Hospitality and Tourism Alumni Panel: Moving Forward in a Downturn Economy
June 30, 2020
Event Recording
Speaker Bios
Ashley Baboota
Ashley Baboota is a 2016 graduate of the HTM program with a dual degree in Marketing. After graduation she went to work with Interstate Hotels & Resorts (now Aimbridge Hospitality) at their corporate office managing sales and marketing programs, then as an eCommerce Marketing Manager for their new digital team. After COVID forced layoffs for most of the industry, she shifted her background in client work and revenue to move to a position in Finance at Cerner, a healthcare company.
Ryan Bing
Ryan Bing (HTM, ’08) completed Marriott’s Manager Development Program at the Chicago Marriott Magnificent Mile Hotel, where he held multiple leadership positions including Banquet Manager and Senior Restaurant Manager. Ryan also worked in senior management with two downtown Chicago steakhouse concepts. After moving to Denver, he became a department executive at the Denver Marriott West hotel and was selected to the Marriott International Emerging Leaders Program. He then transitioned into hotel franchise services and support with Red Lion Hotel Corporation. Currently, Ryan is supporting eight distinct brands as a Field Marketing Director at the RLHC Corporate Headquarters.
Catherine Bolling
Catherine Bolling began her hospitality career in food & beverage management with the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. After pivoting into event management and then eventually sales she has been working most recently as a senior sales manager for the new InterContinental at the Wharf in Washington DC. Catherines experience in luxury hotel operations and sales has given her the opportunity to take advantage of many unique assignments and roles including temporary assignments running events on Maui and being an opening team member of the restored historic Old Post Office in Washington DC. Catherine enjoys being engaged with the Pamplin community and was a founding member of the Recent Alumni Board.
Jeremy Mistretta
My days are filled with enhancing total asset value and shareholder return for Summit Hotel Properties, a publicly-traded real estate investment trust, 72 premium-branded hotels through creative sales and revenue strategies. I have the pleasure of leading a team of 4 other in-house revenue strategy and data analytics professionals while partnering with our asset management group to drive success at Summit. I spend a lot of time working alongside our 10 third-party management companies influencing sales and revenue decisions that drive enhanced revenue, profit and market share success to our portfolio. To this day I still get tremendous enjoyment when consulting at our properties and providing our property leaders with new tools and resources to drive success!
Career Highlights
- Began my career as a front desk clerk at the Hampton Inn Christiansburg, VA while studying Hospitality & Tourism Management at Virginia Tech (2002 graduate)
- Completed 3 summer internships with Marriott throughout my college days to gain additional hotel operational experience.
- Spent 4+ years with Marriott in various Revenue Management roles in Houston and Seattle, leading these teams and markets to revenue success.
- Spent 13+ years with Summit Hotel Properties leading the Revenue Strategy for our multi-brand portfolio. When I joined Summit in 2006 we were a privately held company and then went public in February, 2011.