KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. – The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau has hired Mark Zimmerman as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Zimmerman has more than 30 years of hotel experience, much of it with Marriott Hotels. He has also served as transportation consultant to the Syracuse CVB.
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Mary Ahlstrom has been named director of sales at Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa. The resort is under construction with plans to open in this summer. Ahlstrom worked as director of sales at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego before joining the Hilton resort.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Karen Howell has been hired as national sales manager at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort and Convention Center. Prior to her hire, Howell served as group sales manager for four years at Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront.
OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The Oceanside CVB has appointed Dana Porter Higgins as senior sales manager. Higgins previously was director of marketing at the Cal-A-Vie Health Spa in Vista, Calif.
OAK BROOK, Ill. – Kathryn Frerichs and Antonika Thomas have joined the staff of the DuPage CVB. Frerichs is the sales manager in charge of associations, government and Washington, D.C. She has more than 11 years of hospitality sales experience, including her job as group sales manager at the Hyatt Regency Oak Brook. Thomas is sales and services coordinator.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Team San Jose has added Wendy Frank as national sales manager in the West Coast corporate market. Frank joins the staff with more than 15 years of sales experience, most recently as national sales manager at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas.
CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. – The Plantation on Crystal River has hired Andrew Bartlett as general manager and Michael Mancke as director of sales and marketing. Bartlett most recently served as innkeeper for the Kelley House hotel and pub in Edgartown, Mass. Mancke’s previous position was as director of Florida sales for the Miles Media Group.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Lakeway Resort and Spa has named Audrey Baker as Dallas/Ft. Worth sales manager. Baker will handle sales for Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as the Midwest. She has more than 30 years of sales experience, including her most recent role as senior sales executive at Horseshoe Bay Resort in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.
WICHITA, Kan. – Dan Schemm is director of destination sales and services for Go Wichita. He previously worked with Visit Topeka as vice president of existing business.
NAPA, Calif. – The Westin Verasa Napa has hired Alisha O’Connor as sales manager. O’Connor comes to the hotel after serving as sales manager for the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.
