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| Stephen L. Schwartz,
CHA, CPA, MBA,
Chairman and CEO |
 Stephen
L. Schwartz is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First
Hospitality Group, Inc. Mr. Schwartz founded FHG on the principles of
excellence, awareness, growth, leadership and earnings. Since beginning
in 1985 with his first hotel, he has successfully grown the company to
over 30 properties in 6 states. Over the past two decades, he has
successfully developed and financed more than $500,000,000 in hotel
real estate, with successful franchise relationships extending to
Hilton Hotel Corporation, Marriott International, InterContinental
Hotels, Hyatt Hotels and other prominent hotel companies.
Through Mr. Schwartz’s focused vision, staunch values and charismatic
leadership,
FHG has enjoyed superior performance and exceptional returns and has
consistently
attracted a strong investor base. In addition to its day-to-day
operation of
quality hotels, FHG has served in a consulting role to major financial
institutions
including LaSalle National Bank, TCF Bank, ORIX Financial, the RTC and
Textron
Financial. Mr. Schwartz holds an MBA in Finance, Accounting and
International
Business from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of
Management, a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from
Northwestern and is a Certified Public Accountant. In addition to his
operating responsibilities, Mr. Schwartz has been active on several
boards including the International Association of Holiday Inns; Promus
Acceptance Corp; and both Marriott and Hilton Franchise Advisory Committees. In 2007 he was awarded the Chairman’s Hospitality Award from the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association and inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.
Mr.
Schwartz is a known philanthropist and strongly believes in giving back
to the communities his businesses serves. His charitable activities
includes over ten years on the Board of Jewish Education as Executive Vice
President for its Early
Childhood Centers, membership in the Young Leadership Cabinet of UJA
and fellow
of the Wexner Heritage Foundation. |
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| Robert J. Habeeb, CHA,
President and COO |
 Robert
Habeeb joined First Hospitality Group’s executive
team in 1997. In his visible role as President and Chief
Operating Officer, he serves as company spokesperson, is
highly involved in investor and franchise relations and
oversees all legal and administrative functions for the
organization.Under Mr. Habeeb’s passionate leadership,
FHG has gained industry wide recognition for their cutting-edge
employee programs that have increased productivity and
reduced turnover rates. This successful system is centered
on gathering feedback, providing meaningful incentives
and building a strong and effective culture.
Mr. Habeeb
is a seasoned professional, with over 20 years of high
profile, multi-unit experience in hotel, resort and food
and beverage management. He is the former COO of the U.S.
resort subsidiary of London’s Rank Group, PLC, where
he was responsible for a multifaceted portfolio of hotel,
restaurant and leisure businesses. In addition, he serves
on numerous industry and academic boards including the
National Council Of Management Companies for the American
Hotel Association, and as an officer for the Illinois Hotel
Association.
Mr. Habeeb is invited to speak often on issues
relating to the hospitality industry and has received awards
including Wabash and Lake’s Corporate Evangelist
award. In addition to his duties at FHG, Mr. Habeeb serves
as a member of the adjunct faculty of Chicago’s Roosevelt
University, where he teaches at the graduate level in the
Manfred Steinfeld School of Hospitality Management. He
has also served on numberous industry boards and brand
advisory councils and is currently Vice-Chairman of the
Illinois Hotel and Lodging Associations.
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| David Misenhimer,
Senior Vice President, Operations |
 David
Misenhimer serves as Senior Vice President of Operations
for First Hospitality Group,
a position he has held since 1999. Within his role he develops
and implements critical hotel operating strategies and oversees
all capital, technical, sales and quality-related functions.
Mr. Misenhimer drives initiatives to enhance the profitability
of FHG’s 25 properties. He is directly responsible for nearly
1500 associates and for operating budgets in excess of $70
million.
Mr. Misenhimer’s management philosophy is summed up by his unique twists to two
common business principles: First, work hard AND work smart, and second, think
and ACT outside the box. His leadership style is rooted in entrepreneurialism
and empowerment and has contributed greatly to FHG’s recognition throughout the
industry as an organization of innovators, not imitators.
Under Mr. Misenhimer’s
direction, FHG hotels have been the recipients of prestigious awards from Marriott,
Hilton and other internationally recognized brands. An alumnus of Southern Illinois
University in Carbondale, Mr. Misenhimer brings with him over 20 years of experience
in successful multi-unit hotel operations.
He began his career with Best
Inns of America, and held regional operations positions with
RFS, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Promus Corporation
and Vista Host, Inc. of Houston, TX prior to
joining FHG. An alumnus of Southern
Illinois University in Carbondale, Mr. Misenhimer brings
with him over 20 years of experience in successful multi-unit hotel
operations. He began his career with Best Inns of America,
and held regional operations positions with RFS, Inc., a wholly
owned subsidiary of Promus Corporation and Vista Host, Inc.
of Houston, TX prior to joining FHG.
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| James L. Schwartz,
Executive Vice President |
James L. Schwartz
Brings over 40 years of hospitality experience as a developer,
builder and operator.
- Former co-founder and owner of P&S Management Company.
- Former President of the International Association of
Holiday Inns
- Serves on the Advisory Board of Triton College.
- Serves on the Board of Directors of Gottlieb Hospital
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| Wendy Stevens,
Vice President, Sales & Marketing |
 Wendy
Stevens joined First Hospitality Group in 2001. In her role
as Vice President of Sales and
Marketing, she is directly responsible for generating revenue
for FHG’s 30 properties. Ms. Stevens’ professional
roots are in operations, having worked for many years as
a hotel General Manager. Her background provides her with
a valuable and enlightened perspective as she as assists
in the development of hotel revenue budgets and tactical
business plans and works closely with her regional directors
to ensure that established performance goals for each hotel
are met and exceeded.
Ms. Stevens demonstrates a hands-on, involved approach to
sales leadership. She aligns her activities and those of
her sales team members to the idea that “nothing happens
until you sell some something.” She also incorporates
this notion into developing and orchestrating corporate strategies
for client relations, market analysis and segmentation, prospect
identification, proposal delivery, contract negotiation,
yield and rate structure, and campaign design and execution.
Ms. Stevens tracks, analyzes and reports competitive trends
for
each market, and has been
phenomenally successful in growing e-commerce sales for FHG
through her strong understanding of internet intermediaries
and global distribution systems.
Prior to joining FHG,
Ms. Stevens was hired by the Hyatt Corporation to lead the
sales team of the first Hawthorn Suites Hotel, their prototype
all-suites property. She has also held Corporate and Regional
Director of Sales and Marketing positions for national companies.
Ms. Stevens is an active member of numerous industry organizations
and serves as an enthusiastic community ambassador by regularly
representing FHG hotels at local civic and charitable functions. |
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| Daniel R. Smith, CHA, Vice President, Management
Services |
 Dan Smith serves as Vice President,
Management Services of First Hospitality Group as direct
liaison with the ownership groups of our managed properties,
FHG’s executive team, and our property management
focusing on Asset Management and Performance.
Mr. Smith has over 25 years of Hospitality experience
holding property leadership positions with many hotels.
He has served as General Manager, Regional Director of
Operations, and Managing Director prior to moving into
FHG’s home office. He has worked with Hilton, Marriott,
and Intercontinental Hotel Group brands and served as Managing
Director of Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale Illinois.
Mr. Smith became a General Manager at age 22 becoming one
of the youngest GM’s in Holiday Inn history at the
time. He was awarded “Certified Hotel Administrator” in
1986. Mr. Smith, in his various leadership positions within
FHG and along with his property teams, has won the Hotel
of the Year award, Sales General Manager of the year, and
is a three time recipient of FHG’s Inner Circle award.
Mr. Smith believes that hospitality truly is an art form
and has demonstrated this with his extensive focus on valuing
his associates, as they in turn are providing the same
quality of service to the guest. His successful method
has been consistently demonstrated through very low employee
turnover and very solid guest satisfaction scores throughout
his career. He also puts extensive emphasis on management
by walking each property thoroughly. Having an eye for
detail is a critical part of his success. Mr. Smith knows
that sales leadership is a necessary attribute and is the
responsibility of every person in this industry.
Mr. Smith serves on the Executive Committee of the Greater
Woodfield Convention & Visitors Bureau as Chairperson
of sales, as a board member of the Dupage County Convention & Visitors
Bureau, and on the Business Promotions and Cultural Development
Committee for the Village of Bloomingdale Illinois. He
also is involved in fundraising efforts for Children’s
Memorial Hospital in Chicago Illiniois. |
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| Ira Ury, Director of Business Development |
 Ira has twenty years of experience in the hotel
industry. He has been involved in operations, franchising,
development, brokerage and site selection. After graduating
from the University of New Hampshire, with a B.S. in Hotel
Administration, Ira participated in Omni Hotels Front Office
Management Training Program. Once completed, Ira spent time
in management positions for Omni at the Omni Hotel at Charleston
Place. In 1989 Ira went back to school and received his Masters
in Business Administration from the University of Illinois,
with concentrations in marketing and finance.
Upon completion
of his MBA, Ira entered the hotel franchising business
with Days Inns of America.
Over the next ten years,
Ira worked for Hospitality Franchise Systems (Cendant);
Budgetel Inns, Inc.; Country Inns and Suites by Carlson
and U.S. Franchise Systems, Inc. Throughout his experience
Ira has sold conversion and new construction hotel franchises
to over 100 franchisees developing long lasting professional
and personal relationships. Ira has represented Days Inns,
Ramada, Howard Johnson, Super 8, Park Inn, Budgetel, Country
Inn and Suites, Hawthorn Suites and Microtel Inn & Suites.
Ira has sold hotel franchises in and is familiar with the
following states: New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, California, Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Besides franchising, Ira has extensive experience in joint
venture development, third party development, hotel brokerage
and hotel site selection. Ira worked in development with
Urban 2000, Inc. Urban 2000 specialized in joint venture
and third party development. Ira assisted on the development
of traditional limited service hotels and limited service
hotels and limited service hotels connected with the Native
American Casinos and Riverboat Casinos. Ira also worked
in hotel brokerage with Hotel Source, Inc. He specialized
in brokering hotel assets between $2,000,000 and $10,000,000.
Ira worked in development and site selection with Extended
Stay America. Ira was responsible for all phases of the
real estate transaction process from site sourcing to full
building permit. |
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| MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Mike Reda, CPA Controller
Legal
Marta Pietrzykowski, Manager of Legal Services
Sales, Marketing and Revenue Management
Rick Marsh, Corporate Director of Sales
Lew Estes, Regional Director of Sale
Kathleen Rompf, Regional Director of Sales
Lucy Subhasiriwatana, Marketing Manager
Hadrian Fishel, Corporate Director of Revenue
Pamela Derouin, Area Revenue Manager
Operations
Terry Geer, Director of Product Quality
Joe Harris, Construction Manager
Dan Norzinskay, Regional Director
Kelly Mascari, Regional Director of Operations
IT
Sam Selim, Senior Director of Technology
Gary Brookshier, Director, Systems and Information
Human Resources
Karen Gonzalez, People Services Manager
Gail A. Lyman Director of Training & Development
Maria Halloran, Benefits Coordinator
Latasha Petty, People Services Coordinator
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