Tony Melis
Melis joined snöball event marketing, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, as head of growth. The more-than-25-year management, accounting and strategy veteran most recently worked for Association des fabricants de meubles du Québec (AFMQ), a furniture manufacturing company in Montreal, as director of business strategies. Melis has previously been director of North American operations at key4events, a French hybrid event and digital tech company, vice president of business development at Showcare event services and more.
Luis Arturo Aguilar
Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California welcomed Aguilar as spa manager. Aguilar brings almost two decades of professional experience in wellness, hospitality and management, as well as extensive certifications in massage therapy. Aguilar has studied physical rehabilitation, hospitality and other wellness arts at several prestigious institutions, including Holistic Clinical School at the University of Alberta, Canada and the School of Hospitality at Cornell University. Aguilar has served in management and leadership roles at Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center in Puerto Vallarta, Hotel Esencia in Riviera Maya, The St. Regis Resort Punta Mita Resort in Mexico and more.
Deana Ivey
Ivey is now president of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) and brings nearly 30 years of experience in management, music and tourism. Previously, Ivey was executive director of Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She has been honored with the Nashville Business Journal Women in Music award and the Women in Business award by Nashville Lifestyles. Ivey also currently sits on the Tennessee Hospitality Association board, Rhythms of the South corporation board and more.
Richard Keurajian
The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia appointed Keurajian to director of marketing and resort programming. Entering the new position with more than 25 years in hospitality sales, marketing and management, Keurajian was director of sales and marketing at Lansdowne Resort and Spa most recently, after serving as vice president of sales and marketing at Kingsmill Resort for seven years. Keurajian has also held sales and marketing leadership roles at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and more.
Emily Scheiderer
Scheiderer joined Destinations International as director of education, sales and services. She brings over 15 years of experience in destination and hotel organization, sales and management to her new role. Scheiderer was previously senior sales manager of business development and customer engagement at Visit Indy, Indianapolis’s tourism bureau. She has also worked for Westin Hotels & Resorts as marketing coordinator.
Adam Gollub
Gollub is general manager at The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton. Most recently dual general manager for two Hilton properties, Gollub brings 13 years of leadership and hospitality management experience to the Dallas hotel. Gollub has also been general manager for several other properties, including The Caledonia and The Tate in New York City and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, also in New York City.
Haryati Md Haidar
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) in Malaysia promoted Haidar to director of strategic projects. Haider has collected over 30 years of experience in computer programming, management and strategy. She joined the Centre in 2004 and was most recently manager of the Centre’s integrated business management system, of which she led the development. Haidar has also held multiple application specialist roles and was programmer for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in Massachusetts.
Ben Zarhoud
Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) promoted Zarhoud to assistant general manager. Previously, Zarhoud was vice president of finance at LACC and has more than two decades of accounting and finance management experience. In his earlier career, Zarhoud was in senior management at AEG and AXS Group LLC and was a finance leader at Deloitte & Touche financial consulting services.
David Curell
The Josie Hotel in Rossland, British Columbia named Curell its general manager. Curell comes with more than 30 years of hospitality management experience. He was most recently general manager of Versante Hotel in British Columbia and has served as general manager at several additional North American properties, including OPUS Vancouver; Joie de Vivre Hospitality’s Hotel Vitale in San Francisco; Clift Hotel Royal Sonesta Hotel in San Francisco; Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection in Santa Cruz, California and more.
Sue Stemley, CASE, DES
Visit Anaheim welcomed Stemley as meeting sales manager of the area’s eastern region. Stemley is a 20-year hospitality sales veteran previously based in San Diego. Prior to joining Anaheim’s tourism scene, Stemley was citywide sales executive for Marriott hotels in the San Diego area, starting as senior account executive at Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina in 2000. Stemley has also been a member of multiple committees with PCMA’s Capital Chapter and has served as co-chair of PCMA’s Capital Chapter membership committee.