The Beat's Lost and Found Column for the Year 2000

The Timeshare Beat
December 29, 2000
The way timeshare people move around, it's easy to lose track of each other and hard to reconnect sometimes. The Timeshare Beat decided to assist people find each other again by using a Lost and Found section in Street Talk this year. For those of you who may have missed finding someone you care about, below is the whole list for the year, with the earliest finds at the top and the most recent at the bottom. Have some of these folks subsequently moved on again? Probably... If you have any updates, send them in.

• WHERE IS:
• Al Korenek, former PD of Vistana Golf Village (RESPONSE: Seems everyone in Orlando knows right where he is, and they have all told us so we don't guess it's a secret. Al is with HGVC Orlando, doing just fine.
• James Jones who used to work for Fairfield (where "he was said to be consistently number 1 and 2 on their sales line, then quit Fairfield to open Peppertree in Branson where he was their top sales person and T.O. for 1997/98.") Response: James Jones left Peppertree to take a sales position with Grand Vista Resorts. It is reported he worked for Grand Vista for 9 months before taking a position with Bluegreen Resorts in Branson-- back to selling the points based system.
• Aggie York, who has worked in western Canada and was part of Vidafel's 'dream team' at the Mazatlan property in 1996. Response: --"Aggie York is in the Cranberry Vacation Villas area of Ontario, doing her own small development I believe. She had been at Cabo after Mazatlan and prior to that had worked for Johnny Saldat (of PTP Destinations) at Mountainside Lodge in Whistler."
• Michael Garcia. Michael was in California a couple of years back, and was in Hawaii following that. If anyone knows where he is now, and where he's working, drop us a line. A quick response to this one: Michael Garcia is working at Consolidated Resorts' Sands of Kahana, Maui.
• "Can someone tell me where Warren Hall, Gale Saltzgiver and Jim Palmieri all ended up? These were the guys that made Sunterra Branson a success." ANSWER: Jim Palmieri was PD in Scottsdale for Epic, but we hear he has gone back to Branson. Warren Hall has taken over the sales and marketing reins for Divi Resorts. Gale Saltzgiver opened his own telemarketing company in Branson.
• "We have worked with Phil Slezak since he was with Sunterra Royal Dunes, ...then worked with him in Charleston as he got the Church Street Inn on a roll... We know he went to work for Equivest in St. Augustine but left... We are trying to find him as he is a great person to work for as he is very loyal to his sales force. Can you help us locate him?" ANSWER: Phil is presently working in Virginia Beach with Breeden Resorts.
• "Can anyone tell me where Keith Miles of Sunterra Sedona is today?" Keith is said to have gone to Hawaii to work at Adventure Resorts.
• Does anyone know where Archie Elliott is? He was with Sunterra in Branson prior to their, er, problems. Answer: --"Archie is working inhouse in Williamsburg."
• Where is Bob Haslip? Bobby, who earned a reputation as a fair and capable Team Leader at Orange Lake, in Orlando, had taken a nice promotion as Director of Sales for Fiesta America Vacation Club in Cabo. He is no longer with FAVC. Where are ya, Bobby? Latest word: --"Seems he went back to New England but recently has been having some health problems after being bitten by ticks in the N.H. woods. Might be lyme disease. Get well soon Bobby - we miss you in Orlando!"
• Where is Jimmy Olsen, someone wants to know? Last seen at Peppertree in Gatlinburg. RESPONSE: --"I heard Jimmy Olson was working in Mesquite Nev"
• Where are some former Sunterra/Escapes people:
  • Mark Hill: did he get picked up by Bluegreen? He headed up the Escapes project, a program designed to form alliances with real estate brokers for marketing mini vacs and other packages. RESPONSE: Mark Hill is the V.P.of Marketing for Bluegreen in Branson. His main purpose is the get the Big Cedar Lodge project up and running.
  • Brian Buckson Response --"Brian Buckson is broker of record for Buckson Realty Brokerage Inc., a Delaware-based real estate company since 1985, commercial, industrial, residential, consulting, HUD approved. A separate marketing division handles timeshare and mini-vacs, and he is now concentrating on 2 projects."
  • Carroll Bobo Response --"Bobo has been spotted sipping tropical drinks from a dixie cup in Winter Haven, Fla. the winter home of Ringling Bros and Barnum Bailey circus."
• "We heard a few weeks ago that Carol Isaac was let go at Hilton Grand Vacation Club. Does anyone know where she is now?" Response: The Street is told that Carol Isaac is not currently working in timeshare; that she has more or less retired for the moment at Hutchinson Island, FL, with a wealthy friend."
• Starwood/Vistana has lost these people this year, and folks are wondering where they are now:
  • Bill McLaughlin (Pres/CEO)
  • Jeff Carter (VP sales)
  • Phil Jackson (Dir./sales)
    • RESPONSE: --Bill McLaughlin of Vistana and Jeff Carter are at this point staying home and enjoying Starwood's contract buyout money. Phil Jackson bought a trailer park in the Florida Keys and is consulting for Vistana's new resort at Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas."
• Where is Marco Torres from Westgate Resorts? Response: --"Marco Torres is at Westgate - still (or is it again, and again, and again)."
• Whatever happened to Larry Maloney. He was the DOS at Sunterra's Embassy Resort in Orlando. He ran a great line and everyone misses him. Can someone help find him? RESPONSE: Larry is working as the DOS at Marriott's Horizons resort in Orlando, FL, along with some of the top closers who followed him from the Embassy Grand Beach, and everyone is doing great!
• Where is Jeannine Reynolds-Grear, former Island One Resorts manager? RESPONSE: --"reponse to where is jeannene reynolds-grear.... she is currently the manager at summer bay resort of contracts and deeding."
• Anybody know where Reg Farley might be? IN response: --Reg and Patty are at Paradise Village in Puerto Vallarta - Reg/mgr, Patty/liner. (Or they were as of August). --"He is, by the way, a great guy who always stood up for his agents, which is why he was fired by Sunterra years ago."
• Where is Ken Knight, who was with Sunterra at San Luis Bay Inn? Is he still director of operations for Epic Resorts? IN Response: Ken is indeed still Director of Operations for Epic.
• Where is Sean Barrett, someone wants to know. --"I would love to work for him again." Response: we understand Sean has accepted the position of Director of In-House Sales at Spinnaker, Hilton Head.
• Does anyone know where George Cruz, of the Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort, is? Did he go back to Cuba? RESPONSE: We are told that George is working for Radisson in West Palm Beach, FL.
• Whatever happened to Robert L Drake, formerly from All Seasons Resorts? Wasn't he supposed to be doing a resort in Prescott, Arizona? RESPONSE: Bob Drake is indeed working on a resort in Prescott. Formerly called the Prescott Boulders, it is now named Granite View Resort and will hopefully begin presales next spring.
• Where is Scott Church, formerly with Shell Vacations Club? RESPONSE: Scott is still on the Big Island of Hawaii, doing his own very special projects.
• Where is John Helgren from Shell Development Corp? And where is Ron Sherman and Raquel from Embassy Vacation Resort at Grand Beach, Orlando? RESPONSE: --"It's Ron Shader and Raquel Sherman- Doing Great out west!!! Who is looking and I'll give you the rest of the story." RESPONSE #2: --"John is living in PA (Helgrin) with wife Terri, and doing well. He is in financial management and is handling retirement and growth portfolios. He is one of the good guys!"
• Where is Randy Kiem, former Owner RDI before Blugreen? RESPONSE: --"Randy Kiem lives in Fort Myers Beach and owns a small property (about 8 units). The units are not timeshare and are located near the south end of Fort Myers Beach next to a Hawaii-themed RCI affiliated resort."