Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/633921
B M & T ••• November/December 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 10 Visit Orlando is pleased to announce it has hired Ron Keith as a national account director. He is based in the Washington, DC area. Keith comes to Visit Orlando with more than 20 years of sales, client relations and association management. Most recently he was director of Strategic Accounts, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in Washington, DC. responsible for booking national association conferences and citywide conventions. "Ron's industry experience with multi-million dollar client accounts and his proven track record in the hospitality industry will make Ron a perfect addition to Visit Orlando. We look for- ward to having him come aboard," says Fred Shea, Visit Orlando's senior vice president of sales & services. Cheryl Andrews M a r k e t i n g Communications (CAMC) has added veteran destination and brand marketing specialist Lesley- Ann Thompson to its talent roster. Thompson brings with her a wealth of marketing and public rela- tions experience that spans the tourism, eco- nomic development and advertising indus- tries. As CAMC's newest team member, she is responsible for developing creative content for use in print and digital formats, and working with traditional journalists and social media influ- encers to generate national and regional cover- age for assigned clients. Prior to joining CAMC, Thompson worked with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitor's Bureau, Jamaica's Tourism Development Company, and McCann-Erickson advertising, among others. The Hawaii Visitors and Con- vention Bureau (HVCB) announced recently that Erica Neves has joined the Bureau as manager of travel trade mar- keting. Neves man- ages the implemen- tation of HVCB's travel trade marketing efforts, overseeing integration of Island Chapters in all major initiatives and events. She also develops and coordinates travel trade events and training, including tradeshows, sales blitzes, and webina- rs. Neves brings to the position more than 20 years of experience in regional tourism market- ing, public relations, and advertising. She previously served as director of tourism and public relations for Ala Moana Center (GGP), director of corporate communications for Castle Resorts & Hotels, and regional com- munications manager for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa announced recently the appointments of Zan Miller as the new director of rev- enue management. Miller will be respon- sible for overseeing revenue optimization, forecasting, market diag- nostics and CRM for the luxury resort. After working in revenue management for nearly 20 years, Miller comes to Austin from his previous position as the director of revenue man- agement at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, N.C. Prior to his time with Omni, Miller worked as the director of revenue management at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston. He also held positions in revenue at Seneca Gaming Corporation in Niagara Falls, NY and Foxwoods Resort Casino/MGM at Foxwoods in Conn., among others. Miller graduated from Cornell with a degree in communications. Sara Holzer, national sales direc- tor of VisitPITTS- BURGH, has been awarded the Out- standing Affiliate of 2015 by the Pitts- burgh Society of A s s o c i a t i o n Executives (PSAE). The PSAE Outstanding Affiliate Award recog- nizes an individual from an Affiliate Member Organization who has contributed substantially to PSAE over the past year. The criteria to be nominated for the award includes serving as an affiliate for at least three years and possessing high ethical standards. Holzer joined VisitPITTSBURGH in 2004 as an administrative assistant in the Convention Sales Department after graduating from Shippensburg University. In her current position she is responsible for generating new convention and meeting bookings, among other duties. The Carillon Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach recent- ly announced that luxury hotelier Lester L. Scott has joined as managing direc- tor. In his capacity, Scott will oversee the prestigious resort, including hotel, spa, and food and beverage operations, and will also serve as the liaison for the property's homeowners associations. Scott has more than 26 years of hospitality experience with over 18 years as a senior-level executive working within the luxury hotel market, including The Ritz-Carlton, Capella Hotel Group and Wyndham Luxury Collection. Most recently, Scott served as general manager / director of Hotel Operations in China for the Capella Hotel Group, a luxury hotel management company founded by Horst Schulze former president / CEO of the Ritz Carlton hotel Company. S p e a k i n g O f P e o p l e