Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/3108
Black Meetings & Tourism April/May 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 22 The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson®, in Elizabeth, NJ recently announced the hiring of Timothy A. Fields as the new director of Sales. Fields brings 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry to the position. Prior to joining the hotel, Fields served as director of Sales and Marketing at the Radisson Hotel & Suites Spartanburg, S.C. Fields started his career in his home state of New Jersey with Marriott Hotels & Resorts and held several positions with the company including recreation supervisor; convention services management; conven- tion sales manager; executive meetings manager; sales manager; A TQM trainer; and director of sales & marketing. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center's Chief Engineer Robert Taylor is the first employee in the Center's history to celebrate 25 years of service. Taylor's career with the Convention Center pre-dates the facility itself. He was hired by the New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the board that governs the Convention Center, as an operating engi- neer on December 26, 1983, while the building was used as the Louisiana Pavilion for the 1984 World's Fair. When the World's Fair closed, Taylor, as part of the Operations department, worked to retrofit and refurbish the convention center in 60 days before welcoming its first tradeshow, Helicopter Association International, on January 15, 1985. Meet Minneapolis, Official Convention & Visitors Association, recently announced Leslie Wright, currently the director of sales and marketing at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center in downtown Minneapolis, has been named to the newly- formed position of senior vice president of sales & services for Meet Minneapolis. In this capacity, Wright will oversee a destination sales and services staff of almost 30 and a budget of nearly $4 million. She will be charged with identifying market opportunities, develop- ing long- and short-term sales strategies, and creating training pro- grams for sales staff to attract convention business and group and individual leisure travel. She will also manage all destination servic- es functions to ensure maximum customer satisfaction and repeat business. The Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau (AAACCVB) is pleased to announce the addition of Bill Adams to its team of tourism professionals. Adams took over leadership of the AAACCVB Sales Department in February. The new director of Sales brings more than 12 years of travel and tourism sales experience to the AAACCVB. Prior to joining the AAACCVB, he served for seven years as senior sales manager at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. In that capacity, he helped to pro- mote the destination through cooperative ventures with hotels, CVBs, tour operators, transportation companies, and restaurants. He began his career as Group Sales Manager at the Newseum in Arlington, Virginia. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants recently announced the appointment of veteran hotelier Mark Fischer to general manager of the new 304-room Hotel Palomar Atlanta, which is slated to open during the spring of 2009 in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. Fischer will work to integrate Hotel Palomar Atlanta, Kimpton's first hotel in the market, to become a part of the bustling Midtown Atlanta community. He will also oversee all daily operations of Hotel Palomar Atlanta, bringing to life Kimpton's most iconic guest experi- ences, from the "Guppy Love" program that provides guests with a goldfish companion upon request, to the hosted evening Wine Hour that offers guests a chance to indulge in the art of conver- sation while tasting wines from around the world. Paula Moreno has joined the Greater Houston CVB's tourism department as the new international frequent individual traveler (FIT) and group sales manager. The Columbian- born Moreno brings a strong interna- tional presence to the tourism depart- ment as she is fluent in French, Spanish, Portuguese and English. In her new capacity, she will work the international meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE) market to help the tourism department book interna- tional meetings. Moreno is new to the tourism industry but brings solid knowl- edge in sales and marketing from experience at Vinson and Elkins law firm, where she worked in their International Corporate Finance and Securities Department, as well as her time working at Tomsi Homes, where she excelled in sales and was the leader in sales for her team.