDA from 2003 to 2005 and serves as
ARDA’s representative on the Real Estate Roundtable. John also was
a consulting editor for the Handbook of Real Estate Portfolio
Management.
Shirley Byrne, RRP
Shirley is the assistant general manager for The Christie Lodge. She is
a vital part of the executive management team and currently oversees the
front office operations including reservations, front desk, concierge
department, marketing and group sales. Previously, Shirley was
responsible for the operations of the housekeeping department for
several years. Shirley is currently in her 12th year with the Christie
Lodge. She is deeply involved with all aspects of guest relations.
She was selected as a silver award winner for the 1997 ARDY award for
owner/customer relations manager.
Kathy Cormier, RRP
Kathy Cormier currently is executive vice president of Conrad –
Florida. Prior to joining Conrad, Kathy was CFO of American Vacation
Resorts and its predecessor companies for 13 years. There, she was
responsible for the accounting, finance and treasury functions of the
company, including full accounting and financial statement reporting,
cash, banking and accounts receivable management, financing activities,
payroll, human resources, taxes, insurance and risk management. Kathy is
a certified public accountant, a certified management accountant and a
certified treasury professional.
Beverly Davis, RRP
Beverly is an RCI account executive located in Indianapolis.
She is responsible for providing ongoing support and account management
of RCI affiliate resorts in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming, as
well as for affiliate training of RCI products and services and
integration of RCI’s products into their business models and vice
versa. She has held several positions within RCI, including exchange
clerk, resort service coordinator, VIP representative and account
executive for new business development.
Robin Freese, RRP
Robin is assistant vice president of operations, guest services manager,
and real estate agent for the HOA of Scottsdale Camelback Resort, where
she has been since 1994. Starting in accounting as assistant to the
controller, she moved into rental reservations and owner exchanges in
1999. In 2000, she was promoted to guest services manager, responsible
for all operational aspects of front desk, concierges, reservations, and
foot patrol. In her capacity for the owners association, she serves on
the reserves and real estate committee.
Robert Hattox, RRP
Robert is currently director of business development at Bluegreen
Resorts. Prior to joining Bluegreen in 2005, Robert served as director
of domestic and international sales at Universal Orlando Resort where he
worked for 15 years. In addition to sales, Robert has held positions in
admissions, guest services and operations. He currently serves on the
boards of the Salvation Army and the Universal Orlando Foundation and is
a member of the ARDA Awards Committee.
Tamara Hollingsworth, RRP
Tamara has served as the general manager for Tahoe Beach & Ski Club,
which is managed by Vacation Resorts International (VRI), since 1998.
Tamara began her career in the vacation ownership industry in 1990 at
Olympic Village Inn – Squaw Valley as a department manager and
ultimately served as assistant resort manager. She served as the
regional director of operations for RPM in Lake Tahoe until 2000. Tamara
was an adjunct faculty member teaching hospitality courses from 1992
– 1995 for Sierra Nevada College and San Jose State
University.
Michael Kells, RRP
Mike Kells is an account executive for RCI’s Global Business Group
based in Orlando. He oversees a portfolio of approximately 75 resorts
located on Florida’s northeast and northwest coastlines, as well
as key clients Fairfield Resorts, Celebration World Resort and Towne
Realty. Mike joined the RCI Southeast team in 2002 as an account
executive, and previously had extensive experience in hotel operations,
sales and project management.
Karen Kraftchick, RRP
Karen is vice president of Club Navigo operations and product
development for Island One Resorts in Orlando. She is responsible for
the product development of the points-based Club Navigo and manages the
customer service and central reservations departments. Karen joined
Island One in 1995 as a programmer/analyst, was promoted in 2002 to vice
president of information systems and again in 2004 to her current
position. While in the information systems department, she was awarded
ARDA silver awards in three different categories: administrative staff,
technology staff and technology manager/team.
C. Craig Lewis, RRP
A 12-year veteran of the real estate industry, Craig has gained
extensive experience in a wide range of positions. Before securing his
current post as executive vice president and chief operating officer of
Celebrity Resorts, Craig served as reservations manager, resort manager,
project manager and director of operations. He developed programs that
enabled the company to exceed budget estimates by increasing revenues
and reducing expenses, while at the same time elevating each
property’s rankings within the RCI and Interval International
systems. He currently sits on the boards of numerous associations and
has been instrumental in balancing their budgets.
John Loeblich, RRP
John is an account executive with the Global Business Group, Mid America
Region of RCI. He works with developer, management company and HOA
affiliates in providing sales and service solutions through a wide
variety of products and services. Additionally, he works with new
entrants to the industry to ensure the success of their development. As
a 10-year veteran of the hotel industry, he worked in nearly every
department amassing a very strong knowledge of operations and
accounting. In 1995, John accepted the position of general manager for
Mountainside Villas, a timeshare resort in Massanutten, VA. In the fall
of 2000, he joined RCI and services clients primarily in Texas, New
Mexico and Oklahoma.
Joe Malone, RRP
Joe is a timeshare veteran of 23 years who currently serves as vice
president of Shell Vacations Systems. His career began in 1982, first as
a salesperson and eventually as project director with Colorado Resort
Intervals. Joe worked in Australia for Holiday Resort Properties (later
renamed The Merall Group) for eight years, as project director, regional
manager and eventually general manager. Joe accepted the position of
national director of sales operations at Shell Vacations LLC in June
1999, and in that role contributed to the launch and roll-out of the
Shell Vacations Club, Shell’s unique points-based vacation
ownership product, through the end of 2002. After a brief sojourn into
the world of vacation ownership consulting, Joe returned to Shell May
2004 and accepted his current role.
G. Todd Menendez, RRP
Todd is a regional manager for RCI’s Global Business Group based
in Orlando. He oversees a team of account executives servicing
approximately 300 resort properties and representing over $52 million of
annual revenue to RCI. Todd began his career in the timeshare industry
as a sales executive for Orlando-based Tempus Resorts. He gained
additional sales experience as a sales professional with Hilton Grand
Vacation Club before joining RCI as an account executive in June
2000.
Scott Merritt, RRP
Scott is an account executive for RCI’s Global Business Group
based in Orlando. He oversees a portfolio of approximately 75 resorts
located in key markets such as Hilton Head, the Florida Panhandle, New
Orleans and Orlando. Scott began his timeshare career in 1998 at The
Christie Lodge in Avon, CO, where he served as both resident manager and
front office manager. He joined RCI in 2001 as an account executive
based in Denver, CO and relocated to Florida in 2003.
Richard S. Muller, RRP
Rich is vice president of resort operations for Vacation Resorts
International (VRI). He worked in hotel and restaurant management for 11
years before joining VRI in 1991 at The Cove at Yarmouth. He advanced
shortly thereafter to director of resorts. Now responsible for the
northeast region, Rich was promoted to his current position in 2000 and
participated in development of the southern and mid-Atlantic regions. He
has been an active member of ARDA-New England’s Executive
Committee and Meetings Committee since 2000.
Jeff Noonan, RRP
Jeff is market director for RCI and oversees a staff of four
account executives supporting and servicing developers and affiliates in
the northern Atlantic and New England regions. For the past 10 years,
Jeff has been deeply involved in all aspects of timeshare sales and
marketing, especially creating new and innovative programs relating to
increasing sales revenues for resort clients. He has spoken and
moderated sessions at regional resort management seminars sponsored by
ARDA since 2000.
Stacy H. Robbins, CPA, RRP
Stacy is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Amber
Group, Inc., a development, management and vacation club company with
resorts in the southeastern United States. Stacy oversees the financial,
administrative and management aspects of the business. Stacy joined
Avatar Vacation Resorts as vice president in 1994. In 1999, the
opportunity to purchase the company presented itself, and she and her
partners successfully purchased Avatar’s timeshare operations,
changing the name to Amber Group, Inc. For the past 10 years, Stacy has
been involved with all aspects of the timeshare development, financing,
administrative, and management business.
Donna Rorer, RRP
Donna is manager of training and organizational development for Sunterra
Corporation. She began her career in the timeshare industry in 1997 with
RCI Consulting in Las Vegas as the manager of business development. In
1998, she joined Sunterra Financial Services as director of
administrative service; her responsibilities included customer service
and training and organizational development for Sunterra Financial
Services. In August 2003, Donna was asked to develop the training and
organizational development department, focusing on workforce and
organizational development for Sunterra USA.
Lisa Siegert-Free, RRP
Lisa is the general manager for the Christie Lodge owners association,
where she has been since 1984. She serves on the ARDA Finance
Committee, Resort Management Committee, Membership Committee and the
Human Resources Task Force. Lisa currently chairs the Referral/Vendor
Recruitment Sub-Committee and also serves on the Executive Committee for
ARDA-Colorado. She is also a certified paralegal and a graduate of the
Dale Carnegie Leadership Course.
Robert W. Stolt, RRP
Robert serves as a regional manager for RCI’s Global Business
Group based in Orlando. He oversees a team of account executives
servicing approximately 250 resort properties and representing over $50
million dollars of annual revenue to RCI. Robert began his timeshare
career in 1982 in front desk operations at Vistana Resort and worked his
way into upper management positions with both Orange Lake Country Club
& Resort and Sunterra Resorts. In June 2000, Robert joined RCI as an
account executive and has served in several different capacities within
RCI’s Global Business Group for the southeast region. In July
2003, Robert was named to his current position.
Joseph A. Takacs, Jr., RRP
Joseph is president of Vacation Resorts International (VRI). He has been
with VRI since 1989 and has over 30 years combined experience in the
management of hotel, resort and condominium operations, dating back to
1983 when he worked for Fairfield Communities as vice president of
resort operations. Joseph received his MBA from Anna Maria College, is a
licensed real estate broker in 13 states, and maintains a community
association managers license in the state of Florida. He is directly
responsible for all operations activities at VRI as well as Vacation
Internationale, a 32,000 member points-based club with an office in
Bellevue, WA. In addition, he oversees all business and corporate
development, along with VRI’s extensive rental, development and
sales programs.
James Walsh, RRP
Jim is vice president of marketing resources for Fairfield
Resorts Inc. Jim started selling timeshare interests in The Pocono
Mountains in 1981. He followed up with sales, management, and
administrative positions with a number of ARDA companies, including
Marriott Vacation Club International, Glen Ivy and Sands Resorts. For
the last six years, Jim has been a part of the Fairfield Corporate
marketing team in Orlando. Jim’s team produces prospects through
numerous channels which include direct mail, owner marketing, print
advertising, day drive telemarketing and e-commerce.
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