Our People

As CEO of First Hospitality, David has over 25 years of global operating experience in managing high performing teams and in executive roles in both private and publicly held organizations. He coordinated over $10 billion of real estate and capital market transactions across multiple geographies and currencies. His experience ranges from fee-simple equity transactions to mortgage and mezzanine lending and complex joint venture and structured transactions.

David began his career in public accounting, consulting, and financial institutions before he found his true passion in the hotel and travel space. He has been immersed in the lodging investment and operating space for more than 20 years now. He especially enjoys harmonizing the right capital structure with the right real estate, branding, and operational solutions to optimize investor returns in lodging, and related investments.

His formative institutional experience was with GE Capital Real Estate, Guggenheim Partners, and Ernst & Young, LLC [in Los Angeles, Boston, Stamford CT, and New York]. Before joining First Hospitality, David served in executive roles at JC Resorts in La Jolla, CA and Denihan Hospitality in New York City. David received his B.A. from Western Michigan University, located in his hometown of Kalamazoo, MI. He was an adjunct professor in the Carroll School of Management, Boston College.

David is sought after for comment in leading publications such as Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, Lodging Magazine, and other industry publications. Additionally, he has made appearances on numerous television news programs. He is a frequent speaker at various real estate and lodging industry panels. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute Hotel Development Council.

David lives in Chicago with his wife Susan and their two dogs. In his free time, he loves to ski, mountain bike, ride motorcycles, and catch up with his three children. He is passionate about improving the lives of underprivileged youth and supporting research to cure Multiple Myeloma with the MMRF.

Sam Schwartz is Executive Chairman of First Hospitality and First Investors, where he chairs the board and guides the company's overall strategy, capital priorities, and long-term growth. As majority owner, he plays an active role in shaping investment direction, stewarding governance, and ensuring alignment between the firm's real estate platform, management company, and investor partners.

At First Investors, the real estate investment affiliate of First Hospitality, Sam serves on the investment committee and works in close partnership with the senior leadership team to expand the investor base and strengthen the platform's sourcing disciplines.

Earlier in his career, Sam opened Hilton's first-ever tri-branded property at McCormick Place as General Manager and served as Development Director for award-winning projects including the Renaissance Toledo Downtown and Hotel LeVeque Autograph in Columbus. He has been recognized as an industry leader by Hotel Business, Hotel Management, and REJournals.

A graduate of Northwestern University with dual engineering degrees, Sam brings a design mindset to building enduring businesses. Based in Chicago, he and his wife are raising their young family and two dogs.

As Chairman Emeritus, Stephen provides strategic guidance to the company and works with First Hospitality's partners to unlock the value of their hotels.

Stephen has more than 50 years of hospitality experience and currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt hotels. He founded First Hospitality in 1984 and has grown the company portfolio to 50+ hotels nationwide with revenues exceeding $250 Million. Throughout his career, he has successfully developed and financed more than $1 billion in hotel real estate. Also, he is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with Hilton Hotel Corporation and was inducted into the Chicagoland Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2007. The firm has received numerous awards reflective of his innovative and creative approach to development and hospitality.

Stephen has been an active board member for several not-for-profit organizations, including The Board of Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago, Midwest Board of the Weizmann Institute, a key sponsor of the Holocaust Education Program at Elmhurst College, as well as a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Board (CYSO). He is married to his wife Terry and is the father of three children.

As Chief Commercial Officer at First Hospitality, Jenna expertly guides the Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Management divisions. Her strategic mind is key to supercharging direct business, boosting top-line revenue, and locking in profitability. Beyond the numbers, Jenna cultivates robust brand partnerships, is a fixture at industry-leading events, and builds strong pipelines for future revenue talent.

Jenna is a true champion of creating a vibrant Revenue Generation culture within First Hospitality. With over 20 years of industry experience, her track record speaks for itself: she consistently exceeds owner expectations on new hotel launches and breathes new life into stabilized assets. She's a master at crafting collaborative processes and tools that empower property teams to perfect their channel mix.

Jenna's journey with First Hospitality began in 2004 as a Guest Service Representative, and she's since grown through pivotal roles including General Manager, Vice President of Revenue Management, and SVP of Commercial Strategy. A proud alumni of Eastern Michigan University with a B.A. in Business Administration, Jenna unwinds by cheering on the University of Michigan's football team and making memories with her husband and two children.

Kathleen Hollis is the Chief Growth Officer at First Hospitality, where she focuses on growing the company's portfolio and building strong partnerships across the industry. She leads the business development team, working with hotel owners, brand partners, and developers to find new opportunities, whether through management contracts, acquisitions, or fresh market expansion. Before joining First Hospitality, Kathleen was Senior Vice President of Business Development at Evolution Hospitality, where she played a key role in expanding the company's portfolio from 27 hotels to 90. She started her career as a financial analyst at Wells Fargo Bank, giving her a solid foundation in finance before moving fully into hospitality.

A graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Management with a minor in real estate, Kathleen brings expertise and passion to her work. She splits her time between California and Rhode Island and enjoys life at home with her husband and their two young boys.

As the General Counsel and a member of the First Hospitality Executive Committee, David oversees all legal and compliance matters for First Hospitality. He's responsible for examining and drafting IT, employment, real estate and vendor contracts, managing copyrights and trademarks, and preserving business records.

Prior to joining First Hospitality, David served as the General Counsel for Grand Vehicle Works, a large automotive chassis and body manufacturer in Highland Park, IL. Before that, he served as the General Counsel for United Homes Inc., a multi-state home builder and was a partner in Shefsky & Froelich, Ltd., a large law firm in Chicago. David's education includes a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.

In his free time, David enjoys spending time with his wife Edie of nearly 30 years, his son Zachary who lives in Denver, and his English bulldog, Maggie. Additionally, he was a youth and high school football referee for 22 years before becoming a high school football coach.

As the Chief Technology Officer, Jason is responsible for the infrastructure, security, business, and financial applications, project management, data interfaces, vendor procurement, and hotel IT support for the entire organization. Starting with First Hospitality in 2017, Jason modernized First Hospitality IT infrastructure allowing for scalability, reliability, availability, and security for First Hospitality growth initiatives. Jason led a team in standardizing First Hospitality’s chart of accounts and reporting packages. Additionally, Jason is an active participant in First Hospitality’s hotel development projects. Jason has over 25 years of experience in the office, retail, multi-family, and hospitality real estate sector. Before joining First Hospitality, Jason was the Senior Director of Financial Application and Data Management for seven years, focused on Oracle HFM and JD Edwards financial applications, report writing, along with supporting users in the accounting and financial reporting departments. Jason has diverse experience in departments, as he’s worked in IT, database, financial application management, financial reporting, and accounting. Jason worked at Trizec Office Properties and Brookfield Properties, where he served in various roles. Jason holds a B.A. in Mathematics with a minor in Business Administration from Monmouth College. Jason was a member of the varsity basketball team. In his free time, Jason enjoys hanging out with his wife and two daughters at sporting events, working out, playing basketball, hitting the links, reading, and barbecuing in his backyard.

As the Executive Vice President of Owner Success, Dan is responsible for establishing relationships and communication channels with the company’s owners and acts as the communication link between ownership and the various departments within First Hospitality. Additionally, he represents all of First Hospitality’s hotels concerning each brand’s product improvement plans, renovations, and any issues that need brand assistance. Moreover, he oversees the creation and management of the company’s capital expenses and works very closely with the Development and Renovations team. Dan is a hospitality veteran and has over 30 years of experience in the industry. Specifically, he has extensive expertise in all aspects of hotel operations and revenue generation. He has won several industry awards and has always operated hotels to the top of the brands’ performance metrics. He’s served in leadership positions as General Manager at several hotels including Holiday Inns, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Indian Lakes Resort. Also, he’s held several Director of Operations positions throughout the Midwest, in which he oversaw multiple Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt brands. In his free time, Dan enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, biking, fishing, traveling, and refurbishing old woodwork. Dan is happily married to his wife Yvette with whom he has five children.

Marissa Ballan is Executive Vice President of Investments and Capital Markets at First Investors, the real estate affiliate of First Hospitality. In this role, she leads the firm's real estate acquisitions efforts and oversees equity and debt capital sourcing across institutional, family office, high-net-worth, and retail investors.

With more than 20 years of experience, Ballan held senior investment and development roles at citizenM Hotels, including Vice President of Global Investment Management, where she oversaw a multi-billion-dollar portfolio. She has extensive experience sourcing, underwriting, structuring, and executing high-value developments, joint ventures, acquisitions, and dispositions, with prior leadership roles at citizenM, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and other investment and advisory firms. She began her career at JPMorgan in investment banking and high-yield research, covering homebuilding, gaming, and lodging. Most recently, Ballan served as Head of Development for Radisson Blu, leading the brand's growth in the Americas.

Ballan was recognized as one of Hospitality Management Magazine's 2024 Influential Women in Hospitality. She serves as a board member of the Travel Industry Executive Women's Network and as Programming Committee Deputy Chair for WX - New York Women Executives in Real Estate.

She holds an MBA from the Wharton School in Real Estate and Management, an MA in economics from NYU and a BA in economics from Barnard College. Ballan recently relocated to Chicago from New York with her husband, Michael. Outside of work, she is a lifelong Mets fan, an avid reader, and is actively improving her French language skills.

Christina Santarelli-Foster is a results-driven marketing executive with over 15 years of experience in lifestyle branding, experiential and digital marketing, and national partnerships. Christina has played an influential role in the hospitality scene and food & beverage industry in leading the wave of the next generation of leaders. She has garnered national partnership and has worked alongside national partners such as Bravo TV, Barilla, Food Network, PGA, Disney, Harley Davidson and American Girl.

In 2009, Christina led the opening of Hilton's first franchise brand, theWit Hotel located in the heart of Chicago, along with the hotel's two award winning restaurant and catering events marketing. With her passion surrounding food and beverage, in 2016, Christina joined Levy and previously was the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications leading Levy's brand vision and its portfolio of 200+ properties coast to coast. Ranging from Sports & Entertainment, Convention Centers and Restaurants, Christina truly believes that the power of food, beverage and hospitality is one to be celebrated and enjoyed by all.

New to the First Hospitality family as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Christina is no stranger to what excellence in hospitality is and the spirit it brings to the table.

As the Senior Vice President of People Services, Travis works to foster an engaging work environment and instills a people-centric culture that supports personal and professional growth while achieving best-in-class results. His responsibilities include sourcing and developing talent and identifying internal rising stars. Additionally, Travis serves as a coach and mentor by providing learning experiences for his peers in all aspects of hospitality management and leadership by collaborating with them to create and sustain industry-leading systems and processes. Moreover, he holds multiple certificates with Marriott, Hilton, IHG, National Restaurant Association, American Hotel Lodging Association, Predictive Index, Franklin Covey, and Leadership Inspired.

Travis is a seasoned industry veteran, with over 30 years of experience in hospitality. Before transitioning into his current role, Travis served as First Hospitality's Corporate Director of Training and was the company's Inner Circle award-winning General Manager during that tenure, an award given to General Managers based upon their property's flow-through, STR, Smith Travel RevPar improvement and rank, guest scores compared to brand, internal associate opinion survey, awards/recognition by the brand, and more. Prior to joining First Hospitality, Travis worked at White Lodging and Sage Hospitality and had multi-brand General Manager experiences in select and full-service hotels and restaurants as the Regional Director of Training and Recruiting. Before that, Travis was the General Manager of a Marriott Connect U hotel. Travis holds a B.S. in Organizational Management from Purdue University.

In his free time, Travis oversees a volunteer-based community garden, Drake Gardens in Chicago and has been in a partnered relationship for 15+ years. Additionally, he's the proud pet parent of an Italian Greyhound, is a member of the All Saints Episcopal Church, and rides horses whenever possible.

Christine Andrews is responsible for the overall direction of First Hospitality's People Services division. As a passionate advocate for First Hospitality's culture, she plays a pivotal role in championing the cause of being an Employer of Choice in the markets First Hospitality serves. She leads initiatives in talent acquisition, total rewards, diversity & inclusion, associate engagement, and associate relations.

Christine has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, most of which has been in Human Resources. Prior to joining First Hospitality, Christine lead the People & Culture division at Hostmark Hospitality Group for 28 years.

Christine received her bachelor's degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she majored in Hotel Administration and holds a Master's degree in Hospitality Management from Roosevelt University. She is an active member of the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART), AHLEI's Education and Certification Advisory Council, and Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM). She currently serves as an employer trustee on the UNITE HERE Heath Fund and Chicago's Hotel Employer Labor Relations Association (HELRA).

In her free time, Christine enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and two rescue dogs. Additionally, she enjoys watching football, hockey and college basketball with her boys, volunteering at her church, reading, traveling, and spending time in the outdoors.

As the Vice President of First Analytics, Mike is responsible for overseeing the Revenue Management teams and strategies for First Hospitality's full-service hotels. With a track record of success as a revenue team leader, he is responsible for helping individuals and hotels achieve their potential. Mike strives to create a culture of sustained success through process and innovation. He mentors his revenue team by providing them with the tools, training, and guidance to achieve desired outcomes. This blend of expertise and passion helps First Hospitality stand out as an industry leader in revenue management.

Mike has 21 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with the past decade primarily focused on revenue strategy. His oversight duties have included monitoring 16 brands from coast to coast within various urban and dynamic markets. Additionally, Mike has brand expertise and certifications with some of the industry's most prestigious brands, including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG. Prior to joining First Hospitality, Mike spent over 20 years at White Lodging in various roles including Corporate Director of Revenue, Regional Revenue Manager, General Manager and Director of Services. Mike holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism from Purdue Northwest.

In his free time, Mike enjoys playing and coaching baseball, and traveling. Additionally, he's a proud husband and father of 2 sons and 1 daughter.

With over 20 years in hospitality, Nadia's career began in operations before transferring to revenue management at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. She played pivotal roles in opening, transitioning, and improvement of W, Westin, and St. Regis hotels across Atlanta, Houston, and Chicago. Following Marriott's acquisition of Starwood, Nadia joined the Marriott Chicago Revenue Management team as a business travel and systems conversion expert. Later, she became Regional Director of Revenue Management at Davidson Hospitality Group, supporting over 40 hotels in 5 years, gaining expertise in Kimpton, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and independent systems. 

Nadia's tenure at Davidson was marked by a dedication to excellence while fostering strong relationships with owners. She established performance standards, developed high performing leaders, and created tools for efficiency during a time of rapid portfolio growth. Despite the pandemic, Nadia achieved record high team member retention by cultivating a collaborative and inclusive culture. Driven by her passion for mentorship, Nadia volunteers her time to AHLA's ForWard program.  

Nadia is an avid reader and enjoys traveling solo or with friends. She values time with her close-knit family and is proud of her Ukrainian heritage, having immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1990.

Chuck Moses brings over two decades of hospitality sales expertise to his role as Vice President of Sales at First Hospitality. Known for his strategic vision and collaborative leadership, Chuck oversees all sales-driven segments, including group, business travel, and catering. He works closely with owners, corporate leadership, and general managers to analyze market trends, establish best practices, and implement incentive programs that drive success. His innovative approach is instrumental in expanding First Hospitality's footprint in key growth markets.

Prior to joining First Hospitality, Chuck served as Senior Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Davidson Hospitality Group's lifestyle division, Pivot Hotels. There, he exceeded annual revenue targets, co-led sales leadership conference, and reduced team turnover by fostering a balanced culture of performance and people-first values. His diverse background spans leadership roles at esteemed brands such as Kimpton, Omni, and Hilton, where he consistently drove revenue growth, improved market positioning, and mentored aspiring leaders.

Chuck attended the University of Incarnate Word and studied business management and economics.  Based in Austin, Texas, Moses enjoys the live music scene with friends and family, attends weekly Soul Cycle classes, and loves a trip to NYC to see as many Broadway shows as one can see in a quick weekend.

 

Lance Hornecker is an award-winning sales and marketing executive with extensive experience driving revenue growth and building strategic client relationships in the hospitality industry. In his global sales career, Lance has consistently delivered exceptional results by blending innovative strategies with a deep understanding of market dynamics. His expertise spans global account management, business development, contract negotiation, and brand positioning across luxury hotel portfolios.

Throughout his career, Lance has led high-performing teams and spearheaded initiatives that generated multimillion-dollar revenues. At Davidson Hospitality Group, he developed and managed a portfolio of key accounts, driving annual revenues and achieving record-breaking growth. Previously at Omni Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Lance managed diverse client portfolios and produced annual revenues surpassing $150 million, earning multiple President's Club and Sales Excellence awards.

A recognized leader in the meetings and events industry, Lance has served on the board of directors twice and as President of the MPI Georgia Chapter, as well as volunteer roles with SITE Southeast. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and advanced certifications including Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and the Global Certification in Meeting Management (CMM). Lance is a sought-after speaker and former faculty member for continuing education programs at Kennesaw State University and the University of Georgia.

Passionate about fostering relationships and delivering value, Lance continues to shape global sales strategies that elevate brands and exceed client expectations.

As Vice President of Accounting, Joe Giannini oversees the hotel accounting function including the monthly reporting, external audit function and the tax returns. Joe's key areas of focus are process improvement through automation, property transitions and team development.

Joe has 35+ years of progressive accounting leadership experience in the real estate industry with the last 15 years in the hospitality space representing operators and ownership groups. Joe most recently was with Schulte Hospitality as SVP of Accounting leading their 70-person department and two hundred hotel portfolios. Prior to this, Joe worked with Blackstone's shared service accounting group leading the hospitality accounting team reporting on 125+ hotels. Joe has also worked in home building, commercial real estate, and multi-family accounting.

Joe attended St. Joseph's College and graduated with a BA in Accounting. He holds his Certified Public Accountant license from the state of Illinois and graduated with an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

Joe spends his free time with his wife of 35+ years, three children and pets. He is an avid reader and loves sports.

As Vice President Corporate Controller and Treasurer, Tanda oversees the Corporate, Owner and Development Entities for the accounting team, as well as the Treasury function. She is responsible for accounting and compliance of the Corporate entities and leading the external audits. She supports the Owner and Development entities, provides oversight to all capital activity and is responsible for external reporting. Additionally, Tanda leads the Treasury function with direct oversight of accounts payable, new property onboarding and cash flow reporting.

Tanda has over 20 years of experience in accounting and finance within the real estate and hospitality industries and experience in public accounting. Prior to joining First Hospitality, she served as Senior Controller of the Timeshare Division at Shell Vacations/Wyndham Vacation Ownership. In that position, she oversaw $140M in revenue generated over 30 operating entities and provided accounting oversight, debt refinancing accounting and compliance, and operational support. Prior to her experience within the industry, Tanda worked at Deloitte in their Assurance and Advisory group servicing clients in the real estate, retail and financial services industries. She also worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in its Transaction Services Group focusing on buy/sell side due diligence and deal transactions. Tanda holds a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign and is a Certified Public Accountant.

In her free time, Tanda is a mom of three boys, and she and her husband can often be found at a hockey rink, baseball field or football field.

As the Senior Vice President of Premium Select Hotels, Anthony oversees a collection of hotels with oversight of multiple area General Managers. He is responsible for leading the execution of exceptional business standards concerning guest experience, operations, talent development, and financial performance to meet specific goals and achieve desired results. He also ensures all hotels meet brand standards by verifying that First Hospitality SOPs are being followed and executed. Anthony ensures that budgets and deadlines are fulfilled by establishing accountability and by engaging with all associates by providing supportive communication.

Anthony has over 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has held two roles at First Hospitality before transitioning into his current role. He began his journey as General Manager for two different Hilton Garden Inn properties in Minneapolis and was promoted to Regional Director of Operations. Prior to joining First Hospitality, Anthony served as a General Manager for a Des Moines Hampton Inn and Embassy Suites in his hometown Minneapolis. Anthony holds a B.S. in Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management from Iowa State University.

In his free time, Anthony enjoys watching baseball, spending time with his family at their cabin in Iowa, and golfing with friends. He has been married for over a decade to his wife, Samantha. They have two incredible little girls.

As the Senior Vice President of Full Service & Lifestyle Hotels, Nick oversees the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Louisville markets. His responsibilities include managing a mixture of full and select service Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Independent properties. With over 13 years of hospitality experience, his responsibilities include overseeing an Area General Manager and has recently had a focus on opening new hotels, brand transitions, and management takeovers.

Before transitioning into his current role, Nick served as an Area General Manager where he oversaw 5 hotels in the Milwaukee and Louisville markets. Nick began his career with Marcus Hotels and Resorts at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, where he held various positions, culminating with Guest Service Director. Prior to joining First Hospitality, he was the General Manager of the Ridge Hotel in Lake Geneva and the Iron Works Hotel in Beloit, Wisconsin. Nick holds a B.S. in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management from Iowa State University. He was heavily involved in campus life, as he was elected President of the local chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

In his free time, Nick enjoys golfing, watching college basketball, and spending time with his wife and their 3 children. His family enjoys traveling, seeing extended family, the holidays, attending his daughter's dance competitions, and swimming in the summertime.

As Vice President of Full Service & Lifestyle Hotels, Jared is responsible for complex full service & lifestyle hotels in the Chicagoland area. In his role, Jared supports hotel General Managers to drive best-in-class results in revenue generation, bottom-line performance as well as guest, associate & owner satisfaction. As a member of the Senior Leadership Group, Jared works with multi-discipline leaders to drive performance throughout the portfolio.

Prior to his current role, Jared successfully launched Hilton's first tri-branded property at McCormick Place in Chicago, as the Managing Director; leading the property to become Hilton & ALIS Development of the Year for 2018. In his 10 years with First Hospitality he has held roles such as General Manager, Area General Manager & Area Director of Operations while being recognized with 2 Hotel of the Year Awards and 4 Inner Circle Awards. Jared began his career in various Rooms Department roles across select & full-service hotels starting at the front desk and working his way up to General Manager.

In his free time, Jared spends his time with his two sons and his wife Melissa. They enjoy finding days to go to the lake, attending his son's sporting events & tailgating at Iowa Hawkeye football games in the fall. When not traveling, Jared is an avid carpenter building custom furniture, guitars & renovating properties.

As Regional Vice President of Operations, Richard oversees several properties across multiple states. He supports General Managers in their development of strategies and tactics to meet or exceed First Hospitality metrics. He is responsible for supporting the clinical management of operation, property short- and long-term financial goals and performance, compliance to brand standards and regulations, guest service excellence, and finding and developing talent. Richard works with general managers development and growth opportunities. He also ensures that budgets are completed and submitted in accordance with schedule. Richard has over 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has been GM/F&B Director for full-service Radisson and IHG convention center hotels, along with GM for select and extended stay hotels. He started with First Hospitality as General Manager for the Hilton Garden Inn, and then transitioned to Area Director of Operations and currently Regional Director of Operations. He has worked with numerous brands like Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Radisson, and Extended Stay American during his career. Richard graduated with a B.S in Business Management from University of Georgia. Home of the DAWGS. In his free time, Richard enjoys, spending time with his family, going boating, watching football, riding his Harley, and socializing with friends. He is married to a wonderful and supportive woman, Deana Letko who is also in the hospitality business. They have 2 wonderful kindhearted girls with the last one going to IU (Empty Nesters).

As the Vice President of Restaurants & Bars, Danny is responsible for growing the company's restaurant and bar portfolio and improving the operational excellence of the food and beverage department for all First Hospitality properties. Additionally, he ensures fiscal responsibility to the division and supports the properties by crafting smart and sound business decisions. Danny is a seasoned industry veteran with over 29 years of hospitality food and beverage experience. Prior to joining First Hospitality, he served as the Corporate Director of Operations at the Richardson Group in South Carolina. Before that, he was the Corporate Director of Food & Beverage for the Kessler Collection Hotel Group. During his time at Kessler, he oversaw the Food & Beverage programs of 11 hotels. In his free time, Danny is all about spending quality time with his family. Danny's family is an outdoor one that enjoys sailing, competitive shooting, blue water fishing, hiking, and exploring. He wants his two boys to have a 360-degree view of the world and have well-rounded experiences in their education and future careers.