Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/12999
Denise Ward serves as catering sales manager for The Bahamas at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort, located in Nassau. Ward is respon- sible for selling destination wedding and reception packages in domestic and international markets. She also provides consultation to couples planning their wedding at the resort, guiding them throughout the process, and coordinating all aspects of their special day. Ward comes to the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort from My Brother’s Keeper Foundation in Nassau, where she provided business consulting services to small business owners in Rwanda. She also planned and executed all of the Foundation’s private fundraising events. Prior to that, she was the Hospitality Business Consultant for the Ku Itaba Prince Hotel in Butare, Rwanda. Freddie Willard is a focused, self- motivated sales director for the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau who is responsible for posi- tioning Beaumont as a premier meet- ing destination. An employee of the Beaumont CVB since 1997, Willard specializes in sales, event management & logistics for the sports, government and Texas Association markets. Willard also acts as a liaison with hotels, industry partners and suppliers. Charged with the task of database management and statistical reporting, she often makes presentations to city officials, industry partners and CVB board members. Willard, who began her career in hotel sales and catering in 1992 for the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, she has 17 years expe- rience in the meetings and hospitality industry. Marcus A. Cade, Sr. serves as nation- al sales manager for Bellagio Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas, NV where he is responsible for overseeing convention sales at the AAA Five Diamond award- winning resort. Beginning his career with the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority (ACCVA), Cade has acquired over 25 years of hospitality management, meetings and conven- tions services and destination marketing experience. In 2000, ACCVA named Cade “Manager of the Year.” Following his position with ACCVA, Cade served as director of Conventions – Northeast for Salt Lake City CVB. An active professional, Cade demonstrates his leadership outside the workplace as a former Adjunct Professor at Richard Stockton State College and Rutgers University. One Atlantic is pleased to unveil Gregory Smith as its new executive chef. With almost a decade of professional expe- rience in the culinary arts, Smith joined One Atlantic from The Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as executive chef since 2006, manag- ing the dining services and a staff of 65. In this position, he continued to use his gour- met background for catering special VIP events and creating innovative gift boxes, while day-to-day, he uti- lized his experience to provide interesting menus to suit the dietary needs of the patients and the diverse preferences of the multi-eth- nic staff. Prior to that, his particular flair and talent earned him the prestigious position of Sous Chef at Lacroix at the Rittenhouse restaurant in Philadelphia, P.A. The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. has announced that Laurence Barron has joined the organization as chief digital offi- cer (CDO). In this role, Barron will be responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction for the organization’s technological efforts supporting business objectives including network systems, the Internet and Web sites. In addition he will serve as a member of the senior management team of the Orlando/Orange County CVB. Barron was previously VP and chief information officer for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, where he was responsi- ble for providing information technology planning and direction for AH&LA, the Educational Institute and the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation. Matt Sanderson of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau(ACVB) was recently promoted to convention servic- es manager. In this post Sanderson will plan and manage site visits, BETs (Buyer Education Trips) and sales events, and serv- ice conventions from time of booking until conventions are complete. Prior to joining ACVB in 2007 as devel- opment marketing coordinator, Sanderson was a customer Service representative for Lovelace Medical Group, an office administrator for St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Gallup, NM and a client service assistant and project manager for The Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, IA. Sanderson has com- pleted many training programs including the Albuquerque Concierge Excellence training and Event Planning training. 24 Black Meetings & Tourism May/June 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com